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Dec 6, 2023

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T. McCoy 1 Tara McCoy Rutgers Newark English Composition 101 Professor Rosetti 26 October 2023 Nancy Mairs Masters Persuasion: Analyzing Ethos, Pathos, and Logos in “On Being a Cripple” The famous Greek Philosopher and polymath who lived between 384 and 322 BC, Aristotle, proposed the idea of three basic tools - ethos, pathos, and logos - for enhancing the effectiveness of rhetoric. Rhetoric, as defined by Aristotle, is the skillful deployment of language to effectively sway an audience's opinion. Throughout history authors have diligently employed the art of rhetoric in their written work to establish connections and facilitate communication with their readers. Nancy Mairs is one of the current authors that has efficiently delivered an effective argument throughout her written work, “On Being a Cripple.” Mairs skillfully employs the three modes of persuasion—ethos, pathos, and logos—to captivate her readers and deliver a compelling and successful argument. Establishing trust with the audience through one of the three rhetorical appeals, ethos, is a critical component of crafting a successful essay. “Ethos is about establishing your authority to speak on the subject, credibility, integrity, and moral character” (Hassan). Through her essay Nancy Mairs establishes credibility and authority regarding her disability. She forms a relationship with her audience by discussing individual experiences that pertained to her everyday life of living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Being vulnerable and sharing her fears and insecurities, opens the door of trust for the reader. The transparent portrayal of her personal experiences strengthens her connection with the audience and adds a layer of authenticity to her

T. McCoy 2 argument. “Because I hate being crippled, I sometimes hate myself for being a cripple. Over the years I have come to expect- even accept- attacks of violent self-loathing” (Mairs 287). Mairs utilizes honest and candid language to describe her condition and her feelings about living with a disability. Her willingness to critically examine her own life and the broader issues related to disability demonstrates intellectual integrity. By being able to achieve this trustworthiness and authenticity, she effectively appeals to ethos as a mode of persuasion. Mairs lives the narrative she presents, reinforcing her integrity and credibility through her honest portrayal of her personal life. This, in turn, allows her to establish a solid foundation for her argument. As mentioned earlier, compelling arguments depend on several modes of persuasion. Only one of these modes, as discussed, was ethos. Another essential element of the three modes of persuasion is pathos. Pathos appeals to the audience’s emotions essentially trying to tug at their heartstrings. “By appealing to the audience’s emotions, speakers can persuade them to accept their point of view. This could involve evoking feelings of pity, fear, anger, or even happiness” (Hassan). Establishing a profound connection with the audience is vital to an argument. It compels the reader to feel emotionally engaged, enhancing the receptiveness to the author’s message. Nancy Mairs masterfully employs emotional language throughout her work to make her message more meaningful, which results in the reader gaining a deeper understanding and acceptance of her message. “First, the matter of semantics. I am a cripple. I choose this word to name me. I choose from among several possibilities, the most common of which are ‘handicapped’ and ‘disabled’” (Mairs 281). By opting for the more straightforward term and rejecting the more common euphemisms, Mairs underscores the significant difference between living as a ‘cripple’ and being seen as healthy. This choice of direct language and words prompts

T. McCoy 3 the readers to reevaluate their own perception of what it means to live life as a ‘cripple’. This evokes feelings of unease, sorrow, and, for many, empathy. By stirring these emotions within the readers, her persuasive writing effectively engages with pathos as a mode of persuasion. To encompass all three modes of persuasion, the argument should not only appeal to ethos and pathos but also logos. Logos entails presenting a logical argument to the audience using supportive evidence. “It involves reasoning, facts, data, statistics, and sound arguments” (Hassan). The logo’s appeal is straightforward when it comes to the three modes of persuasion. To persuade the audience, having supportive evidence is essential to constructing a clear and rational case. Mairs demonstrates this throughout her written text to give us a better understanding of her personal and medical background. “Multiple sclerosis is a chronic degenerative disease of the central nervous system, in which the myelin that sheathes the nerves is somehow eaten away and scar tissue forms in its place, interrupting the nerves’ signals” (Mairs 282). Mairs introduces MS through a medical standpoint pointing out how it is a chronic and degenerative disease. Medical terminology and scientific information are used to create a compelling and rational argument about the challenges she faces due to her condition. Utilizing straightforward facts demonstrates how Mairs appeals to logos as a mode of persuasion. Using a fact-based approach lays a logical foundation for the discussion of how MS has affected her life throughout her essay, strengthening her overall message. In "On Being a Cripple," Nancy Mairs skillfully weaves the three modes of persuasion – ethos, pathos, and logos – into a compelling argument, successfully engaging her audience. Aristotle's timeless framework offers the three essential components that allows Mairs to communicate with readers, building trust and understanding. Through the strategic use of these

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