Dana Gioia's Why Literature Matters

According to Dana Gioia’s “Why Literature Matters,” interest in literature, literacy rates, and reading has declined for the worst. The author theorizes that the attention Americans have on the arts, related to literature, has “diminished.” Throughout the piece, Gioia uses logos to provoke the reader’s concern towards his idea to bring attention back to reading. Additionally, his evidence from magazines, surveys, and studies, show how he uses informational backgrounds to persuade the reader. Moreover, Gioia connects his evidence to his claims by providing real life situations similar to why literature is vital in “civic spheres,” the workplace, and for political awareness. Gioia’s diction and his use of logos led to the validation that his objective was powerfully expressed throughout the piece. …show more content…
Informative ideas were being heavily exerted from the texts and analyzed by Gioia into his own perspectives. This allows him to provide factual and authentic ideas to mend well with his own reasonings. Likewise, Gioia mentioned a survey then immediately explained the results that corresponded with his reasonings. Afterwards, Gioia would find an explanation for the results. For example, “individuals at a time of crucial intellectual and emotional development bypass the joys and challenges of literature is a troubling trend.” He added the sentence in because Gioia was applying another layer of background to his claims. This way of persuading a reader works because the reader not only sees the evidence or the results, but also sees the reasoning behind the results. The reader views it in a manner that is setup for understanding and agreeing. Therefore, his delivery and structure of the information to the reader is well comprehended, and thoroughly explained throughout his