s an excerpt from an email written by Mr. M. to his young son Evan "The Contradiction" M., who, after graduating from high school, decided to put off college, then left home to follow Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino on a worldwide book-signing tour. Read the email carefully. Then, in a well-written OUTLINE in a blog post (as a comment), analyze how the rhetorical strategies Mr. M. uses reveal his own values:Little Dude-
I'm taking a lot of my time to write you but I'm not sure it's really worth it. I know people hate advice. I know people who want it don't listen to it. And I know that advice from parents is especially annoying because we're old and out of touch, and way too serious.
Still, part of me thinks that as knuckle-headed as you can be, you have some sense and recognize that I only give you advice because I care about YOU. So maybe, just maybe, you'll take it to heart.
Don't see me as "dad." I'm your buddy, your "dog," as it were. Your friend, but a real friend who cares about you. I want to guide you, not stop you.
Look, my childhood was full of bumps and bruises. It wasn't pretty. So of all people, you should listen to me because I can steer you clear of the things that might trip you up, might cause those bumps and bruises. Those same things that tripped me up.
I'm not gonna sit here and tell you how you'd basically be dead without me, or that you've never earned a dime for yourself. Also, I'm not trying to be like your mom and say, "I'm so worried about you Evan. You poor thing, you have no direction in life." You're better than that. And truthfully, I'm not convinced that my telling you all of this is gonna make you act right. I know you have what it takes to act right on your own.
I've always told you to apply yourself. Not because it's an obligation to me, but because it's, simply put, good for YOU. Necessary for you. Is there anything better than being more successful than your peers? Is there anything worse than looking around and seeing that all of your peers are MORE successful than you are? Think about it, if you end up being a loser it will be even worse for you because your parents have done everything in their power to make you succeed. You've had more opportunities than any other kids we know. Your dad is a famous author for crying out loud.
Don't get me wrong. You shouldn't just be successful to "beat out" others (even though it felt awesome to go to my high school reunion and look down on all of these low-lifes, working menial jobs, talking about the "good old days" in high school, when they had teeth and were skinny). You should also be excellent for the sake of excellence. If you're going to half-ass something, you might as well not do it at all. In fact, you look like more of a loser if you do something poorly than if you didn't do it at all.
Sincerely,
Dad
27 comments:
Mr. M. advises his son, “The Contradiction,” on life in a well-crafted 2010 letter. The advice is delayed until the end, preceded by a seemingly superfluous amount of time spent trying to convince his son to take the advice to heart. However, the rhetoric itself reveals many additional values implicitly, including honor, respect and excellence.
Respect – M respects that his son is intelligent and concedes that advice is annoying. However, he also preaches accepting advice from people who are better than you. “of all people, you should listen to me because I can steer you clear of the things that might trip you up.” M implies that no matter how smart you think you are, it is good to still accept advice from people who know what they’re doing.
Honor – M pretty much says “I’ve worked too hard for you to make me look bad.” The Contradiction needs to uphold his family reputation. “I'm not gonna sit here and tell you how you'd basically be dead without me, or that you've never earned a dime for yourself.” & “if you end up being a loser it will be even worse for you because your parents have done everything in their power to make you succeed.” M implies through his subtle sarcasm and understatement that it is important to maintain a family’s honor and reputation.
Excellence – M says that it is more important to be good at stuff than to try your best. Through rhetorical questions, M establishes that you need to be better at something than anyone else around you: “Is there anything better than being more successful than your peers? Is there anything worse than looking around and seeing that all of your peers are MORE successful than you are?” Also, he uses colloquialisms to say that you need to be good at something or don’t do it at all: “If you're going to half-ass something, you might as well not do it at all… You look like more of a loser if you do something poorly than if you didn't do it at all.”
M tricks his son into seeing the advice by using rhetoric to hide the advice entirely rather than simply make it look prettier.
-Joe Oliver
The dilemma of frustrated parents is widespread. Many raise their children with high expectations only to be disappointed with a lack of ambition and direction. Mr. Andrews is a victim of this phenomenon. He believes that children should respect and learn from their parents, and that his son, Mike's, failure will taint the family image. He reveals this frustration with his son through humor, refutation, and an appeal to ethos.
