Aristotelian Analysis (Extra-Credit)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"I could just see him sitting on his suitcases, near the front door of my house. And I said to him, ‘I'm sorry, God, it's not you. It's me. It's just, I don't think you exist. I mean, God, look at it this way: it's really because I take you so seriously that I can't bring myself to believe in you. If it's any consolation, it's sort of a sign of respect. So, you know, sit here as long as you want to, stay for a while, if you need to, there's no big hurry.’

And slowly, over the course of several weeks, he disappeared."

                                                                                —Julia Sweeney, Letting Go of God

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"I once listened to an Indian on television say that God was in the wind and the water, and I wondered at how beautiful that was because it meant you could swim in Him or have Him brush your face in a breeze. I am early in my story, but I believe I will stretch out into eternity, and in heaven I will reflect upon these early days, these days when it seemed God was down a dirt road, walking toward me. Years ago He was a swinging speck in the distance; now He is close enough I can hear His singing. Soon I will see the lines on His face."

                                                                                        —Donald Miller, Blue Like Jazz

In Letting Go of God, devout Catholic Julia Sweeney slowly comes to embrace a new identity for herself: atheist. Through years of study and experience, she comes to the realization that the cherished religion of her youth can no longer be reconciled with an increasing sense of doubt, so she leaves her faith behind. In contrast, Donald Miller forges his own path toward God in Blue Like Jazz. Miller, a believer who had lost his faith, wrestles not only with the very concept of God, but his relationship to Him. Eventually, he comes to embrace a friendlier and more loving image of God than the one he was raised with. 

Though their accounts are autobiographical, both are imbued with rhetorical appeals. For this extra credit assignment, apply Aristotle's Modes of Persuasion to EITHER Sweeney's Letting Go of God or Donald Miller’s Blue Like Jazz. In three short answer responses (one paragraph each), find examples of Ethos, Pathos, and Logos in Sweeney's or Miller’s story. Use specific examples from the monologue or book as evidence of these appeals.

A presentation on Aristotle's Modes of Persuasion can be found HERE. 

This assignment is worth up to 10 points.

Required: 

• 1-1.5 pages
• MLA Style, plus works cited page
  

Due: Thu 5.5 (no submission window)