Roxane Gay, a well-known author, wrote an article for the New York Times discussing the unfortunate terrorist shooting in Charleston, South Carolina that resulted in nine deaths. To begin her article, Gay bluntly states that she does not forgive Dylann Roof—the shooter—for his ill-conceived actions. She continues into detail why she believes Roof does not deserve to be forgiven. She uses fair amounts of pathos in her statements, making references to her childhood and her Catholic faith. She also depicts uses of ethos, mentioning her knowledge and awareness of black history and black empowerment movements such as Black Lives Matter. While her use of ethos and pathos are strong, the use of logos appears to be on the weaker side of the spectrum.
To begin, Roxane showed her use of pathos through her personal experiences. She made it very clear that, despite her faith and the way she was raised, Dylann Roof will never receive her forgiveness. Gay states, “As a child, I learned that forgiveness requires reconciliation by way of confession and penance.” Being raised Catholic, it is custom to ask for forgiveness from the god they worship. This is a personal relation that deals with a series of emotions. …show more content…
Towards the end of the article, Roxane brings attention to white America. She continues to discuss why she refuses to forgive Roof, saying his obvious racism is “bred by a culture in which we constantly have to shout ‘Black lives matter!’” (Gay 13) It is clear to readers that the author is well educated on the racism issues in the United States, granting her credibility. She also mentions that “black people forgive because we need to survive,” (Gay 12) pointing back to the forgiveness of slavery, segregation, Jim Crow laws, lynching, and general inequality. This evidently shows that Roxane is properly educated on her African American culture and can point out to readers the facts regarding
To begin, Roxane showed her use of pathos through her personal experiences. She made it very clear that, despite her faith and the way she was raised, Dylann Roof will never receive her forgiveness. Gay states, “As a child, I learned that forgiveness requires reconciliation by way of confession and penance.” Being raised Catholic, it is custom to ask for forgiveness from the god they worship. This is a personal relation that deals with a series of emotions. …show more content…
Towards the end of the article, Roxane brings attention to white America. She continues to discuss why she refuses to forgive Roof, saying his obvious racism is “bred by a culture in which we constantly have to shout ‘Black lives matter!’” (Gay 13) It is clear to readers that the author is well educated on the racism issues in the United States, granting her credibility. She also mentions that “black people forgive because we need to survive,” (Gay 12) pointing back to the forgiveness of slavery, segregation, Jim Crow laws, lynching, and general inequality. This evidently shows that Roxane is properly educated on her African American culture and can point out to readers the facts regarding