Reading Jack Sublett’s discussion, I notice that he focused much of his response on Russell Baker. He, like myself, expressed that Mary Sherry had quite the demonstrative approach to writing. Where I chose to expand upon Mary Sherry proposing a way of studying that was very sink or swim and competitive by nature, Jack spoke about Russell Baker humanizing his self by giving a personal account and a common experience that others could relate to. Jack’s main point was that humanizing your reader by giving first hand knowledge/accounts creates good ethos as this connection is inviting to others. Additionally, when one can connect to the writer, they are more inclined to listen to them and also more likely to trust what they are saying. I would say that despite not explicitly mentioning ethos, my response was similar in its message to Jack’s. My response can be interpreted as me wanting to listen to Russell Baker more than Mary Sherry as Sherry’s approach was distant and possibly cold. This lack of human element is unappealing as a reader and that is not a characteristic of good writing.
I was in the group with Erbin and Alyssa
In Cesar Chavez’s speech, “We Shall Overcome,” he discusses a general strike of farm workers in California and the extreme lengths that the growers go to silence the workers. Chavez utilizes mostly pathos, but also uses logos and ethos to convey the message that the audience should support the workers and condemn the growers. He uses appeals to emotion, or pathos, by describing how the growers would spray the workers with, “with sulfur, running tractors by them to create dust storms, building barricades of farm machinery so that scabs could not see the pickets” (pp 2)z. By stating these details, it displays the disgusting tactics the growers would use to put down the workers. It also makes the audience support the workers while also disliking the growers. The author conveys to the reader that these diverse communities are struggling and there needs to be a change. They form a stand which creates a defining moment that will promote or achieve change towards equal rights for agricultural workers. Their call to action was by, “ Mechanized agriculture began picketing the pickets — spraying them with sulfur, running tractors by them to create dust storms, building barricades of farm machinery so that scabs could not see the pickets. These actions not only increased the determination of the strikers, but convinced some of the scabs that the ranchers were, in fact, less than human. Scabs quit work and the strike grew.”
“As our strike has grown, workers have matured and now know why and how to fight for their rights.” This can be seen as pathos but is showing, in a logical way, the only way to gain your freedom is to fight and support social movements. In that way it is logos. By presenting this logical argument, Cesar Chavez wants others to support the movement, to believe that justice will be achieved because despite the subjugation and attempts at union busting, the workers are resilient and will not stop. They are facing business and powers that control much of their lives but through sheer numbers and grit, equal rights will be achieved.
