To improve life and the normal functioning of civilization, people must adhere to certain social norms. Many publicists put forward their theories, and Malady (2013) is one of them. In his opinion, to save civilization, people need to respect each other and calmly stand in line. The author writes an entire article about this and uses various means to draw attention to the problem and retain the audience.
In his article “Want to Save Civilization? Get in Line,” published in 2013 in “The New York Times Magazine, ” Malady argues that the queue is one of the fundamental social constructs. For this, the author gives examples that strengthen the audience’s trust. Its syllable is straightforward, which allows the reader to plunge into the atmosphere of a discreet conversation. Malady cites facts and provides compelling examples on which the audience can ponder. Thus, Malady uses various rhetorical techniques to keep the audience interested.
The central audience of Malady is the ordinary people and people aiming at a comfortable life in society. His article was created to explain the relevance of queues for all community members. To convince and win over the audience, the author uses a technique in which he addresses the reader as an interlocutor, “think about how lines work” (Malady, 2013, p.50). Malady uses persuasive writing with elements of a narrative essay for this. This choice is because he must not only convey information to the reader but also clearly show why his opinion on the problem was built.
The author writes in a persuasive style to convey his position and beliefs to the audience. This type of letter in the article expresses the opinion of the author, as well as the justifications and arguments that Malady gives to prove the correctness of his position. Thus, he writes that “well-functioning, orderly lines teach us patience, fairness and the tenets of nondiscrimination”(Malady, 2013, p.50). Malady gives specific examples and introduces explanations of his position in the essay and the statement.
For greater persuasiveness and authority in the audience’s eyes, Malady uses Aristotelian appeals. Thus, the author of the essay uses ethos as one of the methods of persuasion. Malady uses arete as a part of the ethos for communicating with the audience. Its primary purpose is to establish more convenient rules in civilization. Therefore, it can be attributed to virtue and benevolence in the beliefs that Malady pursues. His words also reinforce this, as “lines can also foster solidarity and a sense of community” (Malady, 2013, p.50). Due to this, it can be concluded that the author’s convictions are aimed at maintaining the welfare of society.
The author also uses pathos-based and logo-based techniques in giving specific examples and asking the reader to think about the interaction and work of such evidence in a given situation. Thus, Malady gives life examples concerning specific situations and concludes regarding the logos. Therefore, he writes, “we’re talking about the undermining of one of civilization’s greatest social constructs” (Malady, 2013, p.50). Malady appeals to the audience’s conscience regarding pretentious techniques and argues that “we’re not simply talking about convenience here” (Malady, 2013, p.50). Through this, the author appeals to the audience’s emotions regarding the norms of behavior in lines.
In conclusion, it should be said that Malady resorts to various methods of rhetoric. First of all, his primary goal is to convince the audience that they are right and provide an evidence base. Moreover, the author includes dry data and evidence and appeals to the audience’s emotions through appeals and illustrative examples. Thus, his essay is convincing enough for the audience to convey information and beliefs fully.
Reference
Malady, M. J. X. (2013). Want to save civilization? Get in line. The New York Times Magazine, 2, 50. Web.