Rhetorical Analysis Project First Draft
Analysis of Lincoln Anthony Blades’ article, “Ben Carson Said Poverty Occurs Because People Have the Wrong Mindset.” This Article was posted on TeenVogue.com under the news and politics section in May 2017. Blades responds to comments made by Ben Carson during a SiriusXM Radio interview. In this paper, I will explore Blades analysis of Ben Carson’s comments and his overall article and argument. Blades challenges Ben Carson’s comments on poverty and suggests that there is different reason behind poverty in America. I argue that Blades writes an effective article highlighting and exposing a political system that has kept the poor in poverty.
In his article, “Ben Carson Said Poverty Occurs Because People …show more content…
One of the first ways he establishes Ethos is simply by talking about Ben Carson and telling what he does. By doing this Blades can gain some of the readers trust because he is talking about a political figure and is able to give information on that figure. Then he uses a mix of responses from Twitter of people who agree or disagree with Ben Carson. He uses a tweet by Dr. DaShanne Stokes, who is sociologist with a master in psychology and has been able to come up from being poor and homeless, in which he called Ben Carson completely clueless on issues with poverty. Also uses a tweet by actor and activist George Takei, who calls Ben Carson an “idiot.” These harsh tweets show support to Blades argument that Ben Carson is wrong and that there is a bigger reason for poverty. By including tweets by these two well-known and successful people, Blades can establish his credibility. He also uses people who agree with Ben Carson, who say that if you are motivated and able to work, you’ll be able to succeed. Blades says these people who agree with Carson are people who rely on stereotypical examples of poor people with wrong mindsets. Such as those who buy new Jordan sneakers rather than investing their money or homeless people who spend all the money they can get buying drugs. Blades responds by saying, “to ascribe to the notion that …show more content…
He talks about how poverty is not “something that you do to yourself, and more about something that is done to you, either against your will or without your knowledge and consenting.” By saying that poverty is done to you, Blades harsh tone alludes that you have no control over being poor. This is crucial to the article, anyone who is struggling financially and reads this immediately feels the angry and upset. Blades can powerfully make his audience feel as if they have been taken advantage of. This in turn cause the reader to understand Blades argument and possibly to take a stance. Another way Blades can capture people emotionally is by using an article, "The Case for Reparations," in which it talks about how federal policies like the federal housing policy increased racial tensions. It allowed whites to buy houses through loans but denied to minority groups. Blades then adds “the creation of the racial wealth gap was constructed by policy and plunder, which has also worked together to exploit other poor groups huddled in our collective underclass. By using this article Blades can make people, especially minorities, even more angry at the disadvantages caused by government policy. Blades then can counter people who would say that that’s how it was back then but not today. He provides policies enacted by President Trump that has targeted poor
Analysis of Lincoln Anthony Blades’ article, “Ben Carson Said Poverty Occurs Because People Have the Wrong Mindset.” This Article was posted on TeenVogue.com under the news and politics section in May 2017. Blades responds to comments made by Ben Carson during a SiriusXM Radio interview. In this paper, I will explore Blades analysis of Ben Carson’s comments and his overall article and argument. Blades challenges Ben Carson’s comments on poverty and suggests that there is different reason behind poverty in America. I argue that Blades writes an effective article highlighting and exposing a political system that has kept the poor in poverty.
In his article, “Ben Carson Said Poverty Occurs Because People …show more content…
One of the first ways he establishes Ethos is simply by talking about Ben Carson and telling what he does. By doing this Blades can gain some of the readers trust because he is talking about a political figure and is able to give information on that figure. Then he uses a mix of responses from Twitter of people who agree or disagree with Ben Carson. He uses a tweet by Dr. DaShanne Stokes, who is sociologist with a master in psychology and has been able to come up from being poor and homeless, in which he called Ben Carson completely clueless on issues with poverty. Also uses a tweet by actor and activist George Takei, who calls Ben Carson an “idiot.” These harsh tweets show support to Blades argument that Ben Carson is wrong and that there is a bigger reason for poverty. By including tweets by these two well-known and successful people, Blades can establish his credibility. He also uses people who agree with Ben Carson, who say that if you are motivated and able to work, you’ll be able to succeed. Blades says these people who agree with Carson are people who rely on stereotypical examples of poor people with wrong mindsets. Such as those who buy new Jordan sneakers rather than investing their money or homeless people who spend all the money they can get buying drugs. Blades responds by saying, “to ascribe to the notion that …show more content…
He talks about how poverty is not “something that you do to yourself, and more about something that is done to you, either against your will or without your knowledge and consenting.” By saying that poverty is done to you, Blades harsh tone alludes that you have no control over being poor. This is crucial to the article, anyone who is struggling financially and reads this immediately feels the angry and upset. Blades can powerfully make his audience feel as if they have been taken advantage of. This in turn cause the reader to understand Blades argument and possibly to take a stance. Another way Blades can capture people emotionally is by using an article, "The Case for Reparations," in which it talks about how federal policies like the federal housing policy increased racial tensions. It allowed whites to buy houses through loans but denied to minority groups. Blades then adds “the creation of the racial wealth gap was constructed by policy and plunder, which has also worked together to exploit other poor groups huddled in our collective underclass. By using this article Blades can make people, especially minorities, even more angry at the disadvantages caused by government policy. Blades then can counter people who would say that that’s how it was back then but not today. He provides policies enacted by President Trump that has targeted poor