It is often said that knowledge is the pursuit of life, and wisdom is what one gains after it has been lived. This concept is something that authors and scholars have written about and experienced unanimously, and it happens ubiquitously with every single individual no matter what experiences they have dealt with in their lives. While it is universally true that people want to pass on all they have learned to others, their teachings and methods are all immensely different. Some use hands on teaching to show others directly, others talk to the masses to tell them the stories of their time, but great writers inscribe their lessons deep within culture and allow them to grow into something incredible. These great writers …show more content…
The first real appeal to the readers emotions is where Tan writes, “I wanted to capture what language ability tests can never reveal: her intent, her passion, her imagery, the rhythms of her speech and the nature of her thought.” (302). This tugs at the metaphorical heart strings of the readers, it makes them feel as if they have overlooked the genius within a mind trapped behind a language barrier; it makes them feel empathetic. This is crucial as it sets the stage for further feelings evoked by Tan’s writing. Tan writes earlier in the …show more content…
For instance, they both make readers feel angry about what has happened to them, and yet they make them feel as though the reader are in control of changing the way that things are. This similarity is one of the reasons as to why they can write and persuade so well. Their pathos appeals stem from a sense of connection to the readers, it’s as if their words are more than just symbols on a page, it is like they’re being streamed into the readers soul. An example of this from Malcom X is when he writes “I could for the first time pick up a book and read and now begin to understand what the book was saying” (210). This feeling of being triumphant in the face of adversity is common between both writers and sets them apart by leaps and bounds from other writers. Their struggles refined them as both authors and people, and it is this similarity that makes both Malcom X and Amy Tan so unique and similar. Both Malcom X and Amy Tan create feelings that go far deeper than just pity or empathy, and this is why both authors can truly set themselves apart as both persuaders and