Intention

Michael Kamber’s article “Toil and Temptation” explores the topic of illegal immigration from Mexico to the US, focusing on the “the challenges and struggles of being an illegal immigrant”.

Kamber’s sympathetic attitude towards the illegal immigrant population suggests that, in his opinion, the solution is to help immigrants make a life for themselves in the US and to stop them from being exploited by employers, rather than deporting them or punishing them.

As the text appeared in the newspaper The Village Voice, its main purpose is to inform readers of the situation of illegal migrants in the US. This purpose is achieved through the case study of a Mexican community in New York and by following Mexican illegal immigrant Antonio Gonzalez's first months in the US. Through extensive use of logos, Kamber informs the audience of the circumstances of immigrants, of how they live, how they change New York’s population (ll. 77-8o), and of the positive impact the money they send back to Mexico has on Mexican economy (ll. 291-294)

Using pathos, the writer appeals to readers’ emotions. He intends to ...