Forms of appeal

Pathos is the dominant form of appel in the article “My Best Friend Died by Suicide. I Wish I Had Seen the Warning Signs”, as the article is designed to appeal to the readers’ emotions and raise awareness of the struggles experienced by people in the military who suffer from PTSD. However, Magruder also makes use of logos and ethos to further support his message.

Pathos

To create pathos, Magruder first relies on a personal story to highlight the general problems of PTSD and suicide. For this, he talks about his friendship with Neil Landsberg, a soldier who committed suicide in 2013. Through his personal story in which he highlights their shared experiences and emotional trauma, Magruder appeals to the emotions of readers. This way, by reading a personal story of an authority figure in the military, readers might feel more connected with him when it comes to the issue o...