Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #441 - How to Write a Persuasive Essay Part Three
Hi Mom, Still in catch up mode. Here's the most recent entry in the persuasive essays series.
Here's the links to the previous parts:
How to Write a Persuasive Essay Part One
How to Write a Persuasive Essay Part Two
Not as much new content this time, Mom. But I do wish we were back together working on those essays of yours.
ANALYSIS
The analysis stage of the writing process consists of all the necessary
planning and brainstorming.
Many writers prefer to record some
thoughts on paper before constructing an outline, thesis, and topic sentences.
Others will never use any outline
method, preferring to work directly with paper text as they compose.
Whatever process you prefer putting
some thought into analysis of problem, solution, audience, and ultimately the
content of the paper (topics to investigate) will help with the completion of
the finished product. To be successfully convincing on any topic, one must
perform at least some rudimentary analysis.
Let's say I want to write a paper
about the problem of gasoline and future oil shortages. Thinking this issue
makes me think about miles per gallon and fuel efficient vehicles. As I think
about these issues, I notice many people driving big trucks, SUVs, Urban
Assault Vehicles (Hummers), and they do not seem like they need these big
vehicles: "it's just me and the missus."
SOLUTION: the government should impose a licensing system for truck
ownership. Potential owners would have to demonstrate a need for a large
vehicle by providing documentation. "Large" vehicle would be defined
by its Miles Per Gallon (MPG) rating. Vehicles under a certain MPG (for
instance, 20 MPG) could only be purchased if the potential owner has first
obtained a license. Though these licenses may prove as easy to obtain as a
handicap parking permit, the process would be enough of a hassle to deter
enough people to at least make some dent in the wasting of fuel through use of
gas guzzling behemoths.
Controversial? Heck, yeah. The best persuasive topics will be very
controversial and require some powerful writing to persuade those in opposition
that the proposed solution makes sense.
WHO IS MY AUDIENCE? Your audience is PEOPLE WITH THE POWER to put your solution
in action and/or people who need convincing to act on your solution or whom
your solution will affect.
In this case that audience consists
of
·
Government - people with the power
to create the law
·
Truck owners
Those already driving fuel efficient
vehicles do not need convincing.
Identifying the audience is important to brainstorm objections. By
brainstorming objections, one can devise ways to REFUTE these objections, how
to beat them and win the argument.
ARGUE HOW YOU ARGUE
It's really not necessary to teach
persuasive strategies because you probably already know what they are and how to
use them unless you have never been in argument.
If you have ever tried to convince
someone of something, then you know how to use persuasive techniques to win
over the other person.
For example, my wife hates eating at
the Chinese buffet, which she calls "the trough." I like
eating there sometime. To ever hope to convince her to go eat at "the
trough," I need to anticipate her objections and refute them. She will say
that the food made her sick last time. I will counter that the food quality has
improved since the last time she was there. She will argue that she does not
like seeing the people who frequent such places and that they depress her. I
will counter that if we go between the lunch and dinner rush, we will avoid the
vast majority of "the herd" that belly up to "the trough."
However, knowing my wife as I do, I
am unlikely to convince her with either of these arguments. To truly win out, I
have to play the guilt bomb. I have to employ emotional
manipulation to persuade her. So, I trot out sympathy ("I don't feel well
and Chinese food is comfort food for me"), I use urgency ("the food
is ready now; we don't have to wait"), and I use guilt ("this will
make me happy, and don't you want me to be happy?").
Just like in your life, the same
techniques apply to persuading an audience on a topic in an academic paper.
AN EXAMPLE WITH GUNS
SUBJECT: gun control or no gun control
CHOICE OF SIDE: pro-gun ownership
SUBJECT FOCUSED: change the concealed weapons permit law
PROBLEM: Rampant crime; innocent people killed in shootings
SOLUTION: Change to concealed weapons permit law: fewer restrictions
on CONCEALED WEAPON permits.
AUDIENCE: WHOM TO CONVINCE - people who want gun control & lawmakers
ANTI-GUN CONTROL PAPER - TWO TOPICS
TO INVESTIGATE For such a paper, I know before I
even begin, before I even formulate a thesis a couple of the topics that will
surely be part of my content, such as
1.
Constitutional right to own guns
2.
Who commits gun crime?
By performing this basic analysis
shown above, I have a clear direction to begin my research, form my thesis,
write content, and begin to consider structure and development of ideas.
More details will be provided about
this topic and others on the SUPPORT page.
☀ Chris
Tower ☀ The Galactic Monkey Wrench ☀
Kalamazoo, Michigan 49006 ☀ Contact me here with
questions or comments.
© All text and some of the images are the exclusive copyright
of christopher tower (who purposefully avoids capitalizing his
name), also known as the galactic monkey wrench, located at the
Eldorado Ranch and batcave in the heart of the Great Lakes. All rights
reserved. All paronomasia intentional.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Reflect and connect.
Have someone give you a kiss, and tell you that I love you.
I miss you so very much, Mom.
Talk to you tomorrow, Mom.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
- Days ago = 443 days ago
- Bloggery committed by chris tower - 1609.20 - 10:10
NOTE on time: When I post late, I had been posting at 7:10 a.m. because Google is on Pacific Time, and so this is really 10:10 EDT. However, it still shows up on the blog in Pacific time. So, I am going to start posting at 10:10 a.m. Pacific time, intending this to be 10:10 Eastern time. I know this only matters to me, and to you, Mom. But I am not going back and changing all the 7:10 a.m. times. But I will run this note for a while. Mom, you know that I am posting at 10:10 a.m. often because this is the time of your death.
No comments:
Post a Comment