Argument Analysis Assignment - Essay Example

Jones argues that violent media is good for kids because its juvenile and violent qualities are appropriate to children’s need for identification, which will help them deal with their personal fears and anxieties and develop confident identities. The author uses ethos and pathos to successfully convince his audience that violent media is not entirely bad for children, but the strength of his claims weaken due to the fallacies of biased sample and confusing cause and effect. Jones utilizes ethos effectively because his own childhood and professional experiences demonstrate how violent media helps children cope with their unique challenges and aspirations.

He begins his article with his childhood dilemma: “At 13 I was alone and afraid” (Jones par.1). This hook represents his identification with current children, for they too, being small and helpless, tend to be alone and afraid. He establishes that he knows what it feels to be young and to need something strong to hold on to. In addition, Jones narrates how the Incredible Hulk helped him cope with his childhood fears and insecurities. He stresses the Hulk’s role in his childhood life: “I had a fantasy self who was a self: unafraid of his desires and the worlds disapproval, unhesitating and effective in action.

‘Puny boy follow Hulk!’ roared my fantasy self, and I followed” (par.4). Jones highlights that because of Hulk, he develops a stronger persona, a child who is more confident in facing the world’s uncertainties. Aside from personal childhood experiences, Jones effectively uses his professional work to underscore that violent media can help kids explore and develop their identities. He mentions his work with urban youth: “[With a psychologist, he] developed Power Play, a program for helping young people improve their self-knowledge and sense of potency through heroic, combative storytelling” (par.10). His work with the children indicates that he