The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind is a book written by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer and was published in 2015. This non-fiction narrative details the journey that Kamkwamba took to create a wind turbine from scrap materials to supply power to his small village in Malawi. He accomplished this feat in 2001 using a book entitled Using Energy to learn about wind turbines. Because of his ingenuity, he was invited to host a TED talk in 2007 and was accepted into Dartmouth University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in environmental studies in 2014. Mealer, co-author of The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, helped Kamkwamba turn his story into a book, writing it from Kamkwamba’s perspective. Mealer used his experience writing books such …show more content…
Although the strategy of appealing to reason is not used as often as the other appeals, in the times it is used in this book it has a powerful effect. The first and most interesting use of logos is the pictures that can be found in the novel between pages 150 and 151. These images depict many things, from pieces of machinery Kamkwamba used in the windmill to family photos. All the photos give the reader a better understanding of Kamkwamba’s struggles and how he overcame them. Another important use of logos is the explanations that Kamkwamba provides as to how he created the windmill. He effectively gives the reader a crash course on the process he went through to make the machine work. Kamkwamba states, “A step-up transformer has two coils—the primary and secondary—located on either side of a core” (Kamkwamba and Mealer 210). These scientific explanations not only showcase the mistakes Kamkwamba made along the way, but also teach the reader, even if only a little bit, about the machinery and how it …show more content…
The book is written in first person which immediately tells the reader that Kamkwamba is qualified to talk about the subject considering the story is about him. This also gives the reader a more personal connection to the author right from the start. This is the first use of ethos in the book as it is immediately clear what perspective the book is written in. Another way that Kamkwamba and Mealer cultivate a sense of personal connection between writers and the audience is by telling the readers a secret. Kamkwamba shares the story of how he put down his dog during the famine. He expresses immense vulnerability and then concludes with “we told no one about what we’d done”. It’s remained a secret all these years, until now” (Kamkwamba and Mealer 127). This expresses to the reader that Kamkwamba trusts the audience and is willing to be vulnerable with them. The authors also give the audience a sense of who Kamkwamba is and what is important to him by explaining his skill at Bawo, a mancala strategy game. Kamkwamba explains, “Bawo requires strategy and quick thinking. I’ll admit, I was pretty good and often beat other boys” (Kamkwamba and Mealer 45). This gives the reader an insight into Kamkwamba’s character and personality, showing that he is more intellectually driven than physically or athletically. The audience is given a taste of the extent of Kamkwamba’s intellect when he and his friend take
One of Berry’s topics that comes close to a use of logos is found in Paragraphs XI and XII, where he makes the case of an inescapable choice that we have to make. One choice is that we can continue to promote global and unlimited free trade, which must now be protected by a huge, expensive, and worldwide police force, maintained by several or all nations. Such a police force would only be effective as it “oversways the
On the other hand, Winston Churchill uses logos with more depth when he talks about the progress of the Army, the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force during the war. He provides information on what is going on, what needs to happen and what he expects his people to do. Both leaders to explain their certain strategy to an extent and why they want what they want to happen through the use of logos. This helps to build trust and convince people that this is the right way forward. This is known to be an effective strategy for gaining widespread appeal and support.
First and foremost, Sijie displays storytelling as a means for entertainment, and in turn, as something good. He portrays Luo as an incredible storyteller. His creativity and ability to capture his audience sets him apart from the other boys on the mountain. The narrator describes the amazing effect that Luo’s film reenactments have on the village people. The headman is so enthralled that he gives Luo and the narrator the opportunity to view more films so that Luo can reproduce the stories developed in the films to both him and the other villagers (18-20). The headman’s fascination with these films portrays storytelling’s ability to entertain. While some readers may feel that entertainment is not necessarily a positive thing as it gives people new and possibly dangerous thoughts and ideas, Luo’s storytelling allows the people of the mountain village to escape the caged reality in which they live. These people use the stories to experience the excitement and happiness that is absent from their lives. In this way, Sijie establishes storytelling as a form of positive entertainment. Through his own story, Sijie proves to the reade...
The appeals of logos, pathos, and ethos are found throughout his argument. He makes a logos appeal by having reasons to back up every claim he makes. For example, he argues that in unsafe terrain and weather, SUVs “allow workers to get to and from their jobs, and parents to transport their children safely to school, sporting events, ballet classes and the rest”
Adichie uses an ethos appeal to the readers’ by providing an attention catcher to the audience. “I'm a storyteller. And I would like to tell you a few personal stories about what I like to call "the danger of the single story” (00:00:12-00:04:42). Adichie mentions that her mother taught her how to read at the age of two. Adichie incorporates her personal experiences because it gives an insight of how credible she is as a speaker. This statement was the beginning of the Dangers of a Single Story speech that would help allow the audience to gain a sense of understanding of the speaker. By using ethos, an audience can connect with the speaker effectively. To reinforce Adichie’s credibility, she uses several anecdotes were useful in this speech that could potentially relate and connect to the
The important role of waka in the society is the basis for using poetry in narrative prose. In other words, as poetry was part of their daily lives, its importance and constant use in upper society cannot help, but to be reflected in narrative prose. This can be seen in the genres of monogatari and nikki. These stories and diaries create tales or retell incidents that reflect Japanese culture. They act as accounts of exchanges between...
appeal of logos by the organization of everything as well as the detail given either. In a
Using logos, you use the facts. The reasons. This is used all throughout the world. From trials, police work, the big bang theory you name it. Logos is used to get the audience to sway your direction with reason, facts, and theory. If you come up with an idea, and your able to back it up, reason. There is and can be many examples of logos. One example that stood out to me though is a speech by Theodore Roosevelt, The Duties Of American Citizenship in New York, Buffalo January 6, 1883, “No man has the right to shirk his political duties under whatever plea of pleasure or business; and while such shirking may be pardoned in those of small means it is entirely unpardonable in those among whom it is most common-in the people whose circumstances give them freedom in the struggle of life.” Using logos, he uses the facts to help you understand what he is trying to say. And you don’t have to guess and his motives and what he’s saying. Because when you use logos, it’s the hard facts. Not something that’s not true or something that is
Logos is the logistical persuasion of someone through facts. While it may seem that there is no fact on the page, the simple statement of “bicycles don’t come with bumpers” is indeed a fact. I have never seen a bicycle with a bumper and am assuming that neither has anyone else. After stating this obvious fact, the author follows up with the saying, “give cyclists room to ride.” Just by using this simple statement and obvious fact, the author is able to grab the attention of the reader and show them what it is really like to fear for your life doing something as simple as riding a bicycle.
The authors overall presentation is very clear because to the emphasis of his main point of truth setting people free. It drags the reader into the action and enables them to live with the characters, at the same time as teaching a valuable lesson in dealing with life's obstacles. The style of his writing is very symbolic, descriptive, and detailed. He creates very vivid images of the story through elaborate adjectives.
He was well-educated at a top school which earns him credibility and he appeals to the reader’s emotions when he makes comparisons and analogies to let the readers relate to him and in a sense feel what he’s feeling. Logos is present because the argument makes sense, and it is not a fallacy. These are just a few ways he supports his thesis and persuades the audience of what he believes in.
William, the young boy in the book “The Boy That Harnessed the Wind” has 2 distinct characteristics depicted throughout the story. He is curious, and he is determined. William is curious because he has a strong passion to go to school to learn more about science and how certain things operate. This skill led him to exploring new things, like books about how wiring works, and how it can create electricity. Additionally to being curious, William is extremely determined to learn more about electricity and create new pieces, no matter how many people believe he’s foolish for doing so. He was determined to go to school and learn more about science as well as other subjects even though he was older than the average kid that goes to school. He was
The first-person narration is used by the writer in order to disclose the narrator’s true character. Moreover, the narration flows in such a way which gives the reader some food for thought. There cannot be a common view on the flow of narration, because John Updike wants the readers to pose questions about the genuine reasons of Sammy’s motivation and behavior. The writer uses the language means that precisely identify Sammy’s personality, his lifestyle and social status, however, the message that the writer wants to transmit is not apparent. In addition, the first person narration is significant in order limit Sammy’s point of view. This makes him accept wrong judgments and think positively about the girls who visit the
Logos refers to the appeal to the reader’s sense of logic. This is normally accomplished with the use of evidence and facts. Spinney has a strong presence of Logos in her article. It is full of various forms of evidence. For example, she states, “Memory convergence is more likely to occur within social groups than between them — an important finding in light of survey data suggesting that 62% of US adults get their news from social media, where group membership is often obvious and reinforced” (Spinney). This evidence helps to prove how popular social groups are. It uses survey data to appeal to one’s logic. When readers read this statistic, it makes logical sense based on their life experiences and other information previously stated in the article. This makes the article more believable because it just makes logical sense. Another example of Logos at work is when Spinney explains, “There's a less obvious corollary: related information that goes unmentioned is more likely to fade than unrelated material, an effect known as retrieval-induced forgetting” