Source for Paper C

Argument: What are the consequences of eating breakfast on weight loss?

Eating breakfast will result in an increased ability to lose weight

Because by eating something in the morning, it helps to jump start your metabolism and supplies glucose to the brain and nervous system so they are better able to function.

The target audience for this article is adults who usually skip breakfast because they are in a hurry, too lazy or would rather sleep an extra few minutes. They are also worried about losing weight and figure that skipping breakfast is the best way to lose weight because they are not putting any calories into their body.

The Goal of this article is to convince the audience that eating breakfast is a much better option than skipping, especially when it comes to losing weight. It also provides different breakfast options that are low in calories and easy to prepare to show that breakfast doesn’t have to be a big to-do.

This article begins by appealing to the logos of the audience. It simply states the facts about what happens in your body when you don’t eat breakfast. It is like your body is running on empty which means your brain and nervous system can’t function as well. It also points out that not eating in the morning tends to lead to overeating later in the day which will lead to greater weight gain. One area in which this article is lacking is sufficiency. It is not very long and it jumps from one subject to another without really discussing them in more depth. I was very interested in the part about glucose as the brain’s fuel, but then all of a sudden it jumped right in to ideas for more healthy breakfasts.

This article was initially effective in luring in the audience to make them want to read the article. It also provided great arguments in the beginning for why you should eat breakfast instead of skipping it if you want to lose weight. However, upon further examination of the article I found that it did not provide an adequate amount of information and left the audience with many questions that were not answered.

Word Count: 367

Paper A: The Effects of Daycare on Children

Argument: What are the consequences of mothers working outside the home on their child’s development?

Mothers working outside the home hinders the development process of the child

Because when the mother is away from the home and enrolls the child in daycare, it leaves the teaching of basic developmental skills to someone who doesn’t know them on a deep level.

The target audience: mothers with one child who is between the ages of 1 and 3. They utilize daycare services because they are working even though their family income is adequate using the father’s income alone.

The goal of this paper is to persuade the audience that going back to work and leaving their child in daycare services does not have the best effects on their child’s growth and development.

One problem with this paper involved the logic used to appeal to logos. While the argument makes sense, there was not enough attention to counterarguments to help the audience see the differences between viewpoints. While counterarguments were mentioned, they were not developed at all so the logic of making a clear argument against those points proved to not be effective because the entire paper is just pointing out one side of the argument. This paper also does not follow the logic of a persuasive paper because it implies a lot of points that are really not proven to be true. There needs to be more evidence for the claims made. Sufficiency was a problem in this paper as well. There were two different arguments that started to be developed. One reason why this was the case was because the argument was not specific enough and opened up too many options. While both arguments were valid, there was not enough evidence to truly support either one. The few sources that were used were helpful but were not used in the most effective manner.

This paper was not as effective as it could have been. The biggest problem was the fact that there were two different arguments trying to be proven throughout the paper. It was hard to follow both arguments and get a solid conclusion at the end as to why the audience should agree with the point that mothers should stay home and care for their children instead of going to work and leaving them at daycare.

Word Count: 388

Farewell to Baseball

Lou Gehrig
Farewell to Baseball Address
Delivered 4 July 1939, Yankee Stadium, New York

“Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about a bad break I got. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth.

I have been in ballparks for seventeen years and have never received anything but kindness and encouragement from you fans. Look at these grand men. Which of you wouldn’t consider it the highlight of his career just to associate with them for even one day?

Sure I’m lucky.

Who wouldn’t consider it an honor to have known Jacob Ruppert? Also, the builder of baseball’s greatest empire, Ed Barrow? To have spent six years with that wonderful little fellow, Miller Huggins? Then to have spent the next nine years with that outstanding leader, that smart student of psychology, the best manager in baseball today, Joe McCarthy?

Sure I’m lucky.

When the New York Giants, a team you would give your right arm to beat, and vice versa, sends you a gift - that’s something. When everybody down to the groundskeepers and those boys in white coats remember you with trophies -- that’s something.

When you have a wonderful mother-in-law who takes sides with you in squabbles with her own daughter -- that’s something.

When you have a father and a mother who work all their lives so you can have an education and build your body -- it’s a blessing.

When you have a wife who has been a tower of strength and shown more courage than you dreamed existed -- that’s the finest I know.

So, I close in saying that I might have been given a bad break, but I've got an awful lot to live for.”


Argument: What are the consequences of leaving the game of baseball on Lou Gehrig’s Life?

Leaving the game of baseball will make Lou Gehrig an even luckier man

Because by not playing baseball anymore, he will get to focus on the things most important in life: his friends and family.

