Rhetorical Analysis Essay: "Is There Pressure on Teenagers to Go to College?"

Rhetorical Analysis Essay: "Is There Pressure on Teenagers to Go to College?"

Most students in the current generation are being pressured to join colleges, as suggested by the rising levels frustrations in education. Although this move has seen an increase in the number of enrollment in colleges and universities, is it the right way to ensure that teenagers have a good life in the future? Are the students allowed to make their own career choices? Christy Norfleet attempts to explain this phenomenon by incorporating different ideas from various sources to bring out this point clear. The author addresses students and parents as the primary audience through the argument is still suitable for other educational consultants, guardians, and counselors. Christy advocates for the freedom of choice for high school graduates when choosing whether to join college and which course to undertake. Through the use of useful skills, the writer can deliver the message to the audience effectively. The paper shall indicate the effectiveness of the author's use of pathos, logos, and logos and show how the text achieves its purpose for parents and students, and educational consultant audiences. Proper incorporation of pathos, ethos, and logos in an essay enables an author to communicate effectively to the audience.

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The author of the paper uses various rhetorical appeals to persuade the audience that the pressure applied on students cannot always be fruitful; it is hazardous sometimes. She first uses pathos in the first paragraph to create a feeling of concern to the audience about the pressure on high school graduates. The choice of words used by the author also suggests the feelings she has on the subject matter. For instance, she says, "Students have different qualities and traits and asking them to continue with their education or focusing on specific fields because of how promising the field is can be frustrating." The word "frustrating" is used to reveal to the audience the adversities students face when they are forced into careers they do not like. The tone used in the text creates emotional concerns to the audience. Christy uses emotional appeal to persuade the audience to value the freedom of choice to high school graduates when choosing their career.

Effective conveyance of information requires proper use of logical appeals. The author of the text makes adequate use of reasonable statements that consents with the beliefs of her audience. It is true that teenagers think that going to college and getting a good job is the only way to success. This statement in paragraph two of the text gives the original thinking of every student which then she proves by saying further that "students try to achieve success by all means even if it means infringing on their health." This shows logical thinking used by the writer to reveal to the audience that students are overstepping on crucial life matters to achieve good grades that will give them a position in a college or a university. According to logical thinking proposed by Aristotle, the author has to present statements that provide reasoning to the audience. Christy states that "most students do not choose what is best for them, but the right thing to do, which is going to college." The statement relates to the reasoning of the target audience, the students and parents since everyone believes that they are supposed to join a college or a university after high school education because it is necessary.

Ethos is the ability of an author to prove the credibility of the text. It involves the use of statements that shows knowledge in the subject of discussion. In the essay "Is There Pressure on Teenagers to go to college?" the author uses identifiable statements that shows her reliability. In paragraph three, she writes that "throughout high school, teenagers are constantly reminded about what waits for them." This indicates that the author has gone through the same experience, and she understands what most students are told in high school. More so, most of the target audience of the text has gone through a similar experience, which makes them develop trust in her argument. The author has also used in text citations on statements that are derived from scholarly sources, as seen in paragraph four. Although there are no direct quotations from the educational materials used, the writer has been able to develop facts that are agreeable among all the audience. For instance, "the labor market has placed demands on teenagers because they require to have degrees and masters to qualify for employment and earn a good living." This is a fact that is undeniable to the audience since the current top paying employments are given to people with the high academic attainment in the contemporary world. She also uses the above statement to conclude that "the society we live in is guilty of the pressure too." The use of the factual account in the text has helped the author to persuade the audiences that the argument presented is credible as well as reliable in the context of pressure on teenagers.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the author makes good use of the three rhetorical appeals effectively to persuade the readers that freedom of choice is necessary for high school graduates. The use of pathos, which is accompanied by the incorporation of tone and language, appeals to the emotions of the readers where they feel sympathy for the pressured teen. Christy uses strong argument statements that show her logical thinking (logos) throughout the text. This helps to strengthen her position in the argument where she advocates for freedom of choice for students. Finally, she proves her reliability by proper use of ethos in factual statements, and use of relatable incidences that demonstrates that she is trustworthy. The target audiences are the parents and students in the general society who has been undergoing pressure due to denial of a chance to choose what they want with their lives which is where most people in the community have found themselves. Therefore the effectiveness of the message contained in the material has been attained by the use of pathos, ethos, and logos.

Bibliography

Aristotle. The art of rhetoric. Harper Torch, (2014). Retrieved from: http://rbdigital.oneclickdigital.com.

Tierney, William G., and Julia E. Colyar, eds. Urban high school students and the challenge of access: Many routes, difficult paths. Vol. 17. Peter Lang, 2009. Retrieved from: https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=JsxkHoAMMFoC&printsec=frontcover&dq=high+school+to+college+pressures&hl=sw&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj9yp-4lZviAhWk4YUKHR1VDo4Q6AEILTAB#v=onepage&q=high%20school%20to%20college%20pressures&f=false