WEEK #9 Notes
I. What does it mean to question the text?
A. cannot just “bank” knowledge any more
B. information will be used to:
1. make interpretations and/or evaluations
2. launch research projects
3. synthesize information from a number of sources
4. draw independent conclusions
C. The text must be interrogated.
1. in order to make informed judgments and sound responses, the reader must...
2. question claims and evidence
3. be aware of subtle methods of persuasion
D. As a critical reader, one should
1. be “characterized by careful and exact evaluation and judgment” (Bean 70)
2. critical faculties are used in conjunction with reader’s experience, knowledge,
and opinions
3. author’s concepts must be treated without bias
4. judgments should be made with supporting textual evidence
E. Aristotle’s three rhetorical appeals
1. Ethos—the ethical appeal; the writer uses his/her credibility and/or character
to persuade
2. Logos—the logical appeal; the writer uses reasons, evidence, and logic
3. Pathos—the emotional appeal; the writer plays to the audience’s interests,
emotions, and/or imagination
II. The Writer’s Credibility & Appeal to Ethos
A. most writers want to appeal to the reader as knowledgeable, fair-minded, and
trustworthy
B. academic readers should find out as much as they can about an author
1. education, political leanings, general worldview, etc.
2. biographical information presented in a headnote/footnote
C. An ethical appeal and relies on authority/reputation.
D. use your own experiences to support your argument.
E. writers often find it effective to use other experts or well-known names to add credibility to their argument.
F. Here are some basic strategies you can use to support your ideas with ethos:
1. Personal experience: “I have experienced X, so I know it’s true and Y is not.”
2. Appeal to experts:“According to Z, who is an expert on this topic, X is true and Y is not true.”
3. Identification with the readers:“You and I come from similar backgrounds, therefore, you would most likely agree with me that X is true and Y is not.”
4. Good moral character:“Have always done the right thing for the right reasons, so you should believe me when I say that X is the best path to follow.”
5. Admission of limitations:“I may not know much about Z, but I do know that X is true and Y is not.”
6. Expression of goodwill:“I want what is best for you, so I am recommending X as the best path to follow.”
7. Use of “insider” language: Using jargon words or referring to information that only insiders would understand.
G. Example of Ethos:
I will end this war in Iraq responsibly, and finish the fight against al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan. I will rebuild our military to meet future conflicts. But I will also renew the tough, direct diplomacy that can prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and curb Russian aggression. I will build new partnerships to defeat the threats of the 21st century: terrorism and nuclear proliferation; poverty and genocide; climate change and disease. And I will restore our moral standing, so that America is once again that last, best hope for all who are called to the cause of freedom, who long for lives of peace, and who yearn for a better future.
Democratic Presidential Candidate Acceptance Speech by Barack Obama. August 28th, 2008.
III. The Writer’s Appeal to Reason or Logos
A. most direct way to appeal to a reader is through logic or reason
B. writers will try to anticipate what their intended audience already believes and use
those beliefs to create a link to the writer’s point of view
C. writers will use a combination of reasons & evidence
D. readers must question/test the writer’s reasoning before agreeing to his/her position
E. claims—the key points a writer wants the reader to accept
1. claims will usually be debatable
2. Are key words clear? Can they be interpreted different ways?
3. Is the claim overstated?
F. reasons—support for the claims
1. reasons are connected to the claims with “because” (subordinate conjunction)
2. example: “We must pass gun control laws that limit access to guns (claim)
because doing so will make children safer at school (reason).”
--more clarification will be needed about children’s safety at school
3. evaluate the reasons: do they support the claim; does the assertion need further reasons; do the reasons ties into values & beliefs shared by the audience?
G. evidence—facts, examples, statistics, personal experiences, etc. that gives support to
the claims/assertions
1. Is the support reliable, timely, and adequate?
2. Can the evidence be interpreted more than one way?
H. assumptions—unstated values and/or beliefs the writer expects the reader to accept w/o question
I. Here are some basic strategies you can use to support your ideas with logos:
1. If… then:“If you believe X, then you should believe Y also.”
2. Examples:“For example, X and Y demonstrate that Z happens.”
3. Facts and data:“These facts/data support my argument that X is true (or Y is false).”
4. Anecdotes: “X happened to these people, thus demonstrating Y.”
5. Either…or: “Either you believe in X, or you believe in Y.”
6. Cause and effect: “X is the reason Y happens.”
J. Example of Logos:
However, although private final demand, output, and employment have indeed been growing for more than a year, the pace of that growth recently appears somewhat less vigorous than we expected. Notably, since stabilizing in mid-2009, real household spending in the United States has grown in the range of 1 to 2 percent at annual rates, a relatively modest pace. Households' caution is understandable. Importantly, the painfully slow recovery in the labor market has restrained growth in labor income, raised uncertainty about job security and prospects, and damped confidence. Also, although consumer credit shows some signs of thawing, responses to our Senior Loan Officer Opinion Survey on Bank Lending Practices suggest that lending standards to households generally remain tight.
The Economic Outlook and Monetary Policy by Ben Bernanke. August 27th, 2010.
IV. The Writer’s Strategies for Engaging Readers or Pathos
A. The writer appeals the reader’s interests and emotions and imagination
B. Writers use pathos four different ways to influence the reader to identify
1. with the writer
a. by using a conversational, informal tone
b. by using a formal, scholarly tone when wanting to inspire respect
2. with the topic/issue
a. by explaining the importance of an issues
b. engaging the reader’s emotions
c. including vivid details, startling facts, emotional vocabulary and
examples
3. with a certain group of fellow readers
a. appeal to fellow feminists, environmentalists, educators, etc.
b. roles are given to the reader
4. with particular interests, values, beliefs, and emotions
a. example: a politician arguing for Social Security reform would appeal to younger voters’ fear that Social Security will not exist when they are older
C. To use emotion in your writing, think about the aspects of your topic that make people happy, mad, sad, anxious, surprised, joyful, or fearful.
D. You can appeal to these emotions to persuade people to see things your way.
E. Here are some basic strategies you can use to support your ideas with pathos:
1. Promise of gain:“By agreeing with us, you will gain trust, time, money, love, beauty, etc.”
2. Promise of enjoyment: “If you do things our way, you will experience joy, fun, surprises, pleasure, freedom, etc.”
3. Fear of loss:“If you don’t do things this way, you risk losing time, money, love, security, etc.”
4. Fear of pain:“If you don’t do things this way, you may feel pain, sadness, grief,
embarrassment, loneliness, regret, etc.”
5. Expressions of anger or disgust:“You should be angry or disgusted because X is unfair to you, me, or others
F. Example of Pathos:
I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. And some of you have come from areas where your quest -- quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.
I Have a Dream by Martin Luther King Jr. August 28th, 1963.
V. Language
A. notice dictions
1. informal diction
a. used for friendly emails, writing w/colloquial language, etc.
b. characterized with slang and contractions
c. refers to the reader at times
2. formal diction
a. used for academic writing
b. impersonal and abstract
c. does not use contractions
B. figurative language
1. metaphors & similes
2. personification
3. satire & irony
C. sentence structure & length
1. compound (use of coordinating conjunctions)
2. complex (use of subordinate conjunctions)
3. compound-complex sentences (use of coordinating conjunctions & subordinate conjunctions)
4. simple sentences
D. connotation
1. the feeling/emotion a word suggests
2. mob vs crowd; odor vs fragrance
VI. Examining Ideology
A. the notion of a worldview
B. a belief system by which we interpret the world through a coherent set of values and concepts
C. ideology shaped by a number of factors (family background, religious beliefs, class, race, etc.)
D. ideology can create biases & a “blindness” to were we are unable to see outside of our own beliefs
E. examine contrasts (binaries) in a writer’s piece
1. example of contrasts (binaries): poor/privilege, nature/civilization, public/private4
2. which concept is valued more will shed light on the writer’s ideology
** “THE ISLAND OF PLENTY” AND “A MODEST PROPOSAL” **
Ethos
1. Does the writer seem knowledgeable?
2. What does the writer like and dislike?
3. What are the writer’s biases and values?
4. What is the writer’s tone?
5. What is the writer’s approach to the topic?
6. What would it be like to spend time with this writer?
Logos
1. What perspective or position does the write what the reader to take toward the topic?
2. Do the writer’s claims, reasons, and evidence convince me to take this perspective or position?
3. Do I share the assumptions, stated or unstated, that authorize the writer’s reasoning and connect the evidence to the claim?
Pathos
1. How does the opening sentence/paragraph engage the reader’s attention?
2. What kind of relationship does the writer try to establish with the reader?
3. How does the writer try to get the reader to care about the topic?
4. What interests and values does the writer assume the audience shares?
5. Do you consider yourself part of the intended audience? Why/why not?
For an ARGRUMENT WRITTEN RESPONSE:
1. Assertion/Claim
2. Reason #1
3. Evidence for Reason #1
4. Commentary for Reason #1
5. Reason #2
6. Evidence for Reason #2
7. Commentary for Reason #2
8. Counter Argument
9. Refute Counter Argument
10. Conclusion (Answer the question)
Does Technology Make Us More Alone?
(1) Technology does not make me, personally, feel lonelier. (2) I tend to use social media to keep in touch with family members and friends in other cities and states. (3) Most of my immediate family lives in Texas, and I have lived here, in California, since 2004. (4) So, sites like Facebook and Twitter has allowed my parents and brothers and I to keep in touch on almost a daily basis. (5) Also, my kids and I have found that technology has helped us make connections via similar interests. (6) Often times, my daughter can't wait to show me a new Youtube video that she knows I will be anxious to see. (7) Both her and I enjoy make-up tutorials, and Anna is the first to share new ones with me. (8) However, I have heard family friends comment that Facebook is no way to keep in touch. (9) While face-to-face communication is always best, my parents and I have found that Facetime is an excellent way to erase 1500 miles and feel like we’re in the same room. (10) Technology has not only created bonding moments with my kids but also given my parents access to their grandkids.