Paula Span Unbefriended Essay

What would you consider the definition of the word “unbefriended”? The word is not identified in the Webster Dictionary, but has become a term used by many medical centers and lawyers who deal with cases of elderly people who have no one to make hard, life-changing decisions for them. Paula Span, author of the New York Times online blog, “The New Old Age”, explains the definition of this term through the use of stories, facts, and statistics. Readers learn shortly that the term is used to describe people who have outlived all of their closest relatives and friends, and therefore, have no appointed surrogate to make any medical decisions for them when they cannot make it themselves. In her article, “Near the End It's Best to be “Friended”, Paula Span informs and convinces her readers of the importance of electing a surrogate to carry out their final wishes should they become incapable of doing so themselves. Span achieves this intention through the use of the three rhetorical devices: ethos,

pathos and logos.
As noted above, the speaker in this article is Paula Span.

Span never establishes any ethos in her argument; she never states who she is or why she is qualified to write this account. But, readers can assume she has some partial qualification considering she is the author of an NY Times blog that specializes in these topics. She is an expert in the fields of assisted living, hospices, and coping with a loved one's lack of independence. Her audience can be best described as readers of her blog and people who are curious in learning about what to do if they are left unbefriended. Span's main intention for writing this account can be depicted as trying to inform readers about what medical companies are attempting to do about the “unbefriended” issue and how they can prevent doctors and physicians from having to make the hard decisions by themselves. Using this intention, Span makes her argument more engaging and factual by appealing to two rhetorical devices, pathos and

logos.
Span opens the account with the story of Elizabeth Evans, a woman who “likes reading and gardening and can manage the five-minute drive to the supermarket.” (Span 1). Elizabeth Evans is a woman who is currently recovering from her husband's death and is in need of making some hard decisions for herself. “'After watching my husband on life support, with everything they do to you, I [Elizabeth] wouldn’t ask for that,' she said. 'It was horrible. I’d like to peacefully close my eyes.' But if Mrs. Evans cannot voice her wishes during a health crisis, who will speak for her?” (Span 2) Through this statement, Span appeals to pathos by triggering her reader's emotions and their sympathies. Most readers would feel sentimental about Evan's issue and want to learn more about how to prevent this from happening to themselves. Though this statement, “In a society so reliant on family caregivers, who will supply the everyday help that most older adults eventually need if they have no relatives? That question, readers tell me, keeps them awake at night.”, may not seem to be appealing to pathos (it can also be regarded as a use of logos), readers emotions may be turned. What would they do in this situation, how can they prevent this from happening? These thoughts may be running through their mind and, therefore, appeal to their concerns. By appealing to the reader's emotions, Span draws readers into her main argument, which sis also supported by the use of logos.
“Sixteen percent of intensive care unit patients in one West Coast hospital were unbefriended, according to a 2007 study for which Dr. White was a co-author. Another of his studies reported that of I.C.U. patients who died, 5.5 percent were unbefriended or ... unrepresented.” In this statement, Span appeals to logos by backing up her argument with information and statistics. As she continues on in her account, explaining to readers about what medical facilities are trying to do to prevent this issue from happening, she perpetually includes more statistics and quotes from doctors and physicians to back her argument up. For example, “Without guidelines, “health care providers just make the decisions themselves,” said Thaddeus Pope, director of the Health Law Institute at the Hamline University School of Law in Minnesota. “The problem is, we know that doctors have all sorts of biases, everything from race to socioeconomic factors to their own treatment preferences.” They might also feel economic pressures, he added.” Through her use of logos, readers can feel like the argument being made is more credible and factual.
In closing, Span's intentions for the article were brought out through her use of pathos and logos, while also obtaining ethos by supporting her argument with real statistics and notable quotes from credible sources. As a reader, I do agree with her point that there should be more options for “unbefriended” elders. They should be able to turn towards more people so that when the time comes, they aren't left with no one to help and support them. Being unbefriended is not a good/fun thing, and it's a great idea to look into more options for people left in this predicament. As Span notes, certain states are taking action, “In Indianapolis, therefore, the Center for At-Risk Elders, a nonprofit legal advocacy group, trains volunteers — social workers, lawyers, retired nurses, medical and law students — to serve as guardians who make health care decisions for the unbefriended.” (Span 4). By having the drive to focus on this issue, many elders can be supported and feel more confident about the people who can help them with their life-changing decisions. The article, overall, was organized very well and the author got all her intended points across. Span's main intentions were fulfilled , explained, and understood through her usage of all of the rhetorical devices.