Frank Paiva, the author of “A Prince Charming for the Prom (Not Ever after, Though)” describes his experience as the gay prom date for his female friends. Paiva successfully explains the adversity that LGBT youth in a heteronormative society face. Through the use of various rhetorical strategies such as the Aristotelian Appeals and informal diction, he highlights the fact that society is not ready to accept LGBT people and those that differ from society’s expectations. Paiva establishes his credibility by explaining his past circumstances, but he loses some validity when he expresses prejudice towards other LGBT youth. Paiva first establishes ethos by stating that “[he] knew [he] was gay in sixth grade and came out in eighth (1)”. Because
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He makes the claim that these girls go unnoticed because “they don’t possess conventional good looks and they don’t put out (2)”. The readers can believe that he is making the assumption that society expects all women to have stunning good looks and display themselves in a sexual manner in order to be considered desirable. He appeals to all of the girls who have never felt worthy and who have never experienced “that one magical time that can never be taken away (2)”. The appeal to pathos is compelling because he recognizes that there are many young women that struggle with finding acceptance from other males and from society. He empathizes with those that are waiting for an “environment that isn’t based on popularity and games, an atmosphere they can thrive (2)”. He specifically chose the word “popularity” because he is hoping for a time when people can be recognized and cherished for who they are inside and not how well they accepted by the masses. The word “games’ implies that he wants people to recognize that they do not need to create a façade and compete with the people around them to be liked and …show more content…
This emphasizes the assumption that his own peers are not accepting of his orientation. Although his schools prom theme is “Let the Dreams Begin”, Paiva knows that he will not be able to achieve his dream in highs school. He declares “My dream began a long time ago. I’m just waiting for it to come true (2)”. This line creates a strong emotional impact on the reader because the vast majority of people have a dream they want to come true. Paiva realizes that his dream can never be fulfilled while at high school. This emphasizes the harrowing experience resulting from the unfair restrictions placed on gay youth. By expressing his own desires, he further asserts the claim that society has not accepted gays and many more students have and will continue to
He makes the claim that these girls go unnoticed because “they don’t possess conventional good looks and they don’t put out (2)”. The readers can believe that he is making the assumption that society expects all women to have stunning good looks and display themselves in a sexual manner in order to be considered desirable. He appeals to all of the girls who have never felt worthy and who have never experienced “that one magical time that can never be taken away (2)”. The appeal to pathos is compelling because he recognizes that there are many young women that struggle with finding acceptance from other males and from society. He empathizes with those that are waiting for an “environment that isn’t based on popularity and games, an atmosphere they can thrive (2)”. He specifically chose the word “popularity” because he is hoping for a time when people can be recognized and cherished for who they are inside and not how well they accepted by the masses. The word “games’ implies that he wants people to recognize that they do not need to create a façade and compete with the people around them to be liked and …show more content…
This emphasizes the assumption that his own peers are not accepting of his orientation. Although his schools prom theme is “Let the Dreams Begin”, Paiva knows that he will not be able to achieve his dream in highs school. He declares “My dream began a long time ago. I’m just waiting for it to come true (2)”. This line creates a strong emotional impact on the reader because the vast majority of people have a dream they want to come true. Paiva realizes that his dream can never be fulfilled while at high school. This emphasizes the harrowing experience resulting from the unfair restrictions placed on gay youth. By expressing his own desires, he further asserts the claim that society has not accepted gays and many more students have and will continue to