Ashley Siefker’s English 207 Blog

Pick one rhetorical appeal and write a short understanding of that appeal.

Pathos is an argument based on emotion, playing on sympathy, fears, and desires. It relies on an emotional response from the people reading it. It attempts to sway people to its side.

Using that appeal, find one online advertisement that uses that appeal and explain how that appeal is being used. (consider looking on YouTube, Craigslist, or Adverblog (http://www.adverblog.com/) to find some samples).  Make sure that you either post a link to the advertisement or include it in your post.

I had a really hard time trying to decide what commercial to choose because they are both very close to my heart.  The first one is the one I most relate to because it reminds me of myself going through the same situation.  It tugs at me because it is of a young woman talking about something that all women fear.  The second one affects a six year old going through this and this is enough for anyone to stop and listen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eXB-b5qsAI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbWZa7Flmo4&feature=PlayList&p=5049AC3141B3C71D&index=0&playnext=1

Consider one of the sample narratives you read over the weekend (Douglass, Alexie, Atwood, and Momaday) and find a place where your appeal is being used in one of the texts.  Give a quote or summary of where the appeal is being used and explain why that is or is not an effective use of the appeal.

“They stole my glasses and threw them over my head, around my outstretched hands, just beyond my reach, until someone tripped me and sent me falling again, facedown in the snow” (Alexie).  This is a very effective use of the pathos appeal.  No one likes to be picked on and so when we see or hear of a child getting picked on it tends to make us upset and feeling protective of them.