The rhetorical appeal is the use of literary devices that brings out the quality of the argument, and through it, an audience is persuaded to make a convincing argument about the story. In Serial, Sarah’s rhetorical appeal makes the audience question Adnan’s innocence concerning his girlfriend’s murder. Hae disappears one January afternoon only to be found dead, and being Adnan’s girlfriend; he becomes the first suspect. Sarah’s choice of literary device is thought-provoking to the audience as they find themselves at the crossroad trying to uncover whether Adnan is innocent.
In Serial, Sarah Koenig uses ethos to tell the story by emphasizing herself as the narrator and letting the audience focus more on the story. The victim, Hae, a Korean-American daughter of a Korean immigrant to the U.S., is killed by her boyfriend Adnan, who claims to remember nothing that January afternoon she died. Adnan is a Pakistani-American son of a Pakistani immigrant to the U.S., while Sarah is an American journalist (Sarah, 2019). In real life, Sarah’s position in her role would have raised lots of questions about racism since the article reader would question her intention on the choice of the topic rather than on the story within the article.
Pathos translates to the writer’s ability to appeal to the reader by persuading their emotional connection to the literature. In Serial, Sarah uses Adnan’s voice to show the emotional connection between him and Hae and her parents. Sarah lets the audience listen to Adnan’s voice when he speaks of his innocence on the murder (Sarah, 2019). Sarah successfully plays with the readers’ emotions when she allows Adnan almost convince the audience he is innocent.
Logos represent the ability of the writer to persuade the audience by use of reason or logic. Sarah achieves this by using evidence, which shows Adnan’s innocence, and others showing his guilt. The use of evidence leaves the audience at a crossroads as they try to determine whether Adnan is guilty of Hae’s murder or not (Sarah, 2019). The interesting nature of the story is associated with the absence of clarity in the evidence Sarah presents.
The audience’s understanding of the film relies on how Sarah guides them using rhetorical appeal to show Adnan’s innocence. As Sarah subjects her audience to the use of ethos, pathos, and logos, she leaves the audience’s understanding of Hae’s death in how she controls them. The audience’s perception of whether Adnan is guilty or not relies on the evidence presented, and the mixed reactions therein make some believe Adnan is innocent, while others refute his innocence.
Reference
Sarah, K. (2019). Serial. [Audio Podcast]. New York Times Audio.