Rhetorical Analysis: East Side High School

In 1989, Principal Joe Clark takes over East Side High School; a school with low standardized test scores, and students who are far from eager to learn. Motivated to reform the school, Joe eliminates the students who have no desire to be there and helping the students who wish to succeed. Several weeks after his arrival, Joe expels students who are active in gangs, drugs, and who do not follow the guidelines of his school. Nevertheless, parents become angry and declare that the students be re enrolled in the school. Joe, eager to inform the parents of his plan to keep the school open, announces a meeting to discuss his reasoning for the expulsion of several students. The meeting is held in the East Side High School auditorium. In addition to using ethos, this speech uses pathos to persuade the parents that if he did not get rid of the bad students, their children would not be able to excel. In this case Clark uses apples as an example to explain students. "They say …show more content…
In order to portray his message clearly, principal Clark must use ethos to support his reasoning for expelling students. First, he says, "It's a war to save 2700 other students, most of whom don't have the basic skills to pass a state exam."(Principal Joe Clark) With regards to the school district's regulations, a certain percent of students must pass a state exam. Although not all exams are the same they all have to do with placement. An example would be the AP examination, which shows that "there had been a steady and extensive growth of AP participants in underclassmen." (Judson Eugene) In order to persuade the parents to help their children gain the basic skills they need Clark states, "Now, if you want to help us, fine. Sit down with your kids and make 'em study at night." (Principal Joe Clark) The students whom will have to take the test would be more motivated to learn the knowledge if the parents became more