A Critique of Thank You for Smoking?

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A Critique of “Thank You for Smoking….?” Peter Brimelow’s article “Thank You for Smoking….?” is an essay that looks at a rather extreme perspective on smoking. Brimelow starts off by describing the many actions that are taken against the tobacco industry; he writes that in some states, the government is trying to make the tobacco industry pay certain health care costs. However, he then goes on to state that smoking may actually be good for one’s health. He uses various sources to show that smoking has positive effects on our bodies; he states the decrease in risk in numerous diseases. Brimelow uses medical journals to show that smoking decreases the risk of diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. He also talks about some of the ways smoking enhances certain skills, “A battery of studies show that cigarettes really do stimulate alertness, dexterity and cognitive capacity” (Brimelow 141). Brimelow does pick a tough subject to talk about, but for the most part he does a good job writing his article and distributing information to the reader to support argument. In the beginning of Brimelow’s essay, he lists a number of organizations that are fighting against the tobacco industry, such as the Food & Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency. Then out of nowhere he throws out his major claim, which is the thesis or the main point of the essay (McFadden 41). Every paper has a major claim; it is the central idea of the paper. The major claim says, “smoking might be, in some small ways, good for you” (Brimelow 141). This is a rather shocking thesis, due to the fact that generally when we think of smoking, we think of something very negative to a person’s health. Brimelow’s major claim is very difficu... ... middle of paper ... ...own to be bad. However, even though the essay may not be persuasive in most cases, it is, for the most part, well written. Brimelow starts off the essay a little slow, he does not give the reader a sense of direction in the beginning, but the body definitely informs the reader. The body of the essay is filled with information supporting his thesis, and his values are very clear. His essay may not persuade many, but it is definitely informative and well written. Work Cited Brimelow, Peter. “Thank You for Smoking….?” The Genre of Argument. Ed. Irene L. Clark. Boston: Thomson-Heinle, 1998. 141-142. Clark, Irene L. The Genre of Argument. Ed. Irene L. Clark. Boston: Thomson-Heinle, 1998. McFadden, James. The Toulmin Method: From Classical Logic to Modern Argumentation. [PowerPoint Slide.] 5 February, 2004. Buena Vista University. Storm Lake, IA.

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