Forms of appeal

In the article “Death by Civilization”, Mary Annette Pember engages the audience by using of all three forms of appeal. 

Ethos 

Pember builds ethos by emphasizing her personal connection to the issues related to Native American boarding schools. As Pember’s mother is one of the survivors of such institutions, Pember is “consumed by the need to validate and prove, intellectually and emotionally, her experiences at the Sister School” (ll. 31-32). Moreover, Pember’s account shows that she is deeply affected by her mother’s trauma: “Although she died in 2011, I can still see her trying to outrun her invisible demons” (l. 39). This suggests that Pember is a caring person who truly wants to help address the trauma of boarding school survivors.

Pember emphasizes her personal involvement in the issue towards the end of the a...