The target audience for Lou Gehrig’s speech is the multitude of fans that have supported him all his years of playing baseball for the New York Yankees.

His goal for giving this speech is to assure his fans that even though he has been diagnosed with a terrible disease and has to leave the game he loves, he is going to be okay and there are greater things in life to live for.

Lou Gehrig greatly appeals to the pathos of the audience. He talks about his fellow players and coaches, mother-in-law, father and mother and his wife very affectionately. Admiration for Lou Gehrig is a strong emotion that can be felt when reading or hearing this speech. The audience is worried about him because they know he has been diagnosed with an incurable disease. However, hearing the optimism that resounds from his speech is very hard to ignore. This fills the audience with hope for him and his future. His speech is also is very sufficient. While I’m sure it could have been longer and drawn out, Lou Gehrig is very concise and his words are carefully chosen. There is a perfect amount of information to make you feel connected to the speaker and have his message sink in.

This speech was very effective mostly because it was reassuring to the audience and made them feel more at ease with his exit from the world of baseball. Lou Gehrig was an amazing baseball player. It is very impressive that these words, about his family and friends, were the last to his fans.

Word Count: 313

"This is it. This is our destiny!"

Argument: What are the consequences of watching rugby on the unification between the white and black people of South Africa?

Watching rugby increases the unification between the white and black people of South Africa because cheering for the same team to succeed provides the nation with a common goal to work on.

The target audience is adults who have some knowledge of either rugby or South African history. Adults who are were aware of the Apartheid that occurred and separated all blacks and whites for a time.

The Goal is to persuade the audience to go see the movie.

The main tool this trailer uses to convince its audience was appealing to pathos. They feel sympathy for Nelson Mandela and the mess he is put in by getting made president of a divided South Africa. As soon as Matt Damon’s character is asked to win the world cup, the audience senses a shift in emotion to feel inspired and starts rooting for the rugby team to win. This is especially true when Matt Damon’s character states “This is it. This is our destiny!” Knowing how terrible the Apartheid was, they can’t help but feel compassion for the entire country as well as the rugby team and will want to see how it ends. One other effective tool that was used was accuracy. Since this film is based on a true story, it is important that they portray the events correctly. The trailer effectively used the poem ‘Invictus’, by having Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman) read the lines “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul” once at the beginning and again at the end of the trailer.

Yes, I believe this trailer was effective in making its argument because by appealing to the pathos of the audience, it tugs at their heart strings which will more than likely cause them to go to the theaters and watch the movie. One other aspect that I did not mention above was the bold wording that was interspersed throughout the trailer. The short, bold statements added to the emotion that was already being portrayed. Overall, it got the point across clearly and effectively.

Word count: 365

Got Milk?

*The fine print of the ad says: "Heads up. The protein in milk helps build muscle and some studies suggest teens who choose it tend to be leaner. Staying active, eating right, and drinking 3 glasses a day of lowfat or fat free milk helps you look great. So grab a glass and get in the game."

Argument: What are the consequences of drinking milk on your body image?

Drinking adequate amounts of milk each day can result in a better body image because the protein in milk helps build more muscles and decrease fat.

The target audience is Girls in their teenage years through young adulthood that are worried about their body image.

The Goal is to convince the audience to drink more milk in order to attain a leaner body. An underlying goal could be to advertise the soccer player David Beckham.

This advertisement, along with most other “Got Milk?” ads uses celebrities to grab attention and appeal to ethos. When people recognize the celebrity it gives the ad more credibility. The familiar face sparks interest. They are also more likely to do what the ad tells them because they see the authority figure, David Beckham, and think “if he is doing it, I will too”. One way the ad appeals to pathos is by causing the viewers to feel a sense of competitiveness due to the soccer ball and the first words of the fine print being “heads up” and the last words “get in the game”. The use of David Beckham’s body and the fact that he doesn’t have a shirt on is typical of ads that are trying to appeal to the teenage girl audience. When teenage girls see a hot guy, no matter who it may be, they are much more likely to stop and look at the ad. This is an effective way to appeal to not just one person but rather a whole population of viewers.

Yes, I believe this ad was effective in making its argument because it made the right appeal towards ethos by using an authority figure. Also, showing David Beckham with his shirt off and exposing his fit, lean body leads them to ask “how do I get my body more lean and fit?” The answer (according to the ad), is to drink more milk. However, the fine print of the ad points out that along with drinking milk you also have to stay active and eat right in order for the protein in milk to take its full effect.

Word count: 365