Humor: Andrews uses sarcasm to indirectly assert that his son's path in life is fruitless. "I'm not gonna sit here and tell you how you'd basically be dead without me, or that you've never earned a dime for yourself." This sarcasm makes Andrews' assertion both more scathing & more convincing--it makes fun of Mike while also showing him exactly why he's a failure. These implicit assertions also emphasize the bold statements that Andrews makes: "I know you have what it takes to act right on your own."
Refutation: Andrews ensures that his son does not dismiss his advice by refuting every possible objection to his position. "I've always told you to apply yourself. Not because it's an obligation to me, but because it's, simply put, good for YOU. Necessary for you."
"You shouldn't just be successful to 'beat out' others, You should also be excellent for the sake of excellence."
Appeal to ethos: By appealing to ethos, Andrews makes his advice more trustworthy and palatable. "And I know that advice from parents is especially annoying because we're old and out of touch, and way too serious." "So of all people, you should listen to me because I can steer you clear of the things that might trip you up, might cause those bumps and bruises." Andrews' son is more likely to listen to him if he feels as though Andrews relates to his feelings.
Kelley
Mr. M
Intro
When you’re little, you think of your parents as the least knowledgeable people to take advice from. The email is from a father, Mr. M, who is giving advice to his son, Evan. Mr. M refers to his own adolescence as a way to advise his son. The colloquialism, anticipated objection and simple diction that Mr. M uses reveal his own values.
1 Colloquialism
• “I'm your buddy, your "dog,"”
By being friendly, he can get his son to listen and relate.
• “You should listen to me because I can steer you clear of the things that might trip you up, might cause those bumps and bruises.”
Listen to the people who can truly give you good advice.
2 Anticipated Objection
• “I've always told you to apply yourself. Not because it's an obligation to me, but because it's, simply put, good for YOU.”
Don’t only give half of what you have. Strive for excellence.
This form of ethos allows his son to believe in him. Since Mr. M uses this
• “Is there anything better than being more successful than your peers?”
He knows the feeling and he knows he was smart and he knew it felt good. This backs up that his son should listen to him because he WAS that smart person.
3 Simple Diction
• “You shouldn't just be successful to "beat out" others”
Like the previous quote, M has enough credibility to give advice and with simple diction and this helps his son to listen and take his advice.
This simple diction reveals M’s values.
*Intro:
-Mr.M
-Letter to "Little Dude"
-The author wants his son to live up to his own values. Mr.M wants his son to go on to school as he did, and to be smart- Mr.M's reputation is on the line if he doesn't.The author makes the situation seem as though school is whats best for his son, when in all actuality his dad just doesn't want to be embarrassed.
*Broad Rhetorical Principle
-Mr.M's Reputaion;"Think about it, if you end up being a loser it will be even worse for you because your parents have done everything in their power to make you succeed."
*Broad Rhetorical Principle
-Mr.M values determination, loyalty and being thorough. "In fact, you look like more of a loser if you do something poorly than if you didn't do it at all."
*Broad Rhetorical Principle
-M is not one to baby his children. "...I'm not trying to be like your mom and say, "I'm so worried about you Evan."
*Conclusion
-Mr.M wants his son to be successful, not for the good of his son, but for his own image. M holds a high reputation and if his son does not become successful as he did, he will be knocked off of his pedistool. Mr.M uses a tone in which he makes his son think he is giving him advice by saynig he wont baby his son, when he is really telling him what to do in order for Mr.M to maintain such high self image. He speaks to his son in such a way that he makes Evan feel like he has a job to finish and that he will be even more of a disappointment by going to school but not finishing.
>=P
In an attempt to be seen as a friend rather than an overbearing parent, Mr. M writes a letter to his son to express his values. Mr. M wants his son to realize that he has all the potential to become a better individual overall, but he needs to apply himself in order to become successful. Mr. M’s values are expressed throughout the use of rhetoric principles of sarcasm, credibility, and diction.
Sarcasm
“Still, part of me thinks that as knuckle-headed as you can be, you have some sense and recognize that I only give you advice because I care about YOU. So maybe, just maybe, you’ll take it to heart. “
The humor used throughout the entire letter helps sway Evan into laughing at his own mistakes, and ultimately owning up to them. Once he realizes the mistakes he’s made, he can go on to getting on the right track with the values his father holds.
Credibility
“Look, my childhood was full of bumps and bruises. It wasn’t pretty. So of all people, you should listen to me because I can steer you clear of the things that might trip you up, might cause those bumps and bruises. Those same things that tripped me up.”
