Blog 6

Kyle Hamilton

Blog 4

Pas si fous ces français – Jean Benoît and Julie Barlow

Argument –

WATCO putting more emphasis on your child’s success in high school and providing more support on his or her future qualifications for a career?

A -> B

If parents put more emphasis on their child’s scholastic achievements and provided more support in high school, he or she will stay in school longer and will become more qualified for a career.

A -> C

Parents encouraging their children to succeed in school will give them more time to do their homework and more motivation to excel in their classes.

Target Audience –

The main audience for this chapter of the book is the parents of high school students in American-style high schools. Specifically, the author targets parents who feel it is much more valuable for their children to work while attending high school and provide little motivation or influence for their student.

Goal of the Piece –

The main goal of the piece is to inform parents in America of another way of thinking and approaching the topic of a child’s education that has been shown to bring successful results. It is to encourage parents to focus more on a child’s achievements in school rather than putting so much emphasis and importance on extra-curricular activities and experiences.

How the Argument is Made –

The strongest arguments in this section of the book are the ethos arguments. The author takes many examples of students and parents in France who have experienced their type of school system. Several examples of students who have succeeded in high school but never had to work while in school and in fact still receive a monthly allowance from their parents are cited, which, for Americans, is shocking. Immediately after, they mention a study that was made in 2001 by the group called OCDE (Organisation de coopération et de développment économique) in which these students were ranked among the top four in math among 32 countries around the world. In terms of pathos and logos, they are somewhat lacking.

Effective –

I feel the argument is effective for what it is trying to accomplish. The author is not necessarily trying to change America, but rather trying to inform Americans that there is another way of thinking and working that has proven successful. Perhaps an American will not completely change the way they encourage their child in school, but they could take a couple ideas from this new way of thinking and perhaps everyone can be a little better off.

blog 4

Kyle Hamilton
Blog 4
Tell Her About It – Billy Joel
Argument –
WATCO not sharing your feelings with the woman you love on her staying with you.
A -> B
Sharing your feelings with the woman you love will keep her from leaving you for another man.
A -> C
Sharing your feelings with her makes her realize she is important to you and that your love is for real, and this way she won’t doubt you or herself in regards to the relationship.
Target Audience –
This is especially intended for men in healthy relationships, probably for the most part un-married even though the argument stands for married men as well. Of these men, the argument is specifically important for those who have a hard time talking about their feelings to their significant other and assume that a lack of arguments of problems means that everything is going great.
Goal of the Piece –
The goal of this piece is to keep these men with good intentions from making stupid mistakes that will eventually make them lose the wonderful relationship they currently have by getting them to come out of their comfort zone to share their desires, dreams, and especially their feelings for the woman in question.
How the Argument is Made –
The very first verse of the song implies credibility, or in other words, is an argument based on Ethos. He addresses his audience “Listen boy…” implying perhaps that he is the father of the intended audience, or if not the father, he is at least older and more experienced. The next few lines tell us that the author himself has had experience in the matter and made the same mistakes he is trying to help us avoid.
This song has an interesting mix of Pathos and Logos arguments. The logos arguments state that in a relationship, nothing is a guarantee, people get insecure, and that “there’s only one good way to reassure.” Obviously the only way to reassure, according to the author, is to communicate constantly and to share your feelings. If you share your feelings, she will not doubt her importance in your life “because you have not spoken for so long.” The pathos arguments are intertwined really well with the logos arguments. “Let her know you need her, let her know how much she means,” or “when she can’t be with you, tell her you wish she were there,” are examples of how the author reminds his audience of the feelings toward the said woman. As the audience thinks about these feelings, the desire to keep hold of the relation becomes much stronger.
Effective –
When I was in high school, this song is one of the biggest reasons I shared my “feelings” with a certain girl. I ended up dating her for two years straight and it was one of the happiest times of my life. After my experience with this girl, I believe the words of the song even more. The only way to keep someone from leaving is keeping open communication. In my opinion, the song is an effective argument to men. Not only do the words provide a strong influence, but the music also adds to the emotion.