Forms of appeal

Forms of appeal are rhetorical strategies which are designed to make the writer’s arguments sound more convincing by appealing to readers emotions (pathos), reason (logos), or to trust and authority (ethos). In “How Not to Be Alone”, Jonathan Safran Foer mainly uses pathos to convey his views, but there are also instances of logos and et…

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Logos

Foer appeals to reader’s reason by using logical arguments and facts, to support his case.

Often, the writer uses a logical line of reasoning that shows causal relations such as: “The more distracted we become, and the more emphasis we place on speed at the expense of depth, the less likely and able we are to care.” (ll. 55-58). In this case, the writer wants to outline …

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Ethos

Foer appeals to trust and authority to give more credibility to his arguments. For example, by citing psychological studies that show empathy is harder to achieve, the writer gives more authority to his argument about technology affecting our capacity for empathy: “Psychologists who study empathy and compassion are finding that unlike our almost instantaneous responses to physical pain, it takes time for the brain to comprehend the psychological and moral dimensions of a situation.” (ll. 50-55)

In another case, Foer create…