By saying this, Mr. M does not own up to being an authoritative figure, bus as an individual who has experienced hardships. Being that of an older age automatically gives Mr. M an advantage to appealing to his son through his experiences.
Diction
“Also, I'm not trying to be like your mom and say, "I'm so worried about you Evan. You poor thing, you have no direction in life." You're better than that. And truthfully, I'm not convinced that my telling you all of this is gonna make you act right. I know you have what it takes to act right on your own.”
Using this simple wording, Mr. M is able to relate to his son on the level of youth. Instead of using big words, he “dumbs it down” for his son so he can express what he wishes his son to succeed in.
-sarah schulz
om nom nom.
I. Mr. M’s letter to his son.
a. Values
i. Hard work
1. Intellect alone will not work, you must strive towards it continuously.
ii. Intellect
1. You know your ability.
iii. Excellence
1. To be expected of someone who was given so many opportunities at life.
II. Hard Work
a. M uses anaphora to stress the amount of excellence expected of his son.
i. I do not…I have no…I say, I do not….I am convinced…I mean.
ii. In talking about hard work, M talks about the imperative that this son must put all of his other advantages to work and make good use of them. (I.e. working hard.)
b. Also uses rhetorical questions, but not as a major devise
III. Excellence
a. Working in the theme of excellence, M uses an antithesis
i. Do not apprehend that I mean to check your pleasures; of which, on the contrary, I only desire to be the guide, not the censor.
ii. Chesterfield is a man who obviously comes from a long line of excellence and wishes only to instill into his son the appreciation of that excellence and the propagation of it.
IV. Intellect
a. It is obvious from the reading that Chesterfield is one who partook in concerted cultivation with his son. As a result of this, he expects that this son will act in a manner of intellect worthy of such a lengthy and expensive investment.
V. Family Honour
a. Chesterfield, being an aristocrat, values the mos maiorum of his country. Apart of this belongs to the field of family honour. To be succinct, in the end all you really have is your name. Your name is upheld or degraded based on the actions of your ancestors; ergo your actions will have either a positive or negative effect on posterity of the same name. Chesterfield sees his ultimate job as keeping the family name in an hournable place in society.
b. To accomplish this task, He uses a series of rhetorical questions which serves he purpose of making his son question the actions of his ancestors; or rather, if his actions live up to those expectations or fails them.
In a letter Mr. M encourages his son Evan to take his advice. He want's his son to use his father's experiences' to improve his young life. He uses colloquialism, ethos, and rhetorical questions.
Colloquialism: Mr. M uses slang as a way to get through to his son. This will make his son see him less as a dad and more as a friend. “I'm your buddy, your "dog” and “You shouldn't just be successful to "beat out" others.” With diction the son is used to using, he will start to think of him less as a father figure and more as a person with good advice; this could break through the son’s stubbornness.
Ethos: “Look, my childhood was full of bumps and bruises. It wasn't pretty. So of all people, you should listen to me because I can steer you clear of the things that might trip you up, might cause those bumps and bruises.” He uses his past problems to show his son that he once went through similar experiences; that just because he’s old doesn’t mean he is ignorant of his child’s problems.
Rhetorical Questions: “Is there anything better than being more successful than your peers?” and “Is there anything worse than looking around and seeing that all of your peers are MORE successful than you are?” He presents questions that will make his son see his point of view. If he wants to go through life without listening to his dad, fine, but what about what other people think about you, is this enough to make you want to change and take my advice? The father manipulates his son to think the way he wants him to, without his son realizing it.
Kaylonni Hunter
6th Hr.
**Rhetorical Strategies by Mr. M**
+ Colloquialism: This is used when mr. m says to his son "dont see me as "dad", im your buddy, your dog"
+ Anecdote: "Look, my childhood was full of bumps and bruises. It wasn't pretty."
+ Appeals to Ethos: "So of all people, you should listen to me because I can steer you clear of the things that might trip you up, might cause those bumps and bruises. Those same things that tripped me up."
+ Concede: "I know people who want it don't listen to it. And I know that advice from parents is especially annoying because we're old and out of touch, and way too serious"
+ Refute: "Still, part of me thinks that as knuckle-headed as you can be, you have some sense and recognize that I only give you advice because I care about YOU."
+ Humor: "I'm not gonna sit here and tell you how you'd basically be dead without me, or that you've never earned a dime for yourself."
+ Compare/Contrast...& Rhetorical Q: "Is there anything better than being more successful than your peers? Is there anything worse than looking around and seeing that all of your peers are MORE successful than you are?"
(: "/ :D o_0 :)
*Anaphora- "I knwo people hate advice.IKnow people who want it dont listen to it. And I know that advice from parents is especially annoying.....
**Logos-....because were old and out of touch, and way too serious." --explaining the way that his generation is
*Blunt diction- ...part of me thinks that as knuckle-headed as you can be, you have some sense, and recongnize that I only give you advice because I care about YOU."
*Personification-"Dont see me as "dad". im your buddy, your "dog"......describing his relationship with his son
**Pathos/Rhetorical Question- " Is there anything better than being successful than your peers? " " Is there anything worse than looking around and seeing that all of your peers are MORE successful than you are?" .....explaining to his son through emotins that he should become more successful.
**Conclusion-Mr.M shows his values of education, honor and expectation. Gicing his son blunt words of encouragement in hope of his son to be successful.
Using means of conversational diction Mr. M not only relays his opinions to his son; he simultaneously reveals the values that he lives by.
Ethos: Mentorship- Mr. M makes references to his experience growing up and relates them to his son’s life.
Doing this makes his son see him as more of a caring friend (or mentor)than a controlling father. Look, my childhood was full of bumps and bruises. Ex: "It wasn't pretty. So of all people, you should listen to me because I can steer you clear of the things that might trip you up, might cause those bumps and bruises."
Humor: Mr.M makes an attempt at humor which could help lower the involuntary guard that tends to exist between father and son. Also, I'm not trying to be like your mom and say, Ex: "I'm so worried about you Evan. You poor thing, you have no direction in life."
William Blake
Outline:
Intro:
Author/Piece- Letter to son, “little dude”, from Mr. M
Summary- Mr. M writes to his son in an effort to get his son back on track. He gives some concessions in how effective advice is, and in how it must seem for him to be giving his son the same talk that countless other parents have given.
Author’s thesis- Wants his son to not settle, and not just for the sake of not settling, but because it is the right thing to do, in Mr. M’s mind that is.
My thesis- The author uses humor, appeal to ethos, and tone in a way that is effective in easing his son into the seriousness of his letter. He wants his son to realize and apply (author’s thesis).
Humor: - Parents are old, “dog”, you’d be dead without me, quote from mom,
Tone- presents a way to ease son into the “situation”. Makes it seem like the letter is not as serious as it is in fact intended to be.
Ethos- gives constant concessions to
OUTLINE
Evan Mokris
Intro:
Letter to son, “Little dude”, from Mr. M
In modern life, children are told on a daily basis how to live their lives. Children are told when to do something, how to do something, and where to do something. In this passage Mr. M. advises his son, Evan “The Contradiction” to wisely choose his own path, while at the same time Mr. M depicts his own values through the use of collalqusim, appeals and an equal tone.
Collalquism
Mr. M uses friendly conversational diction in this letter. Mr. M says Don't see me as "dad." I'm your buddy, your "dog," as it were. Your friend, but a real friend who cares about you. I want to guide you, not stop you. Mr. M shows signs of respect to his son because he doesn’t play the bossy parent role. Instead Mr. M advises his son Evan “The Contradiction” in a respectful manner how to live his live.
Appeal to Ethos
Mr. M shares his experiences to his son in an attempt to build ethos on the subject. Mr.M’s credibility increases as gives insight on his life in this letter to the contradiction. Mr. M’s experience sharing demonstrates that he values family and personal history because he took the time to share experiences.
Tone
Treats the contradiction as an equal. Realizes that the contradiction is living his own live and can make his own mistakes if he wants, but Mr. M shows his commitment to responsibility.
In a letter to his son Evan, Mr. M writes in a casual way of what path he wants his son to go on toward success. Mr. M displays his values using ethos because he explains to Evan how he is able to give this advice not as a parent but as a friend, and that he has personal experience in the things that he wants his son to avoid. Mr. M also uses rhetorical questions to make his son think within himself and realize that success is the right path to follow.
