Author of the Harry Potter series and philanthropist, J.K. Rowling, delivered a commencement address to the Harvard graduates of 2008 to elaborate on the fringe benefits of failure and the importance of imagination. In her speech, Rowling aims to convince her audience how beneficial failure is in the long run as well as how advantageous it is to have an imagination, “The knowledge that you have emerged wiser and stronger from setbacks means that you are, ever after, secure in your ability to survive…Such knowledge is a true gift, for all that it is painfully won, and it has been worth more than any qualification I ever earned” (Rowling). With the intent to persuade her audience to let go of that fear of failing Rowling states, “It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all - in which case, you fail by default” (Rowling). Aside from her…show more content… Regarding pathos, Rowling attempts to appeal to our emotions by talking about something similar to David Foster Wallace’s mention of the human capacity to empathize with others. Her commencement speech are spot on as words of encouragement. As in, if the speaker is able to connect with the audience on an emotional level that leads to a spiritual experience while exuding that aura of professionalism, people are more likely to take those words to heart and act upon the speaker’s proposition. As for ethos, Rowling did not simply thank parents but rather delivering a message that she hopes graduates will come to terms with, “There is an expiry date on blaming your parents for steering you in the wrong direction; the moment you are old enough to take the wheel, responsibility lies within you” (Rowling). In acknowledging that there is an expiry date on blaming your parents with such poise and gratitude instead of resent, Rowling is able to present herself as
