Nickel and Dimed: The Rhetorical Appeals Composition and Rhetoric Mrs. Hauk The Rhetorical Appeals Ethos: the appeal to credibility and expertise Pathos: the appeal to emotion Logos: the appeal to logic and reason ( Remember - Logical fallacies are ERRORS in logic that we want to avoid.) The Rhetorical Appeals in Nickel and Dimed Ehrenreich uses the three appeals brilliantly throughout Nickel and Dimed. You should note that she achieves pathos naturally by simply reporting the facts about low-wage jobs. She doesn’t have to try to make the reader feel the unfairness and difficulty of the various work and living arrangements she encounters; the reader feels these things naturally because the logic (logos) is accurate and supported by ethos (references to credible sources). It is fair to say that the truth speaks for itself in this text, although Ehrenreich thought of and executed this experiment in the first place and should be credited for the attention she brings to the subject of American poverty. Directions Work in groups to analyze the rhetorical appeals in Nickel and Dimed. List three examples of your appeal on the appropriate slide, and explain how each example is effective. Roles: facilitator (leader), time-keeper, recorder, presenter(s) Please have a virtual person or people present so that everyone can hear. Groups Group 1: Shailyn, Perla, Danielle, Grace https://meet.google.com/wwg-xhmo-utm?authuser=0 Group 2: Alok, Robert, Evan, Curtis https://meet.google.com/wat-iytn-nwx?authuser=0 Group 3: Frank, Aidan, Nathan, Ryan W. https://meet.google.com/npw-ymht-gqz?authuser=0 Groups Continued Group 4: Ian, Joey, Peter, Cameron https://meet.google.com/wbg-phkd-rpw?authuser=0 Group 5: William, Ben, Nico, Dylan https://meet.google.com/nja-oofw-aya?authuser=0 Group 6: Rhett, John, Ryan O., Sixten https://meet.google.com/gtw-kxmj-iji?authuser=0 Group 1 - Logos in Serving in Florida “In 1996 the number of people holding two or more jobs averaged 7.8 million, or 6.2 percent of the workforce.” (p.45) This shows important statistic examples within the quote. “The wages Winn-Dixie is offering--$6 and a couple of dimes to start with-- are not enough, I decide, to compensate for this indignity” (p 14) Group 2: Ethos in Serving in Florida Pg. 35: Unions in the International Economy found that rising stress levels reflect a new system of management by stress in which workers in a variety of industries are being squeezed to extract maxim productivity, to the detriment of their health. Reports from the National Coalition for the Homeless state that “Nearly one-fifth of all homeless people are employed in full or part-time jobs” (26). The statistic helps to support the idea that even those working can struggle to afford housing. In all of the book the footnotes reference experts Throughout the chapter, she makes frequent references to studies, “According to the Fair Labor Standards Act,”along with remarks involving well known brands for their speciality, or well known authors or scientists “I was raised by the absurd Brooker T. Washington precept”. Group 3: Pathos in Serving in Florida 1 Ehrenreich uses pathos to show that the living conditions of the workers is far from ideal. Ehrenreich displays to the reader how almost depressing the lives of the workers are because they are living in such harsh conditions. Ehrenreich in nickel and dimed expresses the suffering a lot of workers had to go through when she tellings how her co-workers lived. For example Billy was the most successful one out of everyone and he was only making 10 dollars an hour. Most of her workers from hearthside either lived with a friend or lived in a run down apartment or home. Group 4: Logos in Scrubbing in Maine - “I arrive at the trailways bus station in Portland and take a cab , since it's too late in the day to pick up my Rent-A-Wreck, to the motel 6 that will be my base until I find the perquisites of normal citizenship--job and home.” (52) - - Ehrenreich appeals to logos through this quote by announcing what she is going to do or her plan of attack after she arrives in Portland and it is in order as well. “ Do I work well with others? You bet, but never to the point where I would hesitate to inform on them for the slightest infraction. Am I capable of independent decision making? Oh yes, but I know better than to let this capacity interfere with a slavish obedience to orders.” (59) - These are logical questions that she is being asked and there are obvious answers to these questions. Group 5: Ethos in Scrubbing in Maine “I drive to the Mobil station across the street from The Maids and call the Prebles Street resource Center,” (page 101) this is ethos because this is a professional group “The ugly part is cleaning up. I hadn’t realized that a dietary aide is, in measure, a dishwasher, and there are about forty people - counting the nurses and CNAs(Certified Nursing Assistants) who have scrounged breakfasts…” (page 63) this is ethos because the CNA is also a professional team of workers. Group 6: Pathos in Scrubbing in Maine When holly broke her ankle and was still forced to work. This is pathos because the boss doesn’t even feel bad that she broke her ankle. “Barbara Bush!” (63) When Barbara tells the man her name he says “Barbara Bush!” to insult and hurt her feelings.