Appeal to Ethos- Mr. M uses credibility by providing examples to his son to show that he had experience with not following the right path and he wants the best for his son. He said that his childhood was “full of bumps and bruises” meaning that things weren’t so easy when he was a kid and he didn’t make all the right choices. This helps get his own values across because he is showing Evan that he can make the right choices and not follow the steps as his dad
Colloquialism- Lose language or slang is what Mr. M uses to seem less tense and forceful when he is trying to convince his son to follow the right path to success. He makes his son see him as a friend and hi “dog” rather than his dad, his goal is to have his son not feel so pressured by his father.
Rhetorical Questions- Mr. M uses rhetorical questions to make his son think through the suggestions from his dad. Evan reads through the letter and has the ability to think through the questions his father is presenting to him. The questions of “is there anything better than being more successful than your peers?” and “is there anything worse than looking around and seeing that all of your peers are MORE successful than you are?”, show that Mr. M is trying to show the two different sides of either being successful or not being successful and gives him a little idea of what it might feel like wither way.
Alexis Tamper
5th hour
Intro:In Mr. M's letter to his son,he urges him not to put off college and start to looking towards the future.
Authors thesis: Mr. M wants to make it clear to his son that since he is out of high school, he needs to start being more focused on his future so that he will become a disappointment.
Summary: Since the author is a famous author, he expects nothing short of success when it comes to his son Mike. He is writing a letter to Mike to explain to him that if he does not go to college, he may well end up as a failure. That is not acceptable to his famous father.
My thesis: The author uses anaphora, appeals to pathos and ethos, and colloquialism to explain to his son that success is the only option.
Broad Rhetorical Principle: Syntax
Mr. M uses syntax through his use of anaphora to tell his son that failure is not an option. He knows that his son does not want to listen to his father, but since he has the knowledge, he thinks that his son should listen to him. This reveals his own values because it shows that he has the experience that may help to steer his son in the right direction.
Broad Rhetorical Principle:Appeals
Mr. M uses appeals through his use of pathos and ethos. Pathos show that he is concerned that his son may became a loser if he does not follow the right path. This reveals his own values because since he is a author, it might look bad if his son does not become as successful as he is. Ethos come into play because his dad has had experience that his son may eventually experience, he believes that he can influence him to not make the same mistakes. This reveals his own values because even though he has an image to protect, he does not want his son to make the same mistakes that he has made so ultimately he will not look bad.
Broad Rhetorical Principle: Diction
Mr. M uses colloquialism to make his son more comfortable to listen and take his advice. He wants his son to think that his dad is his friend and is ultimately giving him this advice so that he succeeds in the future. This reveals his own values because if his son believes that his father is just being a friend and has his best interest, he may take his advice. This will eventually show no treat to Mr. M's reputation.
Conclusion:
Mr. M is writing this letter to his son to try to persuade him to not become a failure. If his son puts off college, he may never go back. His son becoming a failure will only look bad for Mr. M because he has a n image to maintain and a failure as a son would not look good.
Intro: In Mr. M’s letter to his son he reveal a little about himself and his values. Mr. M believed in ambition and his own self image. His tone of voice and use of ethos and pathos intensified his values.
Tone: Mr. M is sarcastic and slightly arrogant
“So of all people, you should listen to me because I can steer you clear of the things that might trip you up, might cause those bumps and bruises”
“. Your dad is a famous author for crying out loud”- shows arrogance
“. Also, I'm not trying to be like your mom and say, "I'm so worried about you Evan. You poor thing, you have no direction in life.”- shows sarcasm
Ethos: Mr. M is older has been through more things and is also Mike’s father. All things that establish authority
“I'm not gonna sit here and tell you how you'd basically be dead without me, or that you've never earned a dime for yourself”
Pathos: Although Mr. M can come off a little full of himself he still cares about his son. It’s his whole purpose in writing the letter because he cares about his son. Mr. M shows this with pathos
“Don't see me as "dad." I'm your buddy, your "dog," as it were. Your friend, but a real friend who cares about you. I want to guide you, not stop you.”
Intro: The letter from Mr. M to his son is a letter of advice, based on his own life. Mr. M puts his own values into the letter, values that he used in his life. Hard Work, determination and dedication, self gratification, and as a friend. Mr. M works those values into the letter by calling out his son, making references to his own life, --
Hard Work
Write about Mr. M indirect reference to hard work in his life, include the quote about "half assed work" and the fact that he is a author.
