ENC 1101-B3 & B4: Writing for Discovery

In Ede’s chapter I was introduced to logos, pathos, and ethos for the fist time. According to Aristotle, “when speakers and writers communicate with others, they draw on these three general appeals.” Logos appeals to reason, Pathos appeals to emotion, and Ethos to the credibility of the speaker or writer. In the reading two college students were each asked to write an essay on their majors using these three techniques.

Of the two essays in the reading I think that Tova Johnson’s, the essay on biology, was the better of the two when it comes to the use of logos. She shows the readers her progression of her interest in biology as a child, by giving the reader a specific example of her and her sister playing with an anthill in the back yard. This to me was a good example, because it showed me as the reader good reason for her decision in choosing biology as her major.

I feel that Brandon Barrett, in his essay, used Pathos better than what Tova. In he expresses the relief and confidence he felt when he final decided his major. I guess I chose this because I can relate to this to this situation. I did have as hard of a choice as Brandon in deciding become a chemistry major but it was a relief when I chose a business major.

When it comes to my writing I couldn’t really say which of these three general appeals I use most or prefer to use. I have never really paid to much attention to it in the past. Now that I am aware of what they are I try to pick up on which one it is. I think the factor that will predict which one was used most will be my rhetorical situation