Analysis Of Jane Howard's Essay In Search Of A Good Family

Journalist, Jane Howard in her argumentative essay, “ In Search of a Good Family “ emphasized the markers of a good family. Howard's purpose is to give her opinion on families, because she thinks human being should not be alone. She adopts an educated, factual and knowledgeable time in order to appeal to similar feelings and experiences towards the whole country. Howard uses many rhetorical question, metaphors , repetition, and allusions to help her pull her argument together Howard argues how essential is to have a good family. All human being need a family , clan or a tribe in order to survive in the real world. No matter where you are or what are the circumstances you are going through. You would always have somewhere or someone to fall back to.

Howard uses multiple rhetorical question to continually get the reader not only engaged in her essay but keep them thinking as she builds to main argument and purpose.

One of Howard’s successful rhetorical question is “Should we not applaud and maybe imitate such ingenuity?”(284) This rhetorical question intends to make people think about our differences about our differences with Japan. In Japan they have system called a “ support system”, which so far the have succeeded. Therefore it makes the audience notice if Japan is doing it and having success, we can too. Howard also uses other questions like “ What can such times teach us about forming new and more lasting tribes in the future?”(284) to get the audience to think about how their families are and what could be learned and improved within their family as well. The author makes the audience afraid of the consequences, and so sways their opinion when she wants everyone to have a family and not be alone in the

world.
Howard uses repetition to juxtapose her main point in the first paragraph of her essay. She argues, “ Call it a clan, call it a network, call it tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it , whoever you are , you need one.”(283) Call it whatever you want to call it, they are your family. Her reason is straightforward and to the point . Does not matter where you are from, who you are and where you stand in life, you come from the same place because you are a human being. She believes you cannot go on your life as an individual, but either way you can't go without a family. She uses repetition of words “good families” to say examples of characteristics of what “good families” have such as a “chief” and “ switchboard operator “ all to prove her main point that everyone needs a good family. This emphasizes the idea of a good family requires effort for it to be successful. The written establishes her authority by using a factual tone in each of the ten characteristics that she presents of a “good family”. The matter of the fact time that is obvious throughout the text makes these opinions to me seem like facts, even though there isn't like a rule for a “good family”. This utilization of ethos and tone shows how confident Howard is in speaking about this topic. Her confident tone alone could serve as a source of credibility because readers often tend to believe someone who is confident in their work.
Another rhetorical strategy she uses is the use of metaphors. She claims, “ Good families are fortress with many widows and the doors the outer work”(291) This metaphor is comparing a good family to a fortress. A fortress is known for being a place where someone can feel safe and protected. Much like how someone would feel in a loving family someone can learn useful skills to use in the outside world. This metaphors describes how a family member protects each other form what is dangerous out there.Another example of when Howard uses a metaphor could be from paragraph two, "If our relatives are not, do not wish to be, or for whatever reasons cannot be our friends, then by some complex alchemy we must try to transform our friends into our relatives." The idea of using complex alchemy, as a metaphor, is to reveal the idea that it takes deep processing to create a family friend. The writer uses plenty of examples to support her point that a human being needs a family, needs someone that cherish them and they cherish them as well.
Howard’s overall point encourages each individual to further understand their family. The family bond is more important than what some people may think, and the relationships made can have a great impact someday. Time is running out, so friendships will come and go quickly. Each individual should learn which relationships should be cherished the most, and remember who they someday might leave behind. Family is what matters the most in life.