Introduction
In writing, the capacity to convince the reader depends on using logos, ethos, and pathos effectively. Together, these approaches to structuring thoughts constitute the rhetorical triangle. This essay focuses on animal rights and analyzes an article by Alayna Alvarez to see how it uses ethos, pathos, and logos to persuade its audience. Ethos is necessary for establishing the writer’s authority, increasing the audience’s likelihood of trusting the resource. Logos help in establishing the basis for reasoning by constructing logical arguments. Pathos appeals to the audience’s emotions, either anger or sympathy. Effectively employing the rhetorical triangle technique helps engage readers by demonstrating the authority, logic and credibility necessary to inspire action.
Article’s Basic Claim
The article persuades the audience by engaging them emotionally, logically and with authority. The article discusses the crucial issue of animal rights and provides essential insight into the benefits and drawbacks of animal zoos. Alayna Alvarez recognizes that there is an increasing need to advocate for the right of animals that are confined in zoos. The article’s main claim is that animals are exposed to physical and psychological distress due to excessive confinement and poor treatment due to the disregard for animal rights.
Alvarez emphasizes that concerns exist that the Western zoo sector has yet to entirely transition from a paradigm of human entertainment to one of environmental sensitivity. Alvarez expresses the need to explore the opportunities in zoos to address large species extinctions in tandem with the realities of industrialization and a growing population (Alvarez 1). The article provides a summary of the advantages and disadvantages of zoos, with an emphasis on the need for animal rights and environmental conservation awareness.
Alayna Alvarez’s Use of Ethos
Alayna Alvarez uses ethos effectively by emphasizing the academic authority of the professionals quoted in the article. For example, Alvarez presents Dr. Tom Culberson, a volunteer veterinarian at the Texas Zoo for the last 35 years, to support the Article’s claims (Alvarez 2). As a veterinarian with 35 years of experience working with animals, Dr. Tom Culberson has the expertise to guide vital animal rights facts. In the article, Dr. Culberson asserts that relocating animals from one zoo to another creates stress (Alvarez 2). Similarly, Alvarez promotes Mary Wicksten as a biology professor at Texas A&M University, specializing in zoology (Alvarez 3). The employment of ethos in the rhetorical triangle enhances the credibility and authority of the article’s arguments.
Alayna Alvarez’s Use of Logos
Use of Statistics in Enhancing Logical Judgment
Alayna Alvarez employs logos to captivate the readers, providing the necessary information for sound decision-making. Alvarez uses statistics and data to create a context for his presentation. For example, the article notes that the 10,000-pound elephant resided on around a quarter acre for 22 years at the Dallas Zoo, offering rational reasons for informed judgment (Alvarez 2). Alvarez further emphasizes that the area is far less than an elephant’s 50+ mile daily range in the wild (Alvarez 2). This use of statistics is crucial in writing because it enables us to comprehend the overall tendencies and patterns in a particular data collection.
Use of Logos in Introducing the Need for Education
Further, the article introduces the necessity for educated youth and establishes a logical link between education for children and future animal rights advocates. Alayna Alvarez notes that zoos are significant in studying animal husbandry, behavior, and zoology (Alvarez 3). Alvarez establishes a logical connection with the audience by mentioning that zoos include creatures through whom children may learn about the need for environmental protection. The article emphasizes that if young children are not taught empathy at an early enough age, their development of compassion will be stunted. Alayna Alvarez engages the readers in rationally thinking about the need for practical education for learners.
Alayna Alvarez’s Use of Pathos
Similarly, Alayna Alvarez employs pathos to influence readers’ emotions while conveying the necessity for action on behalf of animal rights. For instance, Alvarez underlines the virtue of zoos, saying that many birds were damaged and rehabilitated (Alvarez 2). Alvarez develops an emotional urge to offer help to creatures in distress. The emotional connection aids in presenting a fresh perspective on zoos as animal shelters.
Employing Pathos in Defining Animals’ Psychological Distress
In addressing the psychological discomfort of zoo animals, the article highlights their ailments, shedding lighter on their experiences. For example, Alayna Alvarez is concerned that Jenny, a zoo animal, suffers from depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (Alvarez 3). The article elaborates on the behavior of the animals to enhance the reader’s capacity for the visualization required to develop an emotional connection. Alvarez notes that Jenny often self-mutilated with her tusks, smashing her head against walls, and required hefty antipsychotic and depression medication. These descriptions give the needed information on the animal’s experience and psychological discomfort inspiring action.
Conclusion
Having read the article, the judgment is that the article effectively employs logos, ethos, and pathos to engage readers. Alayna Alvarez engages the audience by presenting rhetorical arguments. The observations is justified since the article uses ethos to build credibility, helping readers connect to the content as a reliable resource for decision-making. Equally, Alvarez employs logos to argue and establish the arguments supplying the essential facts for visualization and logic. Alvarez further engages the readers by using pathos to create an emotional connection, inspiring actions in advocating for animal rights. As established, understanding rhetorical appeals considerably aids writers in developing more compelling arguments and persuasive writing.
Work Cited
Alvarez, Alayna. “Should animals be kept in zoos?” Victoria Advocate, Web.