In summary, in the article “Barbie’s Got a New Body” Eliana Dockterman uses logos, ethos and pathos to reveal the biggest change in Barbie’s rich history. Logos is used immensely through the use of statistics to demonstrate the rapid decline of the Mattel brand. Thus, Mattel was seemingly forced to conform to the recent American beauty ideals. In addition, logos is also used through the claim that the Barbie doll is spiritless figure, which shows society the type of body that is expected of them. Therefore, the promise of change by the company appeals to the reader’s sense of reason. Ethos is used effectively when she analyzes Mattel’s history as a company. The author gains some credibility as she offers conflicting perspectives on the topic.
