Analysis of Lisa Brock's Argument Against Abortion

When working to make an effective argument, the writer must analyze many aspects. For example, who the audience is, what their viewpoint is on the issue, and how to get them to believe the argument. On the topic of abortion, most writers can incorporate an ethical, logical, and emotional appeal to get the point across. However, Lisa Brock, the author of the article, "Life Challenges" does not effectively make her argument because she only develops an appeal to the emotions of the reader.

To make an audience believe an argument, the writer must prove their trustworthiness of the topic. Lisa Brock does not clearly tell the audience why she is qualified to give an opinion on what a woman should do regarding abortion. She merely allows the reader to assume that she is understand because she can adequately describe the emotions a woman feels when just learning she is pregnant. Brock uses phrases like “happiest moments of their lives” and “nightmare” to describe how a woman may feel. This leads the reader to assume that she has been in a similar situation and can relate to how the newly pregnant woman must feel.

Lisa Brock’s logical appeal is lacking considerably. Throughout the entire article there are only a few instances of pregnancy and abortion facts used, and some of those are common sense. She says, “The hormones and extreme emotions of pregnancy make reasonable decisions more difficult.” Most of the industrialized world understands that being pregnant changes a woman’s bodily functions, making her more susceptible to hormonal imbalances. Therefore, using common knowledge as a logical appeal proves to be ineffective. Brock also uses the possibility of infertility after an abortion when she says, “…abortion c...

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...anipulate the reader into deciding against having an abortion. Brock is able to manipulate the reader into doing this without the reader even being aware she is being manipulated.

In order to decide whether Lisa Brock’s article on abortion is effective, the intended audience must be known. It seems as though Brock’s intended audience is a woman who is unsure about her pregnancy. In that case, the article is written with enough appeals to emotion to get the point across, as well as, convince the reader that abortion may not be the best option. The writer is able to use diction and tone to convince the reader. She never has to come out and fully say that she believes abortion is the wrong choice. However, the reader can receive that vibe from the author.

Works Cited

Brock, Lisa. "Life Challenges." Abortion. Focus on the Family, 2002. Web. 08 Nov. 2013.