Make some inferences
make a comparison to what Mr. M is telling his son-- use rhet. strategies like call to action, quotation and anecdote. (add some if need be)
Dedication and determination
Explain how that is a value to Mr. M and how it he incorporates that in his letter. "I've always told you to apply yourself"
What Mr. M is impling to his son
Rhet. strategies concession, quotation, exemplification. (add others)
Self- gratification
Mr. M writing about his own experience, that he has made it as an author and that he has money and power. Mr. M writing ("I...") and comparing his story to his son's. Mr. M calls out his son to give is all in life and experiences so that he succeeds and can have the same gratification.
Rhet. strategies Mr. M uses are ethos, allusion, exemplification. (add more if needed)
Friendly
Mr. M concedes that his son might not listen to his advice but that he should consider it. With Mr. M writing that he should be his friend it is as if that Mr. M is hoping that his son will take hed to his advice.
Pathos, ethos, anticipated reaction
for all connect each one to another in the transition.
tvw 5th hour
Outline:
Intro:
- Wishing the best for your child is second nature to all parents. Earl Woods once said, "You don't really instill anything into a child, you encourage the development of it." In a letter to his son “little dude”, Mr. M exemplifies this quote while he writes of his own values and how they should apply to his son’s life.Mr. M realizes that Mike is the only one able to make a difference and yet Mr. M writes a letter in the hopes of instilling some good moral values. The very act of writing an advice packed letter shows how Mr. M is "encouraging the development" of his son. The intended instilled values of honor, respect and excellence are executed through rhetoric such as tone diction and appeal to ethos.
- Value: Honor
Executed Through:
(Ethos)
-Mr. M is thoroughly supporting his credibility in the hopes of his son taking his advice to heart. He speaks of his own childhood and how it was full of “bumps and bruises” how he survived, and how his child should listen to him and thereby survive as well.
-Mr. M also speaks of the numerous things he has done for his son. "I'm not gonna sit here and tell you how you'd basically be dead without me, or that you've never earned a dime for yourself.” Because Mr. M has worked so hard to raise Mike, and given him so many great opportunities and advantages, he wont allow anything less than greatness. (Sarcasm)
Within the numerous appeals to ethos is a sarcastic tone to further influence the intended audience. Just to drive his issue home Mr. M takes away any excuses for Mike's failure."Your dad is a famous author for crying out loud." & “If you end up being a loser it will be even worse for you because your parents have done everything in their power to make you succeed.”
- Value: Respect
Executed Through:
(Ethos)
Mr. M attempts to make his values important to his son, by increasing his own credibility, thus making his points more viable. “Of all people, you should listen to me because I can steer you clear of the things that might trip you up.”
(Conceding)
Mr. M concedes that his son is intelligent, he simply needs to live more seriously, and respectfully.
- Value: Excellence
Mr. M demands excellence from his son. He understands that his son has greater potential and concedes to his abilities. Because his son has so much more to offer, Mr. M identifies Mike's tendency to do things "half-ass" and therefore supplies the notion that “If you're going to half-ass something, you might as well not do it at all… You look like more of a loser if you do something poorly than if you didn't do it at all.” The casual diction and intended "buddy" attitude also help Mr. M by bringing him closer to his son's lifestyle and making his advice more communicable and appealing.
-Roshawna T 5th Hr
> Intro: The letter in which Mr. M writes to his son Evan, Mr. M discusses the issues that not taking his advice will cause. Mr. M characterizes his son as "knucle-headed", and gives him a generalization of his success. During the course of the letter, Mr. M secretively implies his own values that he is trying to instill in Evan's head. To embolden these genralizations and values Mr. M implies , bold statements,colloquialisms and an appeal to ethos.
> BRP #1
- Bold statement
example: "If you're going to half-ass something, you might as well not do it at all."
* Mr. M uses bold statement to convince his son to actually listen to what he has to say, and respect his "values"
>BRP #2
- colloquialisms; "Don't see me as "dad." I'm your buddy, your "dog," as it were. Your friend, but a real friend who cares about you. I want to guide you, not stop you." Mr.M uses colloquialisms to inform his son that he understands him and he is trying to address him on his "level"
>BRP #3
- appeal to ethos
example; "So of all people, you should listen to me because I can steer you clear of the things that might trip you up, might cause those bumps and bruises." his appeal to ethos exemplifies his credibility of him as a parent and that he has been through a many of things that may benefit his son if he knew about those things.
