Rhetorical Analysis Essay:
Ethos, Pathos, Logos
Created by: Brandon Everett
Summer 2019
An appeal is an author’s attempt to earn audience approval. Authors will utilize specific
devices and techniques to appeal to emotion, values, character, and reason in their writing in
order to make their arguments more persuasive. Of the many appeals used by writers, the
most commonly used appeals that you’ll explore with a Rhetorical Analysis essay are Ethos,
Pathos, and Logos.
Logos – The author uses logic and reasoning to appeal to the audience and build legitimacy.
EX: More than one hundred peer-reviewed studies have been conducted over the past decade, and
none of them suggests that this is an effective treatment for hair loss.
Pathos – The author communicates through emotions; they talk with the reader’s emotions in
mind, using the special way of expressing feelings to both appeal and persuade.
EX: There is no price that can be placed on peace of mind. Advanced security systems will
protect the well-being of your family so that you can sleep soundly at night.
Ethos – Calls to human ethics; the author establishes a sense of persuasion through the use of
their own credibility, status, professionalism, research, or the credibility of their sources.
EX: If my years as a Marine taught me anything, it’s that caution is the best policy in this sort of
situation.
These are just a few examples of what these appeals look like. When you begin to form
your analysis, sometimes it can be beneficial to start with some prewriting activities. You can
think of your rhetorical analysis as a culmination of three goals you should achieve:
Discussion of the goal or purpose of the piece you are analyzing
Discussion of the appeals, evidence, and techniques used and WHY – with examples of
those appeals, evidence, and techniques
Your explanation of why you feel the author’s use of these rhetorical devices did or
didn’t work
Use ethos, pathos, and logos as your guide when searching for answers to these areas of
discussion. As you then seek to formulate your thesis statement, keep in mind that your
approach should reflect the answers you find to these goals and not your own opinion on the
subject matter of the source.
________
References:
https://www.vwu.edu/academics/learning-center/pdfs/Rhetorical-Analysis-Thesis.pdf
https://writingcenter.tamu.edu/Students/Writing-Speaking-Guides/Alphabetical-List-of-Guides/Academic-Writing/Analysis/Rhetorical-
Analysis
https://education.seattlepi.com/rhetorical-essay-format-2953.html
