Abortion, a controversial topic presently and decades ago, was made legal in the United States in 1973 by the legendary Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision. Countless speeches, editorials, and other persuasive pieces have been written on the topic, and one in particular was written by the New York Times Editorial Board regarding the restricting of access to abortions by state laws. In the editorial “Closing off Abortion Rights”, by the New York Times Editorial Board, the author effectively argues the illegality of certain state laws pertaining to abortion by using analogies, allusions, metaphors, and appeals to logic and reason because s/he ties together different arguments using a single Texas law as an example throughout the editorial and
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The author uses analogies to make the reader associate two things that might not otherwise be associated, and by this association creates feelings for one based on pre-determined feelings for the other. An example of this from the editorial is when the author writes, “This [Texas] statute, like similar ones around the country…” Having already explained the unjustness of the Texas law to readers, the author states that there are others like it, thereby superimposing that same feeling of injustice on the “similar laws” without naming or explaining any of them specifically. Another rhetorical device used is the allusion, which the author uses to guide the reader to make certain associations about an idea by replacing the actual name for the idea with another word or phrase, almost like a nickname. For example, in the text the author says, “…legitimate-sounding rationales…” instead of reasons or arguments. This wording gives the opponents’ ideas and beliefs a negative connotation regardless of their actual reasons. A third rhetorical device used by the author is the metaphor. This is used to make a direct comparison between two things. The author uses this device when s/he says, “[Efforts of the opposition] (have) never been more than an insulting ruse.” This metaphor compares the opposing argument to an insult, which puts upon the audience the impression that it is …show more content…
The author persuades the audience by using analogies, allusions, and metaphors, by using statistics and facts, by asserting ideas through powerful language, and by tying the whole argument together using the single Texas law to exemplify other laws throughout the United States. This article shows how authors can use multiple rhetorical devices at once to increase the persuasiveness of their writing. While it may seem the editorial is about a single law, the underlying argument pertains to the ruling made in the court decision of Roe v. Wade: whether or not access to abortion means an unrestricted right to
The author uses analogies to make the reader associate two things that might not otherwise be associated, and by this association creates feelings for one based on pre-determined feelings for the other. An example of this from the editorial is when the author writes, “This [Texas] statute, like similar ones around the country…” Having already explained the unjustness of the Texas law to readers, the author states that there are others like it, thereby superimposing that same feeling of injustice on the “similar laws” without naming or explaining any of them specifically. Another rhetorical device used is the allusion, which the author uses to guide the reader to make certain associations about an idea by replacing the actual name for the idea with another word or phrase, almost like a nickname. For example, in the text the author says, “…legitimate-sounding rationales…” instead of reasons or arguments. This wording gives the opponents’ ideas and beliefs a negative connotation regardless of their actual reasons. A third rhetorical device used by the author is the metaphor. This is used to make a direct comparison between two things. The author uses this device when s/he says, “[Efforts of the opposition] (have) never been more than an insulting ruse.” This metaphor compares the opposing argument to an insult, which puts upon the audience the impression that it is …show more content…
The author persuades the audience by using analogies, allusions, and metaphors, by using statistics and facts, by asserting ideas through powerful language, and by tying the whole argument together using the single Texas law to exemplify other laws throughout the United States. This article shows how authors can use multiple rhetorical devices at once to increase the persuasiveness of their writing. While it may seem the editorial is about a single law, the underlying argument pertains to the ruling made in the court decision of Roe v. Wade: whether or not access to abortion means an unrestricted right to