Theme Of An Ordinary Man

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Tim O 'Brien 's use of casual language creates a friendly and yet personal atmosphere for the reader. He intentionally draws the audience in under the false pretences of an ethical persona, using statements such as, “ this is true”(How to. 87) and “it 's all exactly true”(How to. 89). This deception intensifies the reader 's emotional reaction towards the end of the story when O 'Brien completely contradicts his earlier statements. Much like the ups and downs of a roller coaster, the story takes the reader on an emotional ride; where one feels secure and comfortable in one moment and in the next moment becomes disoriented and confused. O 'Brien 's ultimate use of ethos is questionable once the story is completed. The pathos appeal …show more content…

This allows for a trust to be established between the author and his audience. In, An Ordinary Man, the author is straight forward about his resources: I had a five story building. I had a cooler full of drinks. I had a small stack of cash in the safe. And I had a working telephone and I had my tongue. It wasn 't much(xi). This humble matter of fact story-telling demonstrates an ethos approach. Rusesabagina speaks his truth. He does not exaggerate nor add any unnecessary elements to his story. His scrupulous method of story- telling earns the readers ' trust, thus verifying the author 's information as being truthful. David Wright identifies an ethos strategy, “Ethos: Can rely on reputation or experience to prove a point. Credibility is key to winning an audience 's belief and support for one 's argument”(2 of 2). Rusesabagina 's writing technique is nearly an exact template for an ethos strategy which persists throughout the entire story. The subject matter presented is that of a serious nature and the writer educates the audience in a direct manner. He manages to avoid projecting his personal opinions onto the facts and time-line of the Rwandan

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