A Rhetorical Examination of The Homeless and Their Children

In “The Homeless and Their Children”, author Jonathon Kozol explains how poverty and homelessness can go hand in hand, but he also shows his readers that the government in New York City during the 1980’s did not really attempt to assist those in need. The author shows us how the homeless and illiterate struggled by sharing with us an interview with a young woman called Laura who resided in a massive welfare hotel. Kozol did not find it necessary to write this piece in a persuasive tone, or a compassionate tone, or even an angry tone to get his message across. He did not need to include a multitude of statistics to convince his readers that homelessness, illiteracy, and governmental apathy were issues. As stated in the introductory paragraph that precedes Kozol’s excerpt, “Instead of arguing indignantly for literacy programs to save the lives of the poor and illiterate, Kozol simply reports the case of a single illiterate woman trying to raise her four children” (Kozol 304). When the different aspects of this wring are studied, it can be found that Kozol successfully utilized subtlety and refinement, along with vivid imagery, to address this issue in order to inform and motivate his readers to take a stand against homelessness and illiteracy.

As this was mostly an emotional piece, there are very little references to logos. However, Kozol begins with a very important statistic at the beginning: “Nearly four hundred homeless families, including some twelve hundred children, were lodged in the hotel, by arrangement with the city’s Human resource Administration” (Kozol 304). This statistic is significant because it builds the author’s credibility by providing tangible facts from the author’s research, and it also exercises our...

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...his intentions well. He utilized each piece of the rhetorical triangle to build a story that was easy to read, informative, and emotive. By using the methods he did, such as staying refined and unemotional, he allows his readers to feel their own emotions and fuel their own motivation. Sometimes, this approach can be stronger than when someone tells you what you should do. Kozol has indeed created a very moving story, which no doubt has motivated, informed, and maybe even changed some minds on this topic since its publication.

Works Cited

Kozol, Jonathon. “The Homeless and Their Children.” The Prentice Hall Guide for College Writers. Ed. Stephen Reid. 8th ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson, 2008. Print.

Weathers, Barbara. "Rachel and Her Children (Book Review)." School Library Journal 34.7 (1988): 226. MasterFILE Premier. EBSCO. Web. 11 Feb. 2011.