=P
Outline
Thesis: Mr. M writes a letter to his son, Evan “the Contradiction” M, to give his son advice displaying his own personal values. Mr. M displays his values using appeals to ethos, helping to understand that he can relate to his sons situation because he has been through “bumps and bruises” in his life, also using colloquialism to relate to his sons generation. Mr. M also makes his son question his own choices with his fathers use of rhetorical questions.
1.Appeal to Ethos
•“Look, my childhood… tripped me up.”
•Describes how he can teach his son to learn from his past mistakes so his son doesn’t have to learn the pain of the mistakes his dad can tell him about.
2.Colloquialism
•“I'm your buddy”
•Helps him tell his son that he can relate and help him out because of his experiences (relates back to ethos) by using slang, to relate more to his son.
3.Rhetorical Questions
•“Is there anything better than being more successful than your peers?”
•Mr. M uses rhetorical questions to force his son to consider his advice while he is reading his dads letter, trying to force his son to understand what he, as a father, wants his son to do or accomplish, to make something of himself.
The email above, written from Mr. M to his son who is traveling abroad, is a fairly strong indicator of his values. The email is laced with sarcasm, which has the effect of cajoling his son into working a little harder. In doing so, Mr. M reveals his hard-working character. Moreover, his writing implies that he wishes his son to more than just work hard, but to excel at whatever he might attempt, and not for the sake of merely being better than others, but to perfect it. Furthermore, his concessions to his son’s objections are placed prominently at the start of his email, highlighting the importance of what he has to say to his son and how important what he has to say is to him.
“I know people who want it don't listen to it. And I know that advice from parents is especially annoying because we're old and out of touch, and way too serious.” Mr. M understands that his son doesn’t want to listen to him, primarily because of the difference in values between them. However, the love that he has for his son drives him to “[take] a lot of my time to write you” even as he is “not sure it's really worth it.” This is also a reflection of his dedication to a single task until he considers it completed.
Furthermore, Mr. M demonstrates that he is a perfectionist. He has put a ton of effort into giving his son every advantage available to him to allow him to become successful. “your parents have done everything in their power to make you succeed. You've had more opportunities than any other kids we know.” The disconnection between the father’s effort and his son’s lack thereof is what drives his continued writing and frustration with his son, which culminates in the statement “Your dad is a famous author for crying out loud” which practically screams the question: why aren’t you successful already?
All of these indicate that honor is very important to Mr. M. He wants his son to do well because of the effort invested in him and how everyone knows about this effort. He also wants his son to continue his legacy, to be just as good as he is.
Introduction
The entire purpose of Mr. M’s letter to his son is to instill his values upon his child. He believes his son is slacking and should instead strive to be excellent—but not for any personal gain. Rather, he believes Evan should be excellent for the sake of excellence. Mr. M reveals in his letter both the importance of success and the importance of family. By writing in a fatherly tone, conceding to his son’s potential objections, and appealing to both ethos and pathos, Mr. M displays his values and convinces his son that it’s time for him to shape up and quit slacking off.
Fatherly tone--
-Mr. M writes to his son obviously, as a father. Though he may seem to try to paint himself as an "equal" to Evan, he shows he's the older and wiser one that has more experience. This shows how much Mr. M values family; it's important to him to instill good values upon his child.
-"Still, part of me thinks that as knuckle-headed as you can be, you have some sense and recognize that I only give you advice because I care about YOU. So maybe, just maybe, you'll take it to heart."
Concession--
-"I know people hate advice. I know people who want it don't listen to it. And I know that advice from parents is especially annoying because we're old and out of touch, and way too serious. "
-"I'm not gonna sit here and tell you how you'd basically be dead without me, or that you've never earned a dime for yourself. Also, I'm not trying to be like your mom and say, "I'm so worried about you Evan. You poor thing, you have no direction in life." You're better than that. And truthfully, I'm not convinced that my telling you all of this is gonna make you act right. I know you have what it takes to act right on your own."
-Mr. M concedes to Evan in order to make him more receptive to the advice he has to offer. Again, this shows Mr. M's personal value of family because he's trying so hard—conceding to someone younger than you like this is never easy—to make Evan hear him out.
