Written by Henry A. Spiller, John R. Hale, and Jelle Z. De Boer, the 7-page article, “The Delphic Oracle: A Multidisciplinary Defense of the Gaseous Vent Theory,” was originally published in the Journal of Toxicology in February 2002. The Journal of Toxicology’s audience is very professional as it is aimed primarily toward professional toxicologists or students who are pursuing a profession in toxicology. The article was then reprinted in our textbook, Writing in the Sciences 3rd Ed. by Penrose and Katz, and this is the copy that I used. The article, “The Delphic Oracle: A is effective in defending the theory that the prophecy of the Pythias occurred after an inhaling of gases from a vent of geological origin. The article is structured very …show more content…
well and the appropriate language is used to convey a scientific professionalism, which is extremely important because the target audience are scientists who doubt the theory in question. The paper is very strong in regards to its pathos and logos but the article seems to lack some in its logos. I feel that the strong ethos of this article relies heavily on the author’s credentials. The authors of “The Delphic Oracle: A Multidisciplinary Defense of the Gaseous Vent Theory,” all have professions that make them very credible in regards to this article. Henry A. Spiller is currently a certified toxicologist and the Director of the Central Ohio Poison Control Center at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in addition to being an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Ohio State University (SciTech). Spiller is a prominent figure in the toxicology community and has published many articles including, “Attenuation of Cisplatin Induced Toxicity by Melatonin, Loaded on a Dextran Modified Iron Oxide Nanoparticles: An In Vitro Study” (SciTech). John R. Hale has his Ph.D. in archaeology from Cambridge University, has published 9 different professional publications, and is the Director of Liberal Studies at the University of Louisville (University of Louisville). Hale is also the President of the Kentucky Chapter of the Archaeological Institute of America. Jelle Z. De Boer is a well renowned Professor of Earth Science at Wesleyan University in Connecticut, and has had his geological findings in many publications (Wesleyan University). I also feel that using sources that cover both the geological aspect of Delphi and sources that delve into the actual story behind the Pythia help to solidify the strong ethos of the paper by showing that the authors made sure to cover all aspects involved with the gaseous vent theory. The final way that the authors show strong ethos is by using Amandry’s work as an opposing opinion; this shows that the authors are experienced enough to refute Amandry’s findings in a way that is effective to the overall paper. The article also has a strong pathos; the authors really give me the impression that they are extremely passionate about persuading the audience to believe their theory.
The authors write in a way that evokes their passion on persuading the audience; the author’s make you feel as if you are just as ardent on the subject as they are. One way the article does this is by telling a few short informational story-like passages. For example, the whole introduction gives information about the Oracle of Delphi and how the Pythia read scriptures from a tripod that was placed on a fissure deep in the temple of Apollo (Spiller et al., 331). Given that the audience reading this paper is trained in chemical and medical backgrounds and may not know anything about the Oracle, this introduction gives insight on the subject and also makes the reader feel more connected to what the author is writing. There also is one analogy that stands out in this article; Spiller et al. use a barstool as an example of what the tripod that the Pythia sat on looked like. Another way the article backs up its strong pathos is by the use of visual drawings and pictures. As a reader, I was having difficulty following exactly what the setting was when the Pythia was practicing but figure 1 on the third page of the article really helped me to understand what the setting was. Also, in the article they talk about a geological vent that was made possible by an earthquake and the figure on the last page of the article …show more content…
shows a drawing of how the faults below the adyton looked; this made me relate the information given to the drawing and convinced me further that intoxication of gases happened before the prophecies of the Pythias. Somewhat related to the paper’s strong pathos, the authors strategically place a table on 5th page of the article that compares the description of the Pythia at Delphi to the description of mild anesthesia with ethylene or nitrous oxide (Spiller et al., 334). This helps the article’s pathos, and the overall effectiveness of the article, by appealing to the reader’s emotion by laying out the information in an easy to read, convenient way. The one part of this paper that shows some weakness is the paper’s logos. The paper uses words such as, “suggests” or “may” which leads the reader to question the evidence provided. On page 4 of the article there is a sentence that reads, “This suggests that the gas emissions at Delphi may have diminished during the colder periods” (Spiller et al., 333). This sentence hurts the paper’s logos by casting doubt on the information because professional scientists prefer words like “fact” and “is” and not words that merely let you interpret the evidence subjectively. Spiller et al. do use numerical evidence in their article, but they could have used statistics and values that solidified their theory. For example, on page 6 of the article Spiller et al. refer to the study of Lockhardt et al., this study is used to show what happens with humans who receive ethylene as an anesthetic. The weakness of the study is that it had a very small sample size of 12 people which doesn’t give much support to the evidence no matter what the result of the study. If the authors would have chosen a study that tested ethylene on a group of 100 or more individuals the information would be more credible and more effective. Furthermore, the use of a table on page 5 of the article is effective because it shows relevant information in an easy to read way, however, there could have been another table or graphic to show how ethylene and nitrous oxide compare to other well-known anesthetics. Lastly, the article’s pathos also comes in to question when the author, on page 5, states that there are relatively few eyewitness descriptions of the Pythia in her intoxicated state (Spiller et al., 334). The