Persuasive Argument Research Paper

Length: 2 pages Sources: 1 Subject: Black Studies - Philosophy Type: Research Paper Paper: #57541617 Related Topics: Suv, Road Rage, Argumentative, Argument

Excerpt from Research Paper :

¶ … Hochswender piece persuasive? Why is it persuasive and in what passages do ethos, pathos, and logos come in to play in terms of assuring that it is persuasive (or not persuasive)? This paper critiques the Hochswender essay and finds it is not persuasive; and in fact it comes off as a conservative rant against two progressive personalities who advocate for reducing dependence on foreign oil and for cars that use less fuel than gas-guzzling SUVs.

Why Hochswender's argument is more hyperbole than substance

First of all Hochswender does not establish ethos in his piece -- he fails miserably at trying to be a credible source -- because while he negatively references progressives like Arianna Huffington and Lawrence Bender in his opening paragraph, he doesn't quote anything that either of them said vis-a-vis his assertion that they have "…linked SUVs with Mideast terrorism." He uses the film "Pulp Fiction" -- a movie produced by Bender that is known for its violent...

...

Anyone familiar with Hollywood movies knows that Bender has been nominated for 19 Academy Awards, including nine nominations (and two Oscars) for "Good Will Hunting," a masterpiece that stands as one of the best films Matt Damon has made.

Further embarrassing himself -- and continuing to show he is not a believable source by illustrating his lack of ethos -- Hochswender rages that anyone that would criticize the use of gas-sucking SUVs is "trendy" and "illogical." Moreover, Hochswender dips deep into the well of hyperbole by describing America as a place known for "breathtaking freedoms." He goes about trying to prove that SUVs are "safer in many situations than cars" by embracing catchy phrases like "reasoned individualism" (i.e., SUVs are "safer" than cars and "a lot of intelligent people realize that"). Who are those "intelligent people"; how does individualism relate to this subject?

As to pathos -- a writer attempting to appeal to an audience through emotional narrative -- Hochswender again falls short. He writes "So, busybodies…how big is your house?" -- as though those who might not be in agreement with his raging, fumbling attack might own a house that uses too much fuel. Using "busybodies" as a reference to get people's attention is an insult and it stirs the wrong kind of…

Sources Used in Documents:

Works Cited

Hochswender, W. (2003). Did My Car Join Al Qaeda? The New York Times. Retrieved January 16, 2014, from http://www.nytimes.com

Open Bible. (2010). Seek Truth / False Teachings. Retrieved January 16, 2014, from http://www.openbible.info.


Cite this Document:

"Persuasive Argument" (2014, January 16) Retrieved March 24, 2023, from
https://www.paperdue.com/essay/persuasive-argument-180925

"Persuasive Argument" 16 January 2014. Web.24 March. 2023. <
https://www.paperdue.com/essay/persuasive-argument-180925>

"Persuasive Argument", 16 January 2014, Accessed.24 March. 2023,
https://www.paperdue.com/essay/persuasive-argument-180925

Related Documents
Persuasive Argument in Favor of Gun Control
Words: 2309 Length: 7 Pages Topic: Law - Constitutional Law Paper #: 91535886

Gun Control in the United States: A persuasive argument in favor of gun control The Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution reads: "A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed." This brief statement has proven to be one of the most controversial sentences ever codified into law, perhaps because the situation which inspired it

Stephen Kings The Outsider Persuasive Argument
Words: 1238 Length: 4 Pages Topic: Writing Paper #: 51886635

Stephen King’s The Outsider: A Persuasive Argument Introduction The Outsider is a well-written book with exiting and unexpected turns and twists. The book has several well-developed themes. In my opinion, however, the central theme of the story is the rational man’s inability to believe that which does not conform to reality – the inability to believe in the supernatural. It is important to note that one of the most celebrated traits of

Persuasive Argument
Words: 870 Length: 3 Pages Topic: Transportation Paper #: 51473494

TSA History of TSA On March 9, 1972, a Trans World Airlines jet bound for Los Angeles took off from JFK International Airport in New York. Moments into the flight, the airline received an anonymous phone call warning there was a bomb on the flight. The aircraft returned to JFK where passengers were evacuated and a bomb-sniffing dog named Brandy was brought aboard to search. Brandy found the explosive device just

Transit Funding Argumentative
Words: 1236 Length: 3 Pages Topic: Transportation - Public Paper #: 58585690

Transportation Recently, voters in Nashville participated in a referendum that would have raised taxes to pay for a $5.2 billion transit plan. The voters rejected the measure overwhelmingly, leading to concerns about the city's ability to handle its growth, as its streets and highways are becoming increasingly congested. Post-mortems of the referendum show that a variety of factors contributed to the heavy loss, including muddled messaging and a mayoral scandal that

Persuasive Speech Critique
Words: 984 Length: 3 Pages Topic: Black Studies - Philosophy Paper #: 80750633

Speech Norman Podhoretz's "Is America Exceptional?" is a persuasive speech that hearkens to the emotional appeal of the American mythos. Podhoretz's audience is largely comprised of Americans, for whom the American mythos holds a great deal of sway. Therefore, Podhoretz's main strength is his emotional appeal and his ability to connect with the audience. He does so also by establishing credibility and ethos, referring a little to his personal background and

Persuasive Memo
Words: 603 Length: 2 Pages Topic: Teaching Paper #: 94877368

Business Division Faculty Members FROM: The Dean, Business Division New Trash-Emptying Program As you may all know, the University is currently in the midst of a 25-percent budget cut initiative across all divisions. In that regard, there exists a need for individual divisions to come up with ways of saving money in the face of the said budget cuts. Our division has been singled out for the first phase of a proposed