Appeals--
-"Look, my childhood was full of bumps and bruises. It wasn't pretty. So of all people, you should listen to me because I can steer you clear of the things that might trip you up, might cause those bumps and bruises. Those same things that tripped me up.“
-”Don't get me wrong. You shouldn't just be successful to "beat out" others (even though it felt awesome to go to my high school reunion and look down on all of these low-lifes, working menial jobs, talking about the "good old days" in high school, when they had teeth and were skinny). You should also be excellent for the sake of excellence."
-Ethos: Mr. M uses his own childhood to show Evan that he's a good source of advice and then he implies that as a father, he has striven for excellence just for the sake of it, and that Evan should too. This shows how important success is to him.
-Pathos: Mr. M attempts to make Evan guilty—he tells Evan that he's had more opportunities than anyone—and he also wants to make Evan feel like he is obligated to succeed. Again, this shows the author's value of success.
Conclusion--
When the giant space dragon eats the sun, Mr. M like many parents only wants the best for his child. He clearly loves his son and he values success, and because of this he uses strong appeals to pathos and ethos, a fatherly tone, and he concedes to Evan's potential counterargument in attempt to help Evan achieve greatness.
PS Rob made me say "when the giant space dragon eats the sun." BLAME HIM.
As Malcolm Gladwell suggests children of poor parents are likely not to succeed. However Gladwell also describes those children that lack success because of the great successes their parents have had. Mr. M's son suffers from an effect similar to this. Mr. M takes care to advise his son of the importance of his success, not only for his sons good but for the good of himself as well. In this way Mr. M reveals his concern excellence and self image.
Excellence:
Because of a belief in his own excellence, Mr. M expects this same excellence in his son. The son he "took great care" in raising. The expectations Mr. M has for his son are seen in his remarks following his lengthy description of what he isn't going to tell his son. "I know you have what it takes to act right on your own."
Although he assumes some excellence exists within his son he demands it in places it doesn't exist. For example, "In fact, you look like more of a loser if you do something poorly than if you didn't do it at all." Mr. M stresses the importance of education and proficiency through an anecdote. M describes the feeling of surpassing his peers in his anecdote about a high school reunion. Although M says this should not be his son's main reason for succeeding, the anecdote was included to convince his son nonetheless. Mr. M reveals his own intolerance for mediocrity by stressing the importance of excellence to his son.
Self Image:
Although on the surface Mr. M is trying to help his son, much of his advice seems not for his son's well being but rather fort he protection of his own image. As M establishes himself as a "world class author" he implies that he has an image to protect. Having a failure as a son would surely hurt his prestige thus much of his purpose in writing his son is protection of own his reputation. Whether the advice is for his own good or his son's or some combination of the two he must convince his son to take in his advice. Mr. M avoids cliché by conceding that advice from a parent is annoying and refuting this by writing that the advice is friend to friend for his own good.
Intro: In a well thought out letter, Mr. M advises his son on being successful in life. While the context of the beginning of his letter reveals a lesser precense of advice, by the end he acknowledges the importance of taking his recommendations. Mr. M's rhetoric use of Ethos, Humor, and Colloquialism, bring together the values that he expresses in his letter to his son.
Appeal to Ethos: By explaining his own faults and mistakes, Mr. M brings about the subject of Ethos. He tells his son that while his life may have been full of "bumps and bruises" he was able to become a successful person and that he too has "what it takes to act right on his own". By saying that he wants to "guide him" shows that Mr. M truly values his own family.
Humor: Mr. M uses a humorous quote said by Evan's mother to make a bond between himself and his son as well as to make the letter more appealing to Evan. He also says, "I'm not gonna sit here and tell you how you'd basically be dead without me, or that you've never earned a dime for yourself" which sort of makes the letter mellow and more enjoyable for his son. It also seems evident through Mr. M's diction, that he wants his letter to relinquish some sort of humoristic characterstic.
Colloquialism: By talking to his son as if he were his "friend" or "buddy" in the letter, it is easier for Mr. M to get through to his son. If Evan can relate to his father, he will soon realize his mistakes and appeal to them as his father did. It is easy to tell that the son must be somewhat stubborn, which is the reason why Mr. M felt the need to write an advisable letter. Lastly, it is clear that Mr. M truly respects his son and only wants him to success; these are other values of Mr. M.
-- Ashley Sanford
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