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Lesson 7

We will reexamine “The End of Solitude” to determine the ways ethos, pathos, and logos are used in Deresiewicz’s argument.

Lesson Goals

  • Can I evaluate the effects of literary devices and rhetoric in “The End of Solitude"?

  • Can I identify the claims, reasoning, and evidence used to develop arguments and explanations in “The End of Solitude"?

  • Can I recognize and interpret language and sentence structures in “The End of Solitude” to deepen my understanding of the text?

Texts

Core

  • Unit Reader
    • “The End of Solitude,” William Deresiewicz, The Chronicle of Higher Education. Used with permission from the author., 2009

Materials

Tools

Question Sets

Editable Google Docs

Activity 1: Read – Write

We will return to “The End of Solitude” in order to examine how the author develops the central claims.

Review the text and any notes taken while reading the text.

When finished, respond to the following questions:

  1. What are Deresiewicz’s central claims in "The End of Solitude"?

  2. What is Deresiewicz arguing for or against?

Once you have determined the central claims, analyze how those claims are supported. Identify multiple pieces of evidence from the text that support the main idea, selecting specific lines from the text and avoiding generalizations.

Activity 2: Listen – Read – Write

We will analyze each supporting claim and determine the rhetorical strategy being utilized.

Step 1

Ethos refers to the author’s credibility, or how trustworthy and believable they are when making their arguments. Ethos is seen when authors refer to their background, previous experiences, education, or other professional qualifications, or when they cite other experts on the topic, which shows the breadth of their research and study.

Pathos refers to the emotional response elicited from the reader. While often associated with sadness, pathos refers to any emotion—happiness, laughter, anger, fear, etc. The utilization of pathos often results in readers making emotional, as opposed to rational or logical decisions.

Logos refers to the use of logic, facts, and data as support for an argument. Often, this is seen in the utilization of statistics, graphs, charts, or other more quantitative evidence. Quotes from experts, while also supporting an author’s ethos, can also qualify as logos, depending on their usage.

It is important to note that these appeals often overlap. Rarely does an author utilize only one type of appeal. Similarly, an item of support can be seen as more than one type of appeal. For example, an author can recall a personal experience that supports their ethos but also elicits an emotional response from the reader.

Step 2

Review the supporting evidence you listed from "The End of Solitude."

How would you label each example: ethos, pathos, logos, or a combination?

Label each claim by rhetorical appeal and write several sentences explaining why that claim is an example of that appeal.

Activity 3: Read – Write – Discuss

We will explain the effect of each support statement on the overall argument.

Looking at the claim statements and the rhetorical appeals you have identified, consider the effect of each. Use the following questions as a guide:

  1. What effect does this statement have on the reader?

  2. How does this statement support the overall argument?

  3. Is this an effective example of that rhetorical appeal? (Does this statement do what it is supposed to do based on the purpose behind each rhetorical appeal?)

  4. Which rhetorical appeal does Deresiewicz use most often? Is this an effective rhetorical decision? Do you think his argument could have been more effective if he used other rhetorical appeals?

Share your responses with a partner.

Activity 4: Write

We will use Deresiewicz’s writing as an example in order to write statements that utilize rhetorical appeals.

Step 1

Use the following questions to analyze how Deresiewicz uses each rhetorical appeal, writing your responses in your learning log:

  1. How does he establish his credibility to write on this topic?

  2. How does he elicit an emotional response from his reader?

  3. How does he utilize logic or facts as support?

Step 2

When finished, use Deresiewicz’s examples as a guide to write your own sentences, using those same rhetorical appeals. Consider the following questions:

  1. When writing about your own community, how can you establish your own ethos in a way similar to Deresiewicz?

  2. How can you elicit an emotional response in a way similar to Deresiewicz?

  3. What facts can you incorporate to utilize logos that are similar to Deresiewicz’s?

Activity 5: Discuss – Write

We will share our writing with a partner, receiving feedback on the effectiveness of our statements.

Discuss your community with your partner:

  1. What are you writing about?

  2. How are you a member of that community?

Share your rhetorical appeal sentences with your partner. As you read your partner’s sentences, provide feedback on their usage of the rhetorical devices:

  1. Does your partner establish their credibility to speak on this topic?

  2. Does your partner elicit an emotional response?

  3. Does your partner make logical sense and support a statement about their community?

Discuss your feedback with your partner, making changes as necessary.