Reading Goal: Identify Gladwell's purpose correctly and find more than 2 rhetorical strategies
Writing Goal: Thorough analysis and clear topic sentences; write TOW like an actual analysis essay
Some people seem exceptionally good at reading other peoples' emotions and/or figuring out what another person is thinking. Bestselling author Malcolm Gladwell, the person behind books such as Outliers, uses the stories of famous psychologist Paul Ekman and others gifted with the ability to "read people well" to argue that people can be naturally born with this ability, gradually develop it, or learn it purposefully later on. In his 2002 essay, "The Naked Face", Gladwell suggests that there could be more to this skill than what meets the eye through complex appeals to logos, pathos, ethos.
All of Gladwell's argument, but specifically his appeal to logos, is fueled by well-structured inductive and deductive reasoning. To form this reasoning, he uses many personal accounts, primarily those of Paul Ekman and police officers John Yarbrough and Bob Harms. The research Ekman has done on the topic of emotions and facial expressions included in the essay makes Gladwell's argument logical and well-researched, and very arguable. It is difficult for readers to prove Gladwell wrong when he provides logical, well-defended point after logical, well-defended point. Statistics make Ekman's evidence hard to deny, and contribute to Gladwell's appeal to logos. For example, when explains how he learned to tell if someone was lying through studying facial muscles and emotions, and then describes how he predicted Clinton's bad behavior after first seeing him on TV, these testimonies give weight and proof to Gladwell's logic-based argument. His use of personal accounts also makes his argument seem personal to his audience, appealing to ethos as well as logos.
One of the more powerful elements of Gladwell's argument is how he appeals to ethos. Besides personal accounts, Gladwell masterfully acknowledges his audience by using friendly personal pronouns like "we", "you", "he", "I", and "us". Writing through these pronouns, especially "I", gives Gladwell credibility as a writer and adds credibility to his accounts because of his active involvement. Since he explains what he learned about facial expressions first hand, readers can understand his argument more thoroughly and become more personally involved themselves. His argument makes people think about their own lives also because of rhetorical questions. Gladwell end paragraphs and often transitions with rhetorical questions, which cause readers to think and sometimes are somewhat suspenseful and more interesting during the long essay. Appeals to ethos are important when considering the topic, emotions, as are appeals to pathos.
Many good arguments have appeals to logos and ethos, but Gladwell also accomplishes appeals to pathos through the use of imagery. As the introduction to very personal account and point in his argument, as well as introductions of his interviewees, Gladwell paints a picture of the "characters" and setting with physical descriptions and personal impressions. This is critical for an argument about facial expressions and emotions, because the reader gets to know the emotions and expressions of the people who are making the argument, and this helps to prove why emotions are so important and mean more than many people think.
Malcolm Gladwell's essay "The Naked Face" debates the relatively new idea that people can control and/or easily learn how to read other peoples' emotions through detailed appeals to ethos, pathos, and logos. Psychologist Paul Ekman and others help provide the reasoning and evidence Gladwell needs to support his essay. Gladwell's argument helps deny the idea that only some people are uniquely gifted with this ability, and explains how it could be potentially very important in society.
One of the more powerful elements of Gladwell's argument is how he appeals to ethos. Besides personal accounts, Gladwell masterfully acknowledges his audience by using friendly personal pronouns like "we", "you", "he", "I", and "us". Writing through these pronouns, especially "I", gives Gladwell credibility as a writer and adds credibility to his accounts because of his active involvement. Since he explains what he learned about facial expressions first hand, readers can understand his argument more thoroughly and become more personally involved themselves. His argument makes people think about their own lives also because of rhetorical questions. Gladwell end paragraphs and often transitions with rhetorical questions, which cause readers to think and sometimes are somewhat suspenseful and more interesting during the long essay. Appeals to ethos are important when considering the topic, emotions, as are appeals to pathos.
Many good arguments have appeals to logos and ethos, but Gladwell also accomplishes appeals to pathos through the use of imagery. As the introduction to very personal account and point in his argument, as well as introductions of his interviewees, Gladwell paints a picture of the "characters" and setting with physical descriptions and personal impressions. This is critical for an argument about facial expressions and emotions, because the reader gets to know the emotions and expressions of the people who are making the argument, and this helps to prove why emotions are so important and mean more than many people think.
Malcolm Gladwell's essay "The Naked Face" debates the relatively new idea that people can control and/or easily learn how to read other peoples' emotions through detailed appeals to ethos, pathos, and logos. Psychologist Paul Ekman and others help provide the reasoning and evidence Gladwell needs to support his essay. Gladwell's argument helps deny the idea that only some people are uniquely gifted with this ability, and explains how it could be potentially very important in society.
Gladwell, Malcolm. "The Naked Face." Malcolm Gladwell. The New Yorker, 2002. Web. 22 Feb. 2014.
