Rhetorical Analysis Essay On Compassion

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With every action one chooses to take, the human brain must first make a decision. In each event that takes place in a single day and each emotion one may feel, it must first be ignited by a jolt of electricity from the brain. Whether that be happiness, curiosity, anger or compassion, it is all treated the same. In Barbara Lazear Ascher’s essay, “On Compassion”, she uses various rhetorical styles to portray her views of what causes an individual to feel this way. As opposed to an instinct one is born with, Ascher states that we instead, exhibit obtain compassion as a learned skill. Through a cohesive essay, Ascher uses personal experiences, observed actions, and other pieces of evidence to prove her case and create curiosity in her reader to explore the meaning and integrity of compassion. To begin, the author expresses anecdotes to provide a few scenarios that address her overall purpose. In both cases, we focus on the behaviors of others when they encounter a homeless man. First, a mother is described in the streets in New York with her child, when she offers money to a homeless man. The other story occurs in a coffee shop. …show more content…
Instead of telling the reader her exact opinions, she instead includes questions that guides the mind to come to the conclusion that she intends. “ ...I have wondered, what compels this woman to feed this man? Pity? Care? Compassion? Or does she simply want to rid her shop of his troublesome presence?” (Ascher 47). This sequence of questions allows her readers to expand on their own thoughts and draw their own opinions on her views of the meaning of compassion. This technique serves as an effective way to provoke the thoughts of her audience in a way that builds integrity of her argument. By doing this, it also allows the reader to see more relatable connection to their own life and relate the presented ideas to their own
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