article relies heavily on the actions of the Pythia during her intoxicated state and with so few eyewitness testimonies it calls into question the reliability of all the evidence on the Pythia in her intoxicated state. The article maintains a consistent, professional style that is appropriate for the audience and the purpose. The article uses some jargon that is specific to a scientific and technical background; for example, on page 5 the authors use the word “equipotent,” which means equally powerful (Spiller et al., 334). Although, for the most part the article is written in formal diction, which is appropriate for a scientific research report, and terms that are very straight forward. The tone of the article is serious and objective and the length of the sentences vary from short and concise to long and complex; I feel that this is effective for this style of writing. There are some negative connotations regarding the opposing views of Amandry; the authors use terms like “claimed” and “belief” to refute his claims. Although, when the authors talk about the reasons why their claims are supported, they use almost always use positive connotations except for in the “geological evidence” section when they use negative connotations like “suggests” and “may” (Spiller et al., 333). The voice of the article is very distinct, the article uses passages and sources from other publications but still manages to keep the same viewpoint evident throughout the paper. Lastly, the article is set up in a way that is extremely helpful to the reader. The article contains an abstract, an introduction, and 5 other section headings that help guide the reader through an in-depth subject. There are 5 graphics throughout the article, 1 table and 4 drawings. The drawings include a map of the sanctuary and a map of the Delphi fault; the drawings and table are helpful to the readers because they put the information in a visual sense which enables the readers to be more knowledgeable on the topic, thus leading to a more insightful reading. In conclusion, “The Delphic Oracle: A Multidisciplinary Defense of the Gaseous Vent Theory” is persuasive and overall an effective article.
The authors all have highly regarded positions in their specific professions which makes them very credible and gives the article very good ethos. The authors’ strong pathos has a very positive effect on the article as a whole; the authors portray themselves as being very passionate about the gaseous vent theory and this makes for an article that is appealing to the reader’s emotions. The authors had some trouble in using an effective pathos; they were able to identify the audience and effectively write the article for that audience. The structure was a key feature in the effectiveness of the article, however, I would recommend using more tables with pertinent information rather than drawings. Overall, a very effective article that used a consistent style and a diction that was formal and targeted toward a scientific, professional
audience.
... methods that all rely on pathos. Nikiforuk’s article successfully grabs the reader’s attention and emotion from the beginning and maintains it throughout the text by his skillful use of rhetorical strategies.
“ The horizon was the color of milk. Cold and fresh. Poured out among the bodies” (Zusak 175). The device is used in the evidence of the quote by using descriptives words that create a mental image. The text gives the reader that opportunity to use their senses when reading the story. “Somehow, between the sadness and loss, Max Vandenburg, who was now a teenager with hard hands, blackened eyes, and a sore tooth, was also a little disappointed” (Zusak 188). This quote demonstrates how the author uses descriptive words to create a mental image which gives the text more of an appeal to the reader's sense such as vision. “She could see his face now, in the tired light. His mouth was open and his skin was the color of eggshells. Whisker coated his jaw and chin, and his ears were hard and flat. He had a small but misshapen nose” (Zusak 201). The quotes allows the reader to visualize what the characters facial features looked like through the use of descriptive words. Imagery helps bring the story to life and to make the text more exciting. The reader's senses can be used to determine the observations that the author is making about its characters. The literary device changes the text by letting the reader interact with the text by using their observation skills. The author is using imagery by creating images that engages the reader to know exactly what's going on in the story which allows them to
In Florence Kelley's speech to the people attending the NAWSA convention, she uses emotional appeal to motivate her audience to convince their male counterparts to legalize voting for women, and also to persuade the males to help put an end to child labor.
In the book Into the Wild, Jon Krakauer wrote about Christopher McCandless, a nature lover in search for independence, in a mysterious and hopeful experience. Even though Krakauer tells us McCandless was going to die from the beginning, he still gave him a chance for survival. As a reader I wanted McCandless to survive. In Into the Wild, Krakauer gave McCandless a unique perspective. He was a smart and unique person that wanted to be completely free from society. Krakauer included comments from people that said McCandless was crazy, and his death was his own mistake. However, Krakauer is able to make him seem like a brave person. The connections between other hikers and himself helped in the explanation of McCandless’s rational actions. Krakauer is able to make McCandless look like a normal person, but unique from this generation. In order for Krakauer to make Christopher McCandless not look like a crazy person, but a special person, I will analyze the persuading style that Krakauer used in Into the Wild that made us believe McCandless was a regular young adult.
The Letter from Birmingham Jail was written by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in April of 1963. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was one of several civil rights activists who were arrested in Birmingham Alabama, after protesting against racial injustices in Alabama. Dr. King wrote this letter in response to a statement titled A Call for Unity, which was published on Good Friday by eight of his fellow clergymen from Alabama. Dr. King uses his letter to eloquently refute the article. In the letter dr. king uses many vivid logos, ethos, and pathos to get his point across. Dr. King writes things in his letter that if any other person even dared to write the people would consider them crazy.
