Tie The Knot Analysis

One of the most important essays in this chapter was called “Tie the Knot”, by W. Bradford Wilcox. This argument was written by a sociologist, who argues that with a change in social policy, individuals will be more inclined to marry at a younger age. He states that in turn, this can create a “stronger country overall” (585). As I read through this essay, I noticed that there are many ways in which the author is effective in his argument. The three methods that the author uses to create a strong argument are ancillary graphics, references to professional researchers, and references to subjective experience.
Firstly, this author was the only one in the whole chapter to use an ancillary graphic, specifically a bar graph. Bar graphs are a form of graphs used to show the relationship between two or more variable. In this essay, Wilcox uses a bar graph to show the relationship between age at marriage, education level, and income (586), which helps in a variety of ways. Using a graph helps readers discern that there is a relationship between these three variables. Looking back, I realize that if Wilcox had taken this data and presented it in a paragraph format, I would have been extremely confused and wouldn’t have seen the …show more content…
This argument was regarding single mothers, and though these mothers are seen as a form of the decline of a traditional family, Roiphe argues that single motherhood is not something harmful to society. Though this essay set forth many excellent points, this argument is ineffective in three methods: Roiphe connects the claim and experience in a problematic manner, she references studies though she does not support them, and she makes broad and sweeping statements to support her claim. These methods that Roiphe applies to her essay create confusion and doubt in the audiences’ minds, but thee can be fixed to create a strong and effective