Rhetorical Devices In The Flight From Conversation

The tactical use of rhetoric in The Flight from Conversation by Sherry Turkle and Faux Friendship by William Deresiewicz is purposefully placed to influence the reader’s opinions with their arguments. Turkle claims that technology use is creating an obstacle for relationships and that increased usage negatively effects casual conversation, while Deresiewicz argues that friendships have evolved over time from being personal to purely emotional with the use of technology. Although their arguments are not the same, their intention to educate the reader and persuade them to agree that technology negatively effects the development of relationships is constructed similarly with the use of ethos, pathos, and logos.
Ethos is one of the bases for …show more content…
Unlike pathos, the rhetorical device, logos, is based on logical facts instead of feelings. Turkle integrates logos by referencing a specific conversation with a businessman that claims his colleagues are too busy with technology to converse with him, but then backtracks to restate that he prefers using technology to even the possibility of participating in a conversation. (Turkle 85) Turkles conversation with the businessman supports her claim that technology use is negative for relationships since he is preventing himself from partaking in any. Unlike Turkle, Deresiewicz uses another form of logos by referencing historical events and widely accepted opinions on friendship to support his own. Deresiewicz cites historical friendships between Achilles and Patroclus, Emerson and Thoreau, and Aristotle and Cicero who were greatly influential and respected during their time which serves as support for his argument. (Deresiewicz 291) The comparisons between historical friendships and current friendships through metaphors directly tie into Deresiewiczs argument that relationships have …show more content…
The successful use of ethos, pathos, and logos appeal to the reader on multiple different levels which allows the author to make connections with the reader in order to influence them. Both authors advantageously create compelling arguments. For Deresiewicz, the reader is influenced with historical facts, strategic comprehensive language, and relatable personal experience. Turkle on the other hand, uses education and knowledge, comprehensive language, and testimonials. Although both authors used different tactics, they both followed the three key persuasive devices to appeal to their readers and form effective