JessicaPaolo

Ms.Kusinitz
Writing104
23May2016
AHauntingExplorationoftheSlaughterhouse
Intruth,mostAmericansareblissfullyunawareofhowthenationsslaughterhousesare
run.ThisisamajorconcernforwriterEricSchlosser,whohaswitnessedfirsthandthehorrors
containedinsideofthesemassivemurderfactories.Theworkingconditionsandoverall
treatmentofslaughterhouseemployeesshockhimthemost,andthisisveryclearlyconveyedin
hisessayentitledTheMostDangerousJob.Withinit,Schlosserisabletobothdisturband
informthepublicwiththeuseofstronglogosandpathos.Thecompleteessayisindeed
haunting,andtheinjusticesexposedwithinitarenoteasilyforgotten.
OneofthemainreasonsTheMostDangerousJobissoimpactfulisthatitcontainsa
plethoraoftruefactsandfirsthandexperiences.Infact,someofthelongestandmostdisturbing
descriptionsappearwithinthefirstfewparagraphsofSchlossersessay.Hisnarrationsofthe
slaughterhousetourareunembellished,sickening,andraw.Bywritingonlyaboutwhathefeels
andsees,Schlosserdeliverswhatappearstobeanunbiasedview,andthethoughtsofany
averageAmerican.Forinstance,whilewalkingthroughthehallwayofdeadcattle,Schlosser
writes:Thekillfloorishotandhumid.Itstinksofmanure.Cattlehaveabodytemperatureof
about101degrees,andtherearealotofthemintheroom(Schlosser169).Thisseriesof
sentencescontainsnothingbutfacts,andtheauthorsobservationsflowinalogical,normal
mannerofthought.Thisisthebasisforstronglogos,andisfurtherfortifiedwhenitispaired

withthestatisticsforslaughterhouseworkerinjuriesandfatalities.Perhapsthemoststrikingof
thisdataistheinjuryandfatalityrate,whichisabouttwentyfivepercent(Schlosser172).This
numberissignificantbecauseitismassive,andalsoduetothefactthatitprobablydoesnoteven
accountforalloftheotherminor,undocumentedinjuriesthatalsooccurinthe
slaughterhouses.Thesestatistics,alongwiththedescriptivelanguageusedbySchlosserestablish
logos,andhelpprovetotheaudiencejusthowdangerousthesefactoriesare.Sincethisisthe
maingoalofthisessay,theauthorsuseoflogossignificantlyhelpsprovehisthesis,and
persuadetheaudiencetobelieveitaswell.
However,Schlosserdoesnotrelyonlogicaloneinordertopersuadehisaudience.While
thefactsareindeednecessary,theyareremarkablylesseffectivewithoutaspecificstoryto
demonstratetheirvalidity.Indeed,inordertotrulyreachpeople,Schlosserplaysonhuman
emotion.Inordertodothis,hetranscribessometruestorieshehadbeentoldbyworkers.The
taleofKennyDobbinsforexampleisespeciallyeffectivebecauseitistragic,true,and
detailed.Thepoorworkersacrificedhishealthforthegoodofthefactory:hislungs,leg,heart,
back,andevenimmunesystemarepermanentlydamaged,andheisnotevenmiddleaged
(Schlosser186).Dobbinsgaveupeverythingforhisjob,andwasstillfired,nevertheless.Thisis
blatantinjustice,andgeneratesbothangerandsadnesswithinthereader.Ingeneral,the
unbearablytragic,yetcompletelytruestoriesofworkerslikeKennyDobbinsallowtheauthorto
createanemotionalbondwiththeaudience,andconvincethemthatslaughterhousejobsare
dangerousandunjustlyso.
Altogether,EricSchlossersuseofpathosandlogosmostdefinitelyconveysthe
horrifyingnatureofslaughterhousefactories,andineveryaspectpossible.Somemayarguethat

Schlossersdescriptionsaretooshortandchoppytobewellthoughtoutandeffective,butthisis
notso.Infact,itis
because
Schlosserusessuchshort,simple,yetdescriptivephrasesthatheis
abletoquicklyconveybothterror,andfact.Long,flowerysentencescontainingextraneous
detailsareunnecessarytothepiece,andwouldonlydistractfromtheoverallpointthat
slaughterhousesarecertainlyoneofthemostdangerousplacestowork.Bystickingto
conciseness,Schlosserpacksatonofinformationandstoriesintoashortspace,andallowsfor
theworktobeeasilyreadandunderstood.Therefore,thewritingstyleandrhetoricalappealsthe
authorusesareincrediblyimpactful,andunveilthehiddenterrorsofslaughterhouseworkforall
tosee.

Name: Jessica Paolo

Analyzing

a Text: On-Demand Task

Summative Task Prompt

Choose one text to analyze for this assignment. In your essay, begin with a cogent summary and
present to readers your understanding of the context including the authors purpose. Then, state a
clear interpretation or judgment in your thesis. Consider carefully the intended readers and all the
strategies the writer uses to develop the text. How does the writer achieve certain effects? How well?
What is your analysis? To support your points, depend on specific passages, examples of rhetorical
appeals, examples of fallacies, a
nd/or
examples of rhetorical devices. Be sure your FOCUS is clear.
Rubric
Cite strong and
thorough textual
evidence to support
analysis of what the text
says explicitly, as well as
inferences drawn from
the text, to clearly and
thoroughly support
thesis.

Cite thorough textual

evidence to support
analysis of what the text
says explicitly, as well as
inferences drawn from
the text, to clearly
support thesis.

Cite textual
evidence to support
explanation of what
the text says to
support thesis.

Student attempts to cite

textual evidence to
support explanation of
what the text says but
provides limited evidence

MS 2:
RIT 3,6
Conveys
Complex
Ideas and
Concepts

In-depth, complex, and

thorough analysis of the
effectiveness of the
text, including whether
the author make points
clear, convincing, and
engaging through
his/her use of rhetoric.

In-depth and thorough

analysis of the
effectiveness of the text,
including whether the
author make points
clear, convincing, and
engaging through
his/her use of rhetoric.

Some analysis of
the effectiveness of
the text, including
whether the author
make points clear,
convincing, and
engaging through
his/her use of
rhetoric.

Attempts analysis of the

effectiveness of the text,
including whether the
author make points clear,
convincing, and engaging
through his/her use of
rhetoric but provides
limited evidence.

MS 3:
W4
Organizati
on of
Writing

Produce clear and

coherent writing in
which the development,
organization, and style
are appropriate to task,
purpose, and audience.

Produce clear and

coherent writing in
which the development,
organization, and style
are appropriate to task.

Produce writing in
which the
development,
organization, and
style are appropriate
to task.

Student attempts to
produce writing in which
the development,
organization, and style are
appropriate to task but
provides limited
evidence.

MS 4

Demonstrate command
of the conventions of
standard English

Demonstrates an
understanding of the
conventions of standard

Demonstrates an
understanding of
the conventions of

Student attempts to
demonstrate an
understanding of the

MS 1:
RL 1
Builds
Evidence
Based
Claims

Language
and
Conventio
ns

grammar and usage

when writing including
precise use of
vocabulary and
consistent command of
format and
conventions.

English grammar and

usage when
writing
including strong use of
vocabulary.
Writing may
contain a few errors that
do not detract from the
over meaning.

standard English
grammar and usage
when writing
including some use
of appropriate
vocabulary. Writing
may contain a few
errors that do
detract from the
over meaning.

conventions of standard
English grammar and
usage when writing
including some use of
appropriate vocabulary .
Writing contains many
errors that do detract
from the over meaning.