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Pablo Kidd
Professor Rochelle Hurt
English Composition 1001
30 January 2014
In her breakdown of what it means for a woman to have breast cancer Barbara
Ehrenreich utilizes the greatest synergistic elements of pathos and ethos to make her
message ring true to the reader in a way that is rarely seen in pieces that could be
viewed as even the slightest bit persuasive. Sincerity is arguably the strongest element
to Ehrenreich’s essay, and the excellent use of pathos is plain to see at even the most
basic stage of analysis. By getting the reader to let their guards down for just a moment,
Barbara Ehrenreich creates the crucial opening to bait an emotional reaction from the
reader, for better or for worse.
At the outset of Welcome to Cancerland the story seems rather innocuous, and
common, with a woman going through the earliest stages of testing for breast cancer. A
conscious choice by Ehrenreich is made with this rather tame opening, as the narrative
gives the reader a confirmation that, yes, this woman is the real deal, and has had to
deal with the struggles of breast cancer. A subtle manipulation of expectations is used
in this opener, as Ehrenreich lulls the reader into a role of the expecting participant;
what the audience comes to expect from this essay, the expectation being a sad, yet
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well documented, and common reaction to breast cancer, is not at all where Ehrenreich
leads them in the meat of the text. The transition from narrative to commentary is
abrupt, and jarring to the reader in a fashion that is not only present with a shift in
content, but also in intended message. One of the most moving sections of surprise
commentary taking place is Ehrenreich sharing her views on what it means for a woman
to be a breast cancer survivor, and more importantly, what it means for a woman to
pass away due to breast cancer.
“For those who cease to be survivors and join the more than 40,000 American
women who succumb to breast cancer each year – again, no noun applies. They
are said to have “lost their battle” and may be memorialized by photographs
carried at races for the cure – our lost, brave sisters, our fallen soldiers. But in
the overwhelmingly Darwinian culture that has grown up around breast cancer,
martyrs count for little; it is the “survivors” who merit constant honor and acclaim.
They, after all, offer living proof that expensive and painful treatments may in
some cases actually work.” (Ehrenreich 6)
The marrying of contextual shift and overall message takes place instantly, with
Ehrenreich making sure to point out one of the biggest points of her essay by
lambasting the helpless nature in which a woman with breast cancer is smothered to
death by way of plastered smiles, routine, and hollow words; this deconstruction of the
current social context surrounding breast cancer is succinct, and unapologetic, all while
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simultaneously piercing the hearts of readers with an undeniably sincere, and agonizing
voice of the human will to live:
Yes, atheists pray in their foxholes—in this case, with a yearning new to
me and sharp as lust, for a clean and honorable death by shark bite,
lightning strike, sniper fire, car crash. Let me be hacked to death by a
madman, is my silent supplication—anything but suffocation by the pink
sticky sentiment embodied in that bear and oozing from the walls of the
changing room. (Ehrenreich 1-2)
A change of tone is thrust at the reader from that passage onwards, as the hohum narrative that has come to be expected is thrown out the window for the time
being, and the reader is told “Welcome to Cancerland” (Ehrenreich 3). The pivotal shift
in tone is so entrenched in personal experience that any accusations of insincerity
would result in social repercussions akin to treason. The melding of ethos and pathos is
the best skill in Ehrenreich’s toolkit, as she builds up the legitimacy of her experiences
while simultaneously manipulating the reader into one of two mindsets: being offended
by what’s being said, or being sympathetic to a woman who feels angry with the way a
serious illness is written off as nothing more than a label, and a paper tiger of a cause.
By creating this binary choice, Ehrenreich funnels the readers who may disagree with
her into a cage that is constructed by modern culture. Should someone not agree with
Ehrenreich’s points on breast cancer, publically sharing said disagreement would
expose them to widespread criticism, as breast cancer is one of the more sensitive
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medical issues to the general publc. The brilliance at which these emotions are drawn
out is done with surgical precision, and Ehrenreich deserves a great deal of praise for
being able to put forth such powerful arguments while remaining a pillar of sympathy, as
she explains:
“Now breast cancer has blossomed from wallflower to the most popular
girl at the corporate charity prom. While AIDS goes begging and low-rent
diseases like tuberculosis have no friends at all, breast cancer has been
able to count on Revlon, Avon, Ford, Tiffany, Per1, Estée Lauder, Ralph
Lauren, Lee Jeans, Saks Fifth Avenue, JC Penny, Boston Market, Wilson
athletic gear—and I apologize to those I’ve omitted.”
By pointing out how normalized the process of handling breast cancer in society
has become, and the various mundane ways that citizens can impersonally help,
Ehrenreich expertly points out the stark contrast between breast cancer and its societal
counterpart. Breast cancer is an affliction that vastly changes someone’s life, and yet
society has made it out to be a simple drive for positivity; it’s almost as if acknowledging
the existence of doubt, anger, and fear is heresy. It’s not only the fact that she is upset,
but that she can enlighten the reader as to which steps specifically in the process of
dealing with cancer are the biggest offenders. This insight is valuable, as many
accounts of dealing with cancer tend to glance over certain issues, preferring to go with
the narrative that many people in society have come to expect. The confusion is
explained briefly “…the infantilizing trope is a little harder to account for, and teddy
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bears are not its only manifestation” (Ehrenreich 4), and thus one of the queer aspects
of breast cancer society is opened for discussion.
Ehrenreich has frankness to her writing voice, and it ties back into the
believability, and sincerity of her words. The reader never feels that a secret agenda is
being flung at them, and thus they are more willing to consider what Ehrenreich is
saying. By leaving the message plain as day, with no strings attached so to speak,
Ehrenreich gives herself some immunity to criticism, because what is there to criticize in
personal thoughts, and feelings? Barbara Ehrenreich not only appeals to the average
reader, but also to those who may take an academic eye to her text. By rooting the
purpose of the essay into personal emotion, and getting thoughts across in a way that is
done for no other reason than to inspire a new perspective on an existing situation,
Ehrenreich throws a one-two punch to her critics, because to give criticism to her work
is to give criticism to a cancer survivor’s feelings about having cancer—a major faux pas
in the very society that Ehrenreich works to criticize in her essay.
Whether intentional or not, Ehrenreich produced a finished essay that is both
emotionally gripping, and simple to understand. More so than either of those elements
is the rock solid defense Ehrenreich has to any potential critics, as the essay never
strays beyond basic facts, and her own opinion on the state of society as it pertains to
treating cancer. Ethos is the primary force in the opening narrative, and, by default, has
a large injection of pathos due to the nature of the narrative’s content. Ehrenreich’s
construction of her main argument is so expertly crafted that it leaves the audience
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without any possible retort, and ultimately achieves her goal of making an example of
the contrived sympathy machine that breast cancer culture as become. Once the reader
is in the for the long haul, and their suspicious guard is disengaged, Ehrenreich ramps
up the strong pathos, and logos argument in a pointedly honest manner; the end of the
narrative occurs, the story is complete, and the reader is left with a comprehensive look
at the cancer process, but more importantly, why it needs to change.
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Works Cited
Ehrenreich, Barbara. "Welcome to Cancerland." Harper's Magazine Nov. 2001: 1-11.
Wikispaces.com. Web. 27 Jan. 2014.
<http://wom101f2f.wikispaces.com/file/view/Cancerland.pdf>.