Rhetorical Analysis of the Essay “Richer and Poorer Accounting for Inequality”
Jill Lepore’s essay “Richer and Poorer Accounting for Inequality” was published in The
New Yorker on March 16th, 2015. This essay accurately portrays the economic and financial imbalance between the rich and poor in America and the struggle for a solution. Jill Lepore expertly uses multiple strategies of rhetoric in order to capture and relate to her audience. She is able to incorporate stories as well as facts to aid in reaching the audience. This essay is primarily directed towards the literate middle class, however Ms. Lepore is able to encompass people of all financial backgrounds using logos, ethos, and pathos.
Jill Lepore begins the essay by using powerful information that provides evidence backing her claim. By incorporating evidence into her writing, this is a demonstration of a powerful rhetorical device. Evidence shows the audience the purpose behind the writing, as well as the factual basis. Jill Lepore builds credibility by using ethos in order to bring forward strong evidence involving facts. One of the sources that she uses is the Gini index. The reason that the
Gini index is such a powerful motivator is that it shows the extreme divide between the 1% and the 99%. Jill Lepore introduces reliable information showing the financial divide that citizens are continuously faced with “the United States has regularly had the highest Gini index of any affluent democracy” (Lepore 1). This is
1. Expert testimony:- We don’t believe on anything easily unless that is told by any specific person. We rely on experts to advise us about things that we don’t know ourselves. Scientists, doctors, professors and other professionals often appear in ads and advocacy messages, lending their credibility to the product, service, or idea being sold. She has used many times this techniques in it. For example,'' I'm not saying kids are immoral, I am saying that they don't have the same background, the same set of rules as before." says Burle
Another way Blanco gets ahold of her audience’s attention is through ethos, or credibility. She
In other words, America has a widening gap between its wealthy and poor. As the rich get richer and the poor get poorer, there is a problem emerging: the disappearance of the middle class. Low-wage workers continue to fall behind those who make higher wages, and this only widens the gap between the two. There has been an economic boom in the United States, which has made the country more prosperous than it has ever been. That prosperity does not reach all people; it seems to only favor the rich. Rising economic segregation has taken away many opportunities for the poor to rise in America today. The poor may find that the economic boom has increased their income; however, as their income increase so does the prices they must for their living expenses (Dreier, Mollenkopf, & Swanstrom 19).
Any speech tries to persuade the audience to accomplish the goal of the speaker. There are multiple modes of persuasion. These modes include Logos and Pathos. Logos is the actual evidence and argument whereas pathos is the speakers appeal to the audience’s emotions. In Mary Fisher’s 1992 Republican National Convention Address also known as “A Whisper of AIDS” Fisher speaks to America about the seriousness of HIV and AIDS. Fisher uses both logos and pathos to appeal to the audience. She urges America to take action by using evidence and experiences to promote emotions and certain attitudes to her audience.
The view that the rich get richer and the poor get poorer has been heard repeatedly in reference to America’s income inequality. Though ironic, it comes as no surprise that America, a continent that easily trumps other countries in terms of wealth would be affected by the issue of poverty at such high levels. While much has said regarding the poverty levels, many economists, educators and scholars feel that the income inequality in America may be the reason why it is difficult to live and maintain a middle class lifestyle or to rise out of poverty into the middle class in the current economic state. With this in mind, the only way America, has a chance of lessening or eliminating poverty altogether is by understanding how it exists.
Income Inequality in America is a problem that’s been going on for decades, and many feel that it hardly exists, the many people that feel that way are highly uneducated, and seem to not really care about this tremendous problem that in one’s eyes really has no end in the near future, in fact it has been gradually rising and one feels that it’s just not fair. Unfortunately, there’s not much that can be done, only of course if the poor class of people decide to actually educate themselves and get a higher education. One says poor class, simply because that’s how they’re classified. There are five types of levels that Americans are classified as, and they are: 1. Upper Class, 2. Upper Middle Class, 3. Middle Class, 4. Working Class, 5. Poor.
A Critical Analysis of The Divide: American Injustice in the Age of the Wealth Gap
There is no doubt that wealth inequality in America has been escalating quickly; the portion of total income earned by the top one percent has doubled since the beginning of the 1970’s. The wealthy are the main beneficiaries
No matter which country you would look into whether it’s from wealthier to those less wealthy countries through the eyes of economics, there are bound to be types of inequity within their borders. Inequity is a very crucial problem in the United States, you would think that our economy here in the states is booming, and the citizens are living life easy or without worry. Life is the United States isn’t as it seems, in fact, Inequity is in fact a big problem even in the United States. Over the years, there has been millions of Americans that were considered to be in poor or in poverty line that are not able to provide for themselves and their families. We can sadly see those Americans on the streets, cars or shelters unable to keep-ends meet that are not able to keep a decent paying job. That is why throughout this paper I’ll be discussing why inequity is a big issue in the United States from how income is distributed through causes of income inequality, social status, and even how the government interventions is trying to alleviate income inequity.
essay will explain the way she successfully persuades her audience in a detailed and specific
The essay “Richer and Poorer Accounting for Inequality,” written by Jill Lepore, and published in The New Yorker on March 16, 2015, is a demonstration of how Jill Lepore effectively uses rhetoric in her essay “Richer and Poorer Accounting for Inequality,” and shows American Citizens the realization of Inequality in America by using Logos, Ethos, and Pathos. When reviewing Jill Lepore's essay, it is obvious that she is very straightforward in trying to reach her audience of the U.S Citizen. Jill Lepore uses assorted rhetoric strategies to inform U.S Citizens of her view on Inequality in America and have them adopt her position on the argument, that the U.S is not fixing an ongoing issue of Inequality in America. She then explains how Congress needs to be the one responsible for the steps towards improving and lowering Inequality in America.
Edin and Skinner begin their article by explaining to their readers that income inequality is a prevalent and complex problem in America today. The authors also point out that although President Obama and several other Democrats have proposed legislative approaches, such as raising the minimum wage and taxing the rich, to combat this problem, it will take a long time for these proposals to become law due to the Republican-dominated Congress. Because the authors believe these laws will take too long to be put into
42% of kids born in poverty will not get out. Today, more Americans are falling below the poverty line and are struggling trying to find a way to get out. The Inequality gap in America has increased for the past few decades. Resulting from Economic Inequality in America, 400 Americans share more than 50% of America’s total wealth. These 400 Americans are the Top 1%. While the Top 1% are living luxurious lives, the Bottom 99% is struggling to make ends meet. Inequality is nothing new to the United States. In fact, it is a serious problem for America’s Economy, Democracy and the Middle Class.
The somewhat controversial issue of wealth disparity is, why there is such a huge economic disparity in the class system and how can it be dealt with. The reality of redundantly confirming the vivid difference among classes with regards to economic wealth would be an understatement. First and foremost, the US is a combination of
A major social problem in America today is its inequality of the distribution of income. "Income inequality refers to the gap between the rich and the poor. The United States has the most unequal income distribution in the industrialized world, and it is growing at a faster rate than any other industrialized country" (Eitzen & Leedham, pg. 37). The main reason as to why income is distributed so unequally is because of the gap between social classes.