Analyzing: Straight From the Heart by Tim Collins

Tim Collins did an excellent analysis regarding the speech given by Marie Fatayi-Williams in 2005.  He demonstrates pathos, logos, and ethos in his analysis to make it effective.

He points out her appeal to the audience, in regards to where is her son, why was he killed.  This hitting home to the beliefs and values of the audience.  (Pathos)

He points out that her speech is spontaneous and gains it's power from her grief over her son.  And he notes that he drew inspiration from the speech, giving courage and purpose.  He noted that it motivated him. 

Tim Collins also reflects on his own experience and how it compared to what Marie was feeling during her speech.  He notes that he had no plan when speaking to his regimen on the night of the invasion of Iraq. This shows that he is a credible source to analyze her speech. (Logos)

He also notes how Marie appeals to her audience without condemning them.  She reflects on the innocence of her son, and that there was no victory in his death.  It was an unnecessary act and no progress can be made from what has been done.  (Ethos)

From My Perspective

My perspective on Essay 2 is that we will choose an article or an essay to analyze.  It must be something new, that has not and will not be used in this class. 

In our introduction, we must identify the title and author of the chosen article, and give a brief summary of what we are analyzing.  Then, we must all analyze the rhetoric, the writing, and the argument of the article. We should also state our idea about the quality of the argument.

In our essay's body, we should include details and examples from the essay that support the introduction's analysis.  We should also make note of the interesting aspects of the essay, such as logos, pathos, and ethos, etc.  Our opinions regarding our analysis need to be supported with examples and reasons. 

We can use outside research, however, it isn't required , but can be beneficial to our analysis.  We must be able to tell a difference between the article's views and our own response to them. 

In the conclusion of the essay, we need to restate our conclusion about the quality of the argument, and summarize the analysis and the arguments to support it. 

The idea of the assignment is analyze another person's point of view on a topic and evaluate the effectiveness of the argument, as well as create our own arguments. 

Self Review

For our first essay, we were asked to do a "Self-Review".  I found this to be really helpful when reviewing my essay.  It makes you look at the actual content of your work, going beyond the grammar, the structure, and the punctuation. 

After answering the questions, I found myself going back to my essay and rethinking it.  Was my thesis clearly stated? And did I have good supporting arguments or points for my thesis?
I also wanted to be sure that I clearly associated each point with the thesis and didn't steer off from my original point. 

I also found myself checking for sentences or information that wasn't needed or points that were repeated.  As well as, double checking that the format for the assignment was correct. 

I found the Self-Review to be very beneficial and will use it in the future when proofreading and analyzing my assignments.  By asking straight and pointed questions, it helps you to analyze your own work and be honest with yourself about the overall presentation. 

Writing Process: Various Styles

I chose to compare my writing style to the styles of Sierra and Sonney.  

   First, I chose Sierra becuz my writing style is different from hers. This is not a bad thing, we all do things differently. While I would tend to create an outline first, Sierra finds it better for her to get started on the intro and let her thoughts lead her. I also write a first draft and make tons of changes before creating a final draft, whereas she edits her work as she is writing. She also does most of her revising while she is writing. 

     I chose Sonney because thier process is alot like my process. They pick a topic, list their points for the topic, and then list the subpoints. They seemed to use the same outline that I use as well.  

       Both of these examples reflect the variations in the process of writing. Though we may not all have the same writing process, we all want the very best out of what we write. There a several like Sierra, who like to get started and let the ideas flow as they are writing, while others like Sonney and I like to pick a topic and create an outline first. 

   

Pathos, Ethos, Logos

The article I chose for this assignment was "Child abuse down but neglect is up, report finds; parents biggest threat" written by Maggie Fox of NBC News on September 12, 2013.   The article discusses that while physical and sexual abuse towards children has declined,  neglect and emotional abuse have stayed the same. 

Ethos is demonstrated in the article because it clearly shows research was done.  The writer researched reports from the National Child Abuse and Neglect data that shows that about three-fourths of reported cases in 2011 were classified as neglect.  A reported 10 percent was sexual abuse, while 15 percent was physical. 

For the logos appeal, Dr. Angela Diaz, a panel member of Institute of Medicine, and Dr. Lolita McDaniel, medical director at University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland, are interviewed as authorities on the subject.  Dr. Diaz and Dr. McDaniel state that the reason for this change is due to more awareness in society. 

However, the article also demonstrates pathos in the following statement:
 "McDavid says it reaches across generations. She sees it when she sees her patients in the pediatrics clinic and counsels them about protecting themselves from abuse. “I have had mothers who get tearful because they were molested as children, and because they didn’t tell, or nobody believed them when they told,” she says." 

Techniques to Persuade Your Audience

There are three techniques that you can utilize to persuade your audience that you are knowledgeable about the topic you are writing about.  These three techniques are called the logos appeal, pathos appeal, and ethos appeal.  Utilizing each of these appeals can create a strong connection with your audience and keep them involved in your topic.

 

Logos:  The appeal based on logic.  The writer uses facts and reasoning to support their claim.

A good example of the logos appeal would show facts, statistics, and reasoning.

 

Pathos:  This appeal is based on emotion and values.  The writer can connect with their audience on a deeper and more personal level.

A good example of the pathos appeal would connect to the reader's emotions.  Most advertisements use the pathos appeal to connect to their audience.

 

Ethos:  This appeal is based on credibility.  Does the write know what they are talking about?  Can they be trusted?  Have they done their research? 

The writer needs to show that they are worth listening to. You not only want to be the author, you want to become an authority on the topic you are writing about.  You want to be likable and you want your audience to trust you. 

 

 

Adapting To The Audience

The way I speak or write varies depending on the audience I am attempting to relate to in order to get my point of view across.  I tend to do a lot of speaking or writing for various audiences throughout my day, whether it be for my staff at work, my daughter's Girl Scout Troop or softball team, or, of course, school.  

When speaking with my staff at work, I tend to be more formal, I try to use examples and dialogue that they can comprehend. Like a coaching method, it may change depending on the specific staff member that I am addressing.  I try to keep it as simple as possible as if I am giving basic instructions. 

With my daughter's Girl Scout Troop or softball team, I have to keep in mind that I am addressing children that aren't more than ten years old.  While I do try to keep it at their level so that they can understand, I also like to encourage them to think outside the box.  I have been with these same girls since they were five years old.  I remember when I first met them, everything said or written for them was kept extremely simple, but as years have passed and they have gotten older and more educated, I have found the way I communicate with them as my audience has changed as well. 

For school, of course, I try to be as formal as possible, but I also want to be myself when writing.  I have always followed the PEE structure, however, I will admit that I did keep myself constricted to the five paragraphs.  That is a bad habit that I will need to break. 

In my first paragraph, I present my thesis, usually in one sentence.  Then, I briefly refer to all the points that I will be addressing to support my thesis, in order to give the reader a "heads-up" of what to expect. 

The body of my paper generally is at least one paragraph for point, explaining why it supports my thesis.  This is obviously something I need to improve upon. 

My final paragraph is the conclusion.  I recap my thesis statement and the points I made to support it.  I think I have always used this same structure with every audience and situation, as it is organized with an easy understandable flow which I think anyone can understand. 

My Writing Formula

I am not so sure that I have a defined formula or a process to writing, but one thing I am consistent with is changing my mind and revising over and over again. 

 

I tend to pick up topic first, and then pick three specific subtopics to discuss.  Then, I gather as much research as possible and do lots of reading and gathering information.  As I do this, I take notes for specified points that I want to make to keep my audience involved.   

 

I was taught to use a formal outline in, I believe, second grade.  So that's what I have always used in all writing that I do.  This ensures a good flow. 

 

However, here is where the changing of the mind and lots of revisions come into play.  I go back through my outline and make change after change after change. I even double check my research to ensure I have hit every topic the way I seem fit. 

 

I tend to compose at least two rough drafts and 1 final draft.  With my first rough draft, there tends to be a lot of red ink.  But, by my final draft, I tend to be satisfied with the outcome.