Who is the audience?
Barthes' audience is very broad. He could be speaking to French people as a whole- specifically, French people with young children. However, this article is not directly aimed towards only French people. Any American, Chinese, or Mexican parent with a child could read this text and find relevance in it.
What persuasive appeals are used?
Barthes uses ethos and pathos to convey his point. He displays ethos through his complex sentence structure, elevated diction, and numerous examples of toys. His excellent ethos allows the reader to trust him as a speaker and actively listen to his argument. He also uses pathos by attempting to tug on the heartstrings of readers. At the end of the text when he began to discuss wood vs. plastic toys, Barthes seemed to be encouraging readers to think back to when they themselves had toys. Were they wood or plastic? He is saying, "Remember how much fun you had with your wooden toys like blocks? Don't you think children today should have wood toys instead of harsh, chemically made plastic toys?" He uses words like "warmth" and "softness" to make wood seem like man's friend as opposed to plastic which is "gross" and "hygienic."
More than just a piece of wood...
"Salvation" by Langston Hughes
Who is the audience?
Because Langston Hughes was a prominent figure in African-American culture in the early 20th century, his text was most likely aimed at black Americans. Hughes was a hero during the Harlem Renaissance, and many black people looked up to him. During the 1940's when his autobiography was published, most white Americans would not have been reading the autobiography of a black man. Therefore, his intended audience was black Americans.
What persuasive appeals are used?
Hughes uses lots of pathos to tell his narrative. His emotional appeal to his audience is strong and continued throughout the anecdote. The majority of readers can relate to this story in some way; as children, most people were dragged to church (unwillingly) where they were forced to sit and listen to a man talk about nothing they understood. Readers can identify with Hughes' confusion at the events taking place as he sat in his pew. Most readers can remember a similar scene from their childhood: A man began telling all the children in the Sunday School to repent of their sins (what sins?) and come to Jesus (who?).
More about Langston Hughes and his contributions to African-American culture
"Why We Crave Horror Movies" by Stephen King
Who is the audience?
King's article can apply to a wide variety of people. People who like horror movies will probably enjoy reading this article because they will see the truth in it. Even people who don't like horror movies can identify with it because King talks about why certain people don't like them.
What persuasive appeals are used?
King uses ethos and pathos to convey his argument. His article is humorous which allows the reader to remember it. Also, Stephen King is the king (no pun intended) of horror movies, so his credibility as an author on the topic of scary movies is off the charts. Any reader is going to believe what Stephan King writes about horror movies because King has created so many great ones in the past.
"Road Warrior" by Dave Barry
Who is the audience?
Dave Barry is one of my favorite authors, and in my opinion, any person could read his articles and thoroughly enjoy them. Dave Barry is a Miami columnist, so naturally, his audience is the people of Miami. However, "Road Warrior" is a diverse article that could be directed towards any group of people. All people have driven a car at some point in their life and have most likely experienced the rudeness of drivers. Also, anyone with any kind of knowledge about Miami residents would see the truth behind Barry's satire.
What persuasive appeals are used?
Barry uses a smooth combination of all 3 persuasive appeals: ethos, pathos, and logos. He is a credible author on the subject of road rage because he lives in Miami where drivers are, stereotypically, very rude. His entire article is full of satire and humor, so that appeals to the emotions of his audience. Everyone loves a funny story, right? Finally, he uses logos because he appeals to the intellect of the reader. He provides concrete examples, and he structures his article to flow smoothly from one topic to the next.
"Why We Crave Horror Movies" by Stephen King
Who is the audience?
King's article can apply to a wide variety of people. People who like horror movies will probably enjoy reading this article because they will see the truth in it. Even people who don't like horror movies can identify with it because King talks about why certain people don't like them.
What persuasive appeals are used?
King uses ethos and pathos to convey his argument. His article is humorous which allows the reader to remember it. Also, Stephen King is the king (no pun intended) of horror movies, so his credibility as an author on the topic of scary movies is off the charts. Any reader is going to believe what Stephan King writes about horror movies because King has created so many great ones in the past.
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