Theory of Writing
By Hannah Khanshali
In the past, when writing, I had never distinctively chosen to include rhetorical appeals on purpose; maybe I included them by accident, but I had never thought of using logos, ethos, and pathos to enhance my writing. The use of these tools, however, allows for a connection with the audience, a gain of trust and concern, and acts as a catalyst to draw them into one’s writing. The three broad terms that describe these rhetorical appeals, ethos (credibility) logos (logical reasoning), and pathos (emotional appeals) are what make the writing come to life, inserting its presence in the life of the reader.
My most useful tool is logos through evidence, which allows me to use logical reasoning to connect with the reader such that they can agree with my claims by first assessing the evidence that I have provided. With every point that arises in my writing, I feel the need to support it with evidence. How could I expect the reader to understand my points nevertheless agree, if evidence isn’t provided? In addition to evidence, I also appeal to logos with relatable examples and thorough explanations. By explaining my ideas and how the evidence proves that these are indeed true, I am gaining trust with the reader, and forming a connection so that my writing makes a lasting impact. For example, in my most recent piece, “Conserving the Common”, I consistently used evidence to share my ideas, and examples, to demonstrate how common species need conservation as well as rare species. I used the example of the white rumped vulture, a once extraordinarily common bird species in India that underwent a steep decline and became endangered, causing a significant change in the daily lives of Indian citizens. I used evidence and statistics to show this steep decline, writing, “The vultures were disappearing, and at an extraordinarily rapid pace. A survey from 2011 by Prakash also indicates that the population of white-rumped vultures is an unsatisfactory 0.15% of what it was in 1992 (BirdLife International, 2017).” This statistic distinctly shows my claim, and the readers can reason along with me to reach the same claim and conclusion.
In addition to logos, ethos, gaining trust through authority and certification, is especially important in my current writing. When introducing evidence or a main claim, I always include where I have received the evidence, and the education or position of the writer of the evidence that I am providing. For example, in my most recent piece, the science feature, “Conserving the Common” as referenced before, I used Kevin Gaston’s journal article, “Valuing Common Species” numerous times throughout my writing. When introducing Gaston, I made sure to note that he is one of the first ecologists to reflect on this type of conservation, and that he is a professor and expert in ecology. This use of ethos acts as verification towards the reader, using his position and credible role to allow the reader to approve of my points and credibility.
Finally, pathos has had a huge impact in refining my writing. Pathos is a particularly difficult beast to take on, especially because if done incorrectly can make writing sound cliché or banal. However, when done correctly, I have learned that it is one of the most useful writing tools. I have learned that appealing to emotion is what pulls us humans to action and truly hits home. When analyzing writing closely, I have discovered that what pulls me in and fuels my desire to act are emotional appeals. It has made me enjoy including pathos to drive my points home and inspire myself as well. For example, in my Op-Ed, while referring to a New York State law that has now banned plastic bags, I wrote, “This one act of legislature will prevent the distribution of billions of plastics.” While this is a logos-type statement, it also greatly and indirectly appeals to emotion. Preventing the distribution of billions of plastics is huge, and fuels the reader with pride, calling them to action to replicate this type of activism. It is living proof that we can decrease our plastic consumption, which seems impossible on a large scale. But the fact that billions of plastics are saved implies that there will be billions-less plastic in the ocean, a satisfying and reliving statement, filled of emotion and activating a feeling of pride and motivation.
This past year, through a number of different experiences, I have grown greatly as a person, and in my opinion, it is clearly present in my writing. I have matured, broadened my thoughts, reveled in the sciences that I have a great passion for, and fell in love with writing. I have finally begun to develop my personal writing voice: writing in a style that is true to myself, using word choices and sentence styles that instantly and sincerely indicate that it is Hannah Khanshali writing. I have learned how to drive my points home, fully elaborate on my claims and provide evidence that I would want to see in a piece I would find myself reading. Including examples and writing about topics that I truthfully find interesting and appealing has also greatly changed my writing and style. I have learned that when you are passionate about what you’re writing, the audience is bound to attract to your fervency and enthusiasm, making a truly strong piece.