WYG Ch 1 Analysis
THE UNSUNG ALMA MATERS: What does the title mean? [You probably need to know what unsung and alma maters mean.]
The title refers to the unseen or unrecognized schools that people in power went to
Epigram: What is the meaning behind the quote and who says it? Why include it?
The meaning behind the Chris Christie, governor of New Jersey quote is that he and his wife both didn’t get into the schools they wanted, but
when they both went to Delaware, they realized that it wasn’t the school, but rather the work you put in.
Let’s look at how Bruni builds this chapter, section by section. What is the focus of each section that supports the claim offered by the title?
(Which supports the claim Bruni offers on page 9.) Logos, Pathos, Ethos?
Section
14-17
Focus
Pages 14-17 uses ethos by using people in power like previous presidents as examples. He explains the colleges these
individuals went to, referring back to the titles use of the word “alma Mater.”
17-23
Pages 17-23 use ethos by cherry-picking a multitude of cases where a person who holds great political power did not
initially get accepted into a top school.
23-28
Pages 23-28 focuses on the People who went to relatively modest colleges and how they paved their paths and their
success stories. Logos
28-34
Pages 28-34 focus on results from newspapers, surveys, and interviews of people in high profile that pertain to their
past and how they got to where they are. It drives Bruni’s argument with their authority, utilizing ethos.
34-41
pages 34-41 focus on successful people who are recent graduates and young people. Logos