Blog #1

Any quality writing requires a few elements, as discussed in this chapter. One important aspect to any writing is the use of rhetorical appeals. Rhetorical appeals, or persuasive strategies, are not to be confused with a purpose of persuasion. No matter the purpose of the writing, whether it be to persuade, inform, or tell a story, a writer must always include these persuasive strategies. The three rhetorical appeals are ethos, logos, and pathos. The first, ethos, is the author establishing trust with his audience through his or her credibility and authority on the topic being discussed. This is important because without the appropriate credentials, the audience would have no reason to trust the author or anything in the authors composition. Another rhetorical appeal, pathos, uses emotion to persuade the audience. One example of this is the commonly known, pull at your heart strings, ASPCA commercials. Seeing the lonely, broken animals makes audiences sad and sympathetic, which in turn urges them to support the organization to help them feel better and less helpless. Lastly, logos, the third rhetorical appeal, uses logic and evidence to support the statement being made. Simply put, if an author provides authentic facts, evidence, and proof that supports his or her stance, it would be logical for the audience to trust the statement being made. When thinking about rhetorical appeals, there’s one final important factor to keep in mind: To successfully persuade one’s audience with these rhetorical appeals, it’s often best for a combination of them to be used in the composition.