Many different types of essays attract the emotions of the readers. Tobais Wolff’s remembered event rehearsal may be terrifying to some readers, David Nooman’s brain surgery profile may be shocking, Donell Meadows’ position paper may anger fans of talk show host Rush Limbaugh, whom she posters as “funny and pompous and a hateful scapegoat”. . “
The writer often tries to arouse emotions in the readers, arouse their interest, make them worry, move them to act. There is nothing wrong with appealing to the emotions of your readers. What is wrong is manipulating readers with false or exaggerated appeals. As a critical reader, you should be suspicious of writing that is excessively or falsely sentimental, that quotes alarming statistics and tries to enrage readers with terrifying anecdotes, that demonizes others and identifies with revered authorities, that uses symbols (waving flags) or emotionally. loaded words (like racist).
King, for example, uses the word emotionally charged in a paternalistic way to refer to the moderate white’s belief that he can set the timetable for another man’s freedom. ”In the same paragraph, King uses the symbolism to elicit an emotional reaction from readers when he compares the white moderate to the “Ku Klux Klanner.” To get the reader to accept his ideas, he also trusts the authorities whose names evoke the most respect, such as Jesus and Lincoln. You might consider the discussion of black extremists in the king’s paragraph 7, except to be a veiled threat designed to scare readers into agreeing, or you may object that comparing the king’s crusade to that of Jesus and other alleged leaders of the religion and political group is pretentious and manipulative.
Here are some fallacies that can occur when emotional appeal is misused:
· Loaded or skewed language when the writer uses calculated language to elicit a particular reaction from readers.
· Carryover effect, when it is suggested that a large number of people agree with the writer and if he continues to disagree, he will be left alone.
· False compliments when readers are praised for accepting the writer’s point of view.
· Veiled threat, when the writer tries to alarm or scare readers into accepting the claim.
Knowledge test:
Writers often try to persuade readers to respect and believe them. Because readers may not know them personally even by reputation, writers must present an image of themselves in their writing that will win the trust of their readers. This image can not be made directly, but indirectly through the arguments, the language and the system of implicit values and beliefs through the arguments, the language and the system of values and beliefs implicit in the writing. Writers establish credibility in their writing in three different ways:
By showing your knowledge of the subject.
Building common ground with readers
Responding fairly to objections and opposing arguments