The symbolic value of the cave in Western literature originates in The Odyssey (Seigneuret 223). There are a few symbol...
Prevailing Purposes in “The Crucible” Playwright and essayist, Arthur Miller, in his play, “The Crucible”, utilizes pathos, symbolism, and irony to convey his purpose of how the events of the Salem Witch Trials had detrimental effects on the society and how far the elites went to protect their reputation . Miller’s reasoning is to expand Parris’ and Danforth purpose for their side of the argument during the witch trials. He adapts a contrasting tone in order to appeal to similar feelings with reasoning in his american readers.
reader creates “supplementary meaning” to the text by unconsciously setting up tension, also called binary opposition. Culler describes this process in his statement “The process of thematic interpretation requires us to move from facts towards values, so we can develop each thematic complex, retaining the opposition between them” (294). Though supplementary meaning created within the text can take many forms, within V...
Pollan’s article provides a solid base to the conversation, defining what to do in order to eat healthy. Holding this concept of eating healthy, Joe Pinsker in “Why So Many Rich Kids Come to Enjoy the Taste of Healthier Foods” enters into the conversation and questions the connection of difference in families’ income and how healthy children eat (129-132). He argues that how much families earn largely affect how healthy children eat — income is one of the most important factors preventing people from eating healthy (129-132). In his article, Pinsker utilizes a study done by Caitlin Daniel to illustrate that level of income does affect children’s diet (130). In Daniel’s research, among 75 Boston-area parents, those rich families value children’s healthy diet more than food wasted when children refused to accept those healthier but
The movie trailer “Rio 2”, shows a great deal of pathos, ethos, and logos. These rhetorical appeals are hidden throughout the movie trailer; however, they can be recognized if paying attention to the details and montage of the video. I am attracted to this type of movies due to the positive life messages and the innocent, but funny personifications from the characters; therefore, the following rhetorical analysis will give a brief explanation of the scenes, point out the characteristics of persuasive appeals and how people can be easily persuaded by using this technique, and my own interpretation of the message presented in the trailer.
The piece that I will be analyzing is called How It Feels to Be Colored Me. This piece appealed to me because she described her point of view through the use of anecdote. Her perspective of being different caught my attention because most articles about being colored are so clique. This one is out of the ordinary because she thinks of being colored as a good thing. The only thing that could be difficult to analyze about this piece would understand how she feels because back then, black people were treated horribly.
Jonathan Kozol revealed the early period’s situation of education in American schools in his article Savage Inequalities. It seems like during that period, the inequality existed everywhere and no one had the ability to change it; however, Kozol tried his best to turn around this situation and keep track of all he saw. In the article, he used rhetorical strategies effectively to describe what he saw in that situation, such as pathos, logos and ethos.
In the section, “Ethical Issues,” from the article, “Genetic Testing,” NYU Langone Medical Center uses logos, ethos and pathos to aide in conveying the ethical issues that arise because of genetic testing. The author mainly uses logos to support their purpose because it allows the author to efficiently demonstrate his knowledge on the topic. One example of logos is found in page 6, where the author references Chloe’s law to provide a solution to an ethical issue that arose because of genetic testing (Genetic Testing 6). In this case, a family was able to pass a law to help give positive information to those families that were “terminating pregnancies because of a Down Syndrome diagnosis” (Genetic Testing 6). In addition, the author includes a trial on the effect
The phlogiston theory and the use of phlogiston in the vocabulary of many chemists remained dominant until French chemist Antoinne-Laurent Lavoisier disproved it with his caloric theory of combustion (Bowler 56). In his theory, Lavoisier showed that combustion requires a gaseous substance that has weight and that its weight can be measured. In his experiments with phosphorous and sulfur, both of which burned readily in air, Lavoisier showed that they both gained weight by combining with air. Using lead calx, Lavoisier was also able to capture a large amount of air that according to phlogiston theory was liberated when the calx was heated. These results hadn’t been explained by phlogiston theory. Even though Lavoisier had come to a realization that combustion involved air, he was still puzzled by the exact composition of air, which was not understood then. It was until 1774 when Lavoisier met with the English natural philosopher and phlogistonist Joseph Priestly, who had experimented with a mercury calx and collected a gas, which supported the burning of a candle and the respiration process of a rat (Bowler 63-66).
The accepted meaning of toxicology is known as “the art of toxic substances.” A more graphic definition of toxicology is “the investigation of unfriendly impacts of chemicals, natural or physical executors on living life forms.” These unfavourable impacts may happen in numerous forms, running from prompt death or more painfully to changes not understood until months or perhaps years later after the effect. Learning of how poisonous executers (agents) harm our body has advanced alongside therapeutic knowledge/information. The chronicled advancement of toxicology started with promptly early cave men! They distinguished noxious plants and creatures and utilized their concentrates for chasing or in their hunting warfare.