Mencken and Anna Quindley use rhetorical devices to convince readers to take a side on the controversial issue of capital punishment. These two essays demonstrate how authors use ambiguity, various types of evidence, and in many cases make errors of generalization or classification commonly known as "informal fallacies." In Mencken's case, since he deconstructs arguments against his own proposals, critical reading becomes an analysis of an analysis, which this particularly sophisticated author would have appreciated given a sardonic tone that leaves the reader guessing whether he is really for or against. Quindley too uses techniques of reversal and qualification to build ethos with her reader, and though both essayists seemingly take positions opposing the choice they advocate, the result are nuanced, subtle arguments that force the reader to look deeper than the surface.
Both authors take a line that capital punishment provides transformative release -- katharsis, as Mencken sardonically attributes to "the aforesaid Aristotle" (PAGEREF); likewise both essayists propose that deterrence is not the real intent of the death sentence, Mencken by pointing out a generalization fallacy where one aspect or attribute is mistaken as essential (PAGE), and Quindley by committing such generalizations herself. This is revealed any time the author either makes claims based on so called common sense, or uses figurative language to encourage the reader to identify with her as a person, rather than defend assertions on inherent merit. These instances reveal the author has not found more compelling evidence which she would employ had she set out to win her points in earnest.
Quindley tries to build this ethos from the very start, attempting to shock the reader with the catchy assertion that she and a notorious serial killer "go back a long way" (PAGE). This grabby opening allows her to imply that since she has been a crime reporter, then obviously she is thus an authority criminal behavior (PAGE). She relates endearing images of the victims, and models the association her readers are encouraged to adopt, by revealing how fascinated she became with these intimate details. Since her victims were regular people and she associates with these characteristics,...
Introduction Rhetorical analysis essay titles should provide the reader with a full sense of the subject that will be explored in the paper. The title does not have to reveal everything, but it should at least tell what the essay will be about. Titles that are ambiguous or vague or intentionally mysterious should be avoided. The best approach to writing a title for this kind of paper is to be direct.
WALGREENS Rhetorical Analysis: Walgreens, a Place Called Perfect Walgreens: Advertising analysis Increasingly, in an era of 'big box' stores like Wal-Mart and Costco, pharmacies are seen as obsolete. To counteract this perception and to give reasons for customers to shop at their store, Walgreens stresses its convenience in comparison to its major competitors. In its 2007 "Perfect USA" series of advertisements, Walgreens shows an idealistic portrait of a Norman Rockwell-esque landscape and lists
Audre Lorde’s “The Fourth of July”: A Rhetorical Analysis Audre Lorde’s experiences as a young girl traveling by train to Washington, D.C., a symbol of whiteness, and her first realization of the fact of racism and segregation in the Jim Crow era serve as the subject of her personal narrative. Lorde sets up the essay by identifying her innocence as a child and puts the reader into the shoes of the
Richard Estrada: A rhetorical analysis of "Sticks and stones and sports teams" Richard Estrada's article "Sticks and stones and sports teams" tackles the issue of professional sports teams with potentially inflammatory names like the Washington Redskins and the Atlanta Braves. These teams have been called upon to change their names because their mascots are considered offensive to Native Americans. Estrada persuasively argues with forceful pathos, logos, and ethos that although the
He seems to know what he is talking about and thus takes the reader into his circle of light almost immediately. At one point he makes a very effective and impressive use of logos when he appeals to logic with statements like: "The content of the doctrine is: "Yes, in the past we did some wrong things because of innocence or inadvertence. But now that's all over, so let's
Mobile Phone Ad Rhetorical Analysis: Nokia N-Series Ad Advertisements, like other man-made artifacts, utilize the concepts of logos, ethos, and pathos to persuade its target audience to subscribe to the idea or message presented in it. Ads are just one of the many artifacts that can be used for persuasion, and as such, being an artifact with a purpose of persuading people, it is also susceptible to being an object of rhetorical
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