Carson's Ethos Pathos Logos

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Pathos – I think it is quite easy to see how Carson uses pathos in her book. Half of the excerpt we received seems to be dedicated to this topic. The first chapter is charged with emotions and communal values as Carson builds a kind of utopian nature scene and then destroys it right before the reader’s eyes. I think this dramatization communicates the powerful message intended, but it does make me wonder how different the feeling of this chapter would be if she used a real world example. Perhaps the pathos would have been stronger because it would let the reader connect to real people and a concrete place. Perhaps the pathos would be weaker because it would not allow Carson to describe all the disastrous effects that she wanted to in such a vivid way. Perhaps the strength of this chapter depends on the reader’s preference. Ethos – I think Carson achieves ethos in a couple of ways. The first way ethos is built is by the qualifications listed before the excerpt. While this little biography may not be of the author’s doing, it still manages to build important credibility before you even hear what Carson has to say. In the piece itself, Carson manages to come across as knowledgeable and informed. This is due in part to the language she uses, such as “vernacular” and “flareback”, and the quotes and …show more content…

One was the argument about how humans are developing new substances too quickly for nature to adapt to (pg 299-300, sec. 3-5). This argument, along with many others, is written in a way that is easy to follow and seem to fall into a solid path of reasoning. Another strong point of argumentation occurs when Carson addresses a counterargument. She counters the idea that pesticides are needed for food production with the fact about the surplus-food storage program (pg 301, sec. 11). I think that logos can be even more potent if you can use it to calmly and logically dismiss an opposing

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