Wal-Mart vs. Pyramids, by Laura Carlsen

874 Words2 Pages

In “Wal-Mart vs. Pyramids”, Laura Carlsen questions the super franchises business tactics and opposes their attempt to build on the sacred, holy land that was once Teotihuacan. In her argument, Carlsen suggest that building in this area would infringe on the country’s cultural heritage, one that goes back thousands of years. Laura Carlsen gives a compelling argument against Wal-Marts’ practices in Mexico by displaying effective uses of ethos, pathos, and logos, as well as her successful use of other rhetoric appeals. Pathos in persuasive writing involves engaging the readers’ emotion. In the article, Carlson’s use of pathos is clearly present. She uses phrases such as “phenomenal takeover”, “commercial conquest”, “alleged discrimination”, and “cultural insensitivity” to describe Wal-Mart. These are powerful words of rhetoric in the sense that this language is used to a pick a side, one against the Wal-Mart franchise. These statements also arouse emotion by personifying the company as an empire, per say, overtaking territories everywhere. This, along with the use of language, such as discrimination and insensitivity, clearly evoke a negative outlook on Wal-Mart. Carlson is also able to conjure up anger amongst the reader by showing how Wal-Mart could care less for the land they are building on, as workers “had orders to hide any archaeological relics they found.” By presenting a side for her audience to take and her jab at Wal-Mart, Laura is able to appeal to the reader’s emotion and successfully includes pathos in her persuasive argument. Logos is a persuasive tool used to determine the logic within an argument. What evidence does the writer have for the position he or she has taken. In Wal-Mart vs. Pyramids, Carlsen des... ... middle of paper ... ...es the argument strongly and powerfully. Overall, Carlsen is able to provide a convincing case against Wal-Mart and their latest “step in a phenomenal takeover of Mexico’s supermarket sector.” She conveys multiple rhetoric devices and is able to do so in a relatively short article. Though Laura effectively uses the three primary persuasive appeals logos, pathos, and ethos throughout the piece, her argument is most successful when she takes a more direct approach in reaching her target audience, saying “The dispute is not a battle between past and future. It is a struggle over a country’s right to define itself.” She also states Wal-Mart’s practices interfere with on the country’s “contemporary integrity” by constructing on the ancient site. Her tone, along with her use of various rhetoric appeals, contributes to creating an effective and successful argument.

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