Essay On Ethos Pathos Logos

Words: 757
Pages: 4

A persuasive work that incorporates rhetorical appeals can either make or break an argument, depending on how well these strategies are used. If done successfully, an audience could be convinced to the point where they give up their former beliefs on any given topic just because of a well-written article. The proper use of pathos, logos, and ethos contribute to how effective an argument is. Pathos in a piece of writing may appeal to the reader’s emotions, whether the author attempts to provoke sadness, excitement, or even fear. Using logos in an article means convincing an audience by demonstrating logic and reasoning or concrete evidence. Ethos relates to character and the credibility of an author. Jessica Bennett uses examples of these …show more content…
She does this by referencing well-known cases of undesired Internet fame, such as one student who was recorded and went viral because she was reluctant to clean up her dog's waste on a subway ( Bennett 91). The author claims that, after the incident, this girl "was harassed into dropping out of college" (Bennett 91). The author includes the aftermath of this situation to demonstrate just how strongly the victim was affected. A similar instance used in the article involves a teenager whose private video of himself acting out a scene from the movie Star Wars ended up on the Internet without his consent (Bennett 90). What was amusement for the rest of the world was humiliation for the boy. Bennett emphasizes how distressing the experience was for him when she states that he "spent time in therapy as a result of his ordeal" (92). In the last sentence of her article, she reminds the audience that "shame, like the force, will always be with you" (Bennett 92). The manner in which the author retells these examples of unwanted Internet publicity is meant to generate feelings of sympathy for those affected. Here, pathos is used properly because it is not overbearing and still manages to create feelings of pity in the