From the beginning of the essay, the reader can identify the purpose of the text as being argumentative while also informative. Harris provides facts about a fashion model’s life to give background to the reader before presenting his argument. He states, “The typical American woman is 5'4", weighs 140 pounds, and …show more content…
Facts are essential to the foundation of his argument, therefore including them makes his essay effective. Not only does the inclusion of facts appeal to the reader’s logic, but also speaks to Harris’ credibility and knowledge of the issue. Harris explains to the reader the effect of society’s pressure on celebrities by using specific examples from celebrities’ lives. In one of the examples Harris describes the diet of some celebrities as “a wedge of iceberg lettuce, a repast as frugal as former model Cleo Glyde’s green grape diet: three for breakfast, two for snacks, and six for binges” (839). Using known celebrity facts as well as general statistics about Americans such as, “two out of three Americans are overweight and an estimated sixty million, or 20 percent of the population, are obese” (840) creates a sense of credibility around what he is saying. Harris appeals to the reader’s reason throughout the text by offering clear ideas while presenting his opinion. His use of examples supports his theory and helps the reader understand the difficulty of a celebrity’s life from their position.
The essay “Celebrity Bodies” by Daniel Harris, is a successful work that can be accredited to its mode, tone, and style. The use of evidence as examples reinforces the reasoning Harris presents. Awareness of his audience and diction choices clearly reflect his capability to write about the subject. Altogether this essay is very effective at making the reader aware of the impact society has on celebrities in