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  • Essay / The Effectiveness of Rhetorical Strategies Used in "Our Own Warrior Princess" by Maureen Dowd

    This essay is a rhetorical analysis of "Our Own Warrior Princess" and will explore the themes of the text, while analyzing how the article rhetorical situation works. “Our Own Warrior Princess” by Maureen Dowd details the courage Dowd's niece Jennifer showed in organ donation. Through the use of pathos, logos, ethos and SOAPStone, Dowd was able to effectively achieve his goal of persuading the public to consider organ donation. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Dowd was able to streamline organ donation by knowing his audience. Audience plays a very crucial role while writing compelling articles. If the benefit is not taken into account, the authors will not be able to effectively convince the public of their cause. “Our Own Warrior Princess” is a story strongly imbued with pathos; and pathos and persuasion go hand in hand. Because she chose to evoke feelings such as empathy, we can infer that her audience was inclined to help. Dowd was able to rationalize organ donation through his use of pathos. Pathos is a rhetorical appeal to emotion and has proven to be very effective. Dowd uses many details to connect readers to her niece's personal story. This use of pathos was perfect because her use of it has a lasting effect on her audience. Dowd successfully evokes empathy and indexes his audience to align with his point of view. “The night nurse told Jennifer she was weird… We don’t see a lot of living donors,” she said, “few people are that generous.” It was smart for Dowd to include this because it shows how few people donate their organs, due to fear. “Friday, Michel's birthday, I put the card online, I filled it out... if Jennifer has the courage to do it alive, how can I be afraid to do it dead? Dowd then expresses that since donors do not experience extreme pain or health risks, it is worth trying to save the lives of others. “One donor can save up to eight lives.” This statistic has a heartbreaking impact on its audience, inspiring them to help others. Dowd was able to rationalize organ donation through the use of ethos. Ethos is another rhetorical tool used to appeal to the audience's character and convince them that organ donation is a morally sound option. Dowd uses ethos throughout this article. “More than 80,000 Americans are on the waiting list for organ donation and most will never get one.” Dowd's attempt at ethos was successful because it is able to reach the public's feeling of right, wrong, and usefulness. It is also able to show how many people are waiting for organs. “In the United States, 17 men, women and children of all races and ethnicities die each year because of lack of donations.” This is a very powerful statement that also has the power to convince a reader to consider organ donation. Dowd was able to streamline organ donation through the use of logos. Logos is the third and final rhetorical device relating to reason, evidence, and logistics. Through the use of statistics, Dowd effectively uses logos to convince the audience of the importance of donating. “One donor can save up to eight lives.” The following statement shows the public how much impact one donor can have. “In the United States, 17 men, women and children of all races and ethnicities die each year because of lack of donations.” This highlights the sad reality..