Christopher Morley, a known American journalist, novelist, essayist and poet, discusses indolence by using multiple detailed examples with supporting evidence to back it up in his essay, “On Laziness”. He specifically targets the entire American population in the 1920s in an attempt to make a joke, or satire, of the things they say and the actions, or rather the lack of actions, they take. The American population aims to achieve the American Dream, which is to work hard to attain an ideal life. He ridicules the American Dream by stating that laziness is a supreme quality in leading a prosperous existence. Despite the appearance of being sincere, Morley criticizes the Dream with his humorous and derisive tone in the essay. Through the use of
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Morley begins the essay by stating “[T]oday we rather intended to write an essay on Laziness, but were too indolent to do so.” This quote provides credibility, despite the subtlety. It demonstrates the author’s qualification to write on the subject of laziness, due to the stating of the laziness of the author himself. The application of ethos above emphasizes the shared values of the author, subject, and audience. Morley also utilizes several words with positive connotations to establish pathos. Some examples are “happy”, “bliss”, “delightful”, and “momentous”. These words connect the text and the audience through the providing of imagery and understandability. References and quotes deliver the logos in the text. He references Doctor Johnson several times in the essay, one particular time being, “Doctor Johnson, who was one of the world’s greatest philosophers, was lazy.” Not only does he reference a doctor, but he also proves the credibility of the reference, thus creating a more structured argument. Ethos, pathos, and logos together are an important rhetorical appeal, adding to the persuasion of a writer’s text, and the use of them in this essay offers a more convincing
Morley begins the essay by stating “[T]oday we rather intended to write an essay on Laziness, but were too indolent to do so.” This quote provides credibility, despite the subtlety. It demonstrates the author’s qualification to write on the subject of laziness, due to the stating of the laziness of the author himself. The application of ethos above emphasizes the shared values of the author, subject, and audience. Morley also utilizes several words with positive connotations to establish pathos. Some examples are “happy”, “bliss”, “delightful”, and “momentous”. These words connect the text and the audience through the providing of imagery and understandability. References and quotes deliver the logos in the text. He references Doctor Johnson several times in the essay, one particular time being, “Doctor Johnson, who was one of the world’s greatest philosophers, was lazy.” Not only does he reference a doctor, but he also proves the credibility of the reference, thus creating a more structured argument. Ethos, pathos, and logos together are an important rhetorical appeal, adding to the persuasion of a writer’s text, and the use of them in this essay offers a more convincing