4.11.08

Rhetorical Analysis: My Paper A

1. Identify the Argument - People should not try to conform to the "BYU Barbie" ideal in order to get asked out/find a husband.

2. Target Audience - Single, female BYU students who do not fit this cultural "ideal", and are desperately trying to in order to date more and hopefully find their husband. They are not necessarily plain, or devoid of social skills, but they feel like they have exhausted their own resources in trying to be "dateable" and so they are conforming in frustration.

3. How the Argument is Made -
Ethos - I chose to take a more informal tone to address my fellow students because they are more likely to listen to someone that they feel is just like them. I am credible because I have been at BYU for 5 years and have experienced the ups and downs of the dating scene. I also am credible because I survived and managed to meet my husband.
Pathos - Most girls at BYU are sensitive about their dating situation, either because it's fragile or non-existant. It's an emotional subject because dating involves the euphoria of meeting someone who likes you and the terrible pain of heartbreak. But I am arguing that to avoid unnecessary heartbreak for them or the boys they dupe, they should just be themselves so that they can meet their "dream man" and be happy in the end. I think everyone wants to find their own version of happily ever after and they emotional investment involved makes it a very tender issue.
Logos - I appealed to their logic mostly by telling them about my personal experience , the example of my roommate, a study form a BYU professor about BYU dating, and then some excerpts form a talk from Dalin H. Oaks, an apostle.I tried to help them see that being yourself is more important in the long run and that it's more important to actually end up with someone you want to be with rather than go on lots of dates with people you won't be happy with for long.
Sufficient Evidence - I actually think I need a lot more evidence, not necessarily in the form of journal articles or studies, but I think I need to get some quotes from BYU students, male and female in order to address counterarguments and support some of the points that I made.

4. Was it Effective and Why?
I think my argument was somewhat effective, but not quite complete. I waxed eloquent a lot and then didn't provide a lot of support for some of the assumptions/points that I made.I also didn't really address or even bring up counterarguments at all. But I think my tone was good and the direction that I started going was good, I just need to be more concise and have more backing up what I say to make my argument more effective.

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