Tow #11- New York Times Article/ "Paula Deen's Cook Tells of Slights, Steeped in History"/ Kim Severson

For many, southern food is comfort food, and comfort is family. And in most cases, true family is not based on physical appearances or blood. It's the people you love and love to spend time with. For Dora Charles, a friend and cook for ex- Food Network star and legendary chef Paula Deen, this definition of family was not a complete reality. Deen may have treated Charles in a friendly way, made promises to her, or even called Charles her "soul sister", but there was no true family or true comfort involved. In her New York Times article, Kim Severson appeals to pathos and logos to convince readers of Deen's bad character and prove that her new notoriety is well-deserved.

Severson establishes pathos through examples of how Deen treated Charles. By telling readers that Paula Deen asked Dora Charles to wave a bell outside the restaurant as "a symbol of what we used to do back in the day", readers begin to pity Dora and others for the harsh things they were asked to do. Severson also works to convince readers that Paula Deen is unfaithful and breaks promises, another appeal to pathos, through quotes by Deen, Charles, other employees who work for Deen, and outside, professional figures. Deen apparently told Dora that "one day if I get rich, you'll get rich". Examples like these also tie to logos, because they are word-for-word factual accounts of Deen's wrong-doings. Many employees at Deen's restaurant "Lady and Sons" remember and testify that Deen asked another employee, Mrs. Jones, to dress as Aunt Jemima in order to gain more business. This factual appeal helps to portray Deen as unkind and deceitful, because the average Deen fan who watches the Food Network would not have expected her to act this way on tv.

Severson's use of examples to appeal to logos and pathos ruins Deen's credibility and personal appeal to ethos in society. She uses the appeals to prove that Paula Deen deserves to be remembered more as a villain than as a legendary star. The examples also convince readers, on a larger scale, that things are not always as they seem.

Severson, Kim. "Paula Deen's Cook Tells of Slights, Steeped in History." New York Times. New York Times Newspaper, 24 July 2013. Web. 1 Dec. 2013.