Rebuttal of an Evaluation - Essay Example

Leonard Pitts appeal to the logos of the audience through his ability to induce a logical response in the audience as he provided some reasonable analysis on how the 9/11 terrorist attack ultimately took the innocence of Americans away from them. Leonard Pitts’ ability to draw some historical comparison with the September 11 terrorist attack is another way that he appeals to the logos of the reader. Another way that the author persuaded the audience was in his appeal to their pathos. Pitts integrates some emotions in his article as he makes use of stunning and distinctive language that would appeal to the emotions of any audience any day any time.

The author’s appeal to the emotions of the reader could be seen in the first paragraph, when he says that, “But there had not, since Watergate, been a true crisis, no event of the kind that shakes a nation, that stops it cold and takes its breath and makes it anxious about its future.” (Pitts par.1). This strong statement brings the audience to the realization that the 2011 terrorist attack is one of the most devastating events in the history of the US in recent times. Thus, Leonard Pitts successfully appeals to the pathos of the reader as their emotions have been acted upon by Leonard Pitts as he evokes the fear of insecurity in them as he makes them know that their innocence has been taken away from them.

Though, most of the things the author wrote about are known facts, but the fact that the author did not relate them to some credible sources shows his failure to the appeal to the ethos of the reader. Thus, for readers that do not know the ‘facts’ that the author presented, they might actually doubt the authenticity of his report. Thus, Leonard Pitts did not really appeal to the ethos of the reader. Rhetorical analysis on Timelines" by Lewis Lapham Timelines by Lewis Lapham is also an article that the author uses some strategies to persuade the audience by appealing to their logos, pathos and ethos.

Lewis Lapham brilliantly appeals to the readership as he tries to persuade the audience on the need to learn more about the history of America. Lapham’s appeal to logos is clearly seen when he was trying to see the dearth of knowledge in the history of America as 22,000 students were questioned about the history of America. Lapham also gave succinct reasons to the students’ lack of knowledge in the history of America as he claims that the students of America had performed poorly in recent years.

It is therefore not unusual for students that have performed poorly in other subjects to also perform poorly in the history of America. Lapham’s appeal to the emotions (pathos) of the reader could also be seen when he says that, “If we no longer hold the study of history in such passionate regard, it's because we like to think of our political institutions as monuments or museum pieces, completed works in a past tense, and if American schoolchildren believe that Squanto is a rock group, it's because they live in a society that thinks of history as ornament and stage design-a subject fit for interior decorators and best rendered as a theme park.

” (Lapham par.4). Lapham also appeals to the pathos of the audience by claiming that the dwindling economic fortune of the country is due to the failure of Americans to learn their history as he