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Running Head: RHETORICAL ANALYSIS

Rhetorical Analysis

Deshaun Highler

University of Texas at El Paso

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RHETORICAL ANALYSIS

Introduction

Authors of scholarly articles often use rhetorical appeals, logos, pathos, and ethos to

engage and inform the audience. Megan Foreman, author of State Legislatures article, Taking

Responsibility, uses these rhetorical appeals throughout the article in order to support her claims

(2011). The use of logos, or logic, evokes a cognitive response is a commonality of scholarly

articles. Authors of scholarly articles also usually include appeals to ethos, and perhaps a small

appeal to pathos. This paper analyzes and dissects the rhetorical appeals that Foreman uses to

support her claims about government funded sex-education.

Expository Analysis

In her article, Taking Responsibility, Foreman discusses the financial issues caused by

teen pregnancy, as well as the governments use of program funding as a preventative approach to

teen pregnancy. Foreman talks about government funded programs, such as the Abstinence

Education Program, designed to increase the access of sex-education to a generation of teens

who apparently need it (2011).

Access to technology seems to increase by the minute. Technology is defined as the use

of knowledge for practical ends, yet people rarely think of education as a form of technology.

When educators are teaching students, they are using their knowledge for the practical cause of

education. Education in the US, like the rest of technology, is growing in accessibility each year.

As Foreman discusses in her article, this growth in accessibility is mostly due to government

funded programs like the Personal Responsibility Education Program and the Abstinence

Education Program (2011 p.2).

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RHETORICAL ANALYSIS
Throughout the article, Foreman makes claims and presents information claiming that

these programs will help decrease teen pregnancy. She supports these claims with rhetorical

appeals. Although this is a logos-driven article, Foreman also makes appeals to pathos and ethos.

Discussion

The article includes information that suggests that Foreman is addressing an audience that

is interested in in the government, as well as teen pregnancy prevention. For example, Foreman

uses statistics regarding teen pregnancy, stating, 25 percent of teen moms go on welfare within

the first three years of the childs birth (2011 p. 2).

Foreman uses a series of quotes, facts and statistics to support her argument, appealing to

the audiences logos. The quotes are from credible sources, stating accurate, factual information.

For example, she quotes Amanda Gill, who is a Nebraska senator, and Amy Stephens, who is the

House Majority Leader of Colorado. The use of other facts can be deemed credible based on

Foremans involvement with the NCSL. All of the included statistics are intended to provide

information that is not commonly known. For example, Foreman begins the article by stating that

400,000 babies are born every year to mothers younger than age 19 (2011 p. 1).

Foreman makes valid points about which states use and do not use Federal sex-education

funding, as well as points about teen pregnancy. They are presented logically, with no logical

fallacies being used in the article.

Foreman also appeals to ethos, establishing her credibility by mentioning that she tracks

teen pregnancy issues for the National Conference of State Legislatures (2011 p.1). Foreman also

establishes credibility by presenting accurate, relevant information, such as statistics and quotes

from experts. Quoting experts is a useful method of establishing credibility for an author whose

credibility may be questionable.

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RHETORICAL ANALYSIS
Logos and ethos are the driving appeals of this article; however, Foreman slightly uses

pathos to appeal to her audiences emotions. The article makes the reader feel empathetic

towards people who do not have accurate sex education to teach them about pregnancy. She

includes pictures of pregnant women to evoke emotional response. Foreman also uses statistics

that have an emotional effect on the reader. For example, one is shocked to learn that the annual

cost of teen childbearing to the country is $9,000,000,000 (2011 p.3). The authors use of pathos

is effective only to a small degree, which is common for a logos and ethos driven article.

In addition to her use of rhetorical appeals, Foreman uses a unique style of writing for

this article. She does not include any counterarguments, which can be deemed unusual of a

persuasive article. The lack of a counterargument analysis does not subtract from the articles

strength in persuasiveness, as the appeal to logos is very strong, making it difficult to disagree

with the authors claims.

In her quest for persuasiveness, the strongest part of Foremans article is her appeal to

logos. The quotes and facts provided were accurate and relevant, and appeared often. Without a

heavy appeal to pathos, Foremans appeal to logos was to be exceptional if the article were to be

of credibility.

Although this is expected of a logos-driven scholarly article, Foremans weakest appeal

was to pathos. Without an emotionally related topic, the use of pathos is unnecessary and

therefore rare. This is why there is little pathos used in this article. Even the little information

that appealed to pathos was initially meant for a logos appeal.

Conclusion
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RHETORICAL ANALYSIS
In conclusion, by using logos, pathos, and ethos, Foreman has appealed to her audiences

logic and emotions, while establishing her credibility. By doing these things Foreman gives her

claims and arguments better strength and support.

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RHETORICAL ANALYSIS
References

Foreman, M. (2011, February 1). Taking Responsibility: New Federal Money to Prevent Teen

Pregnancies Gives States Some Options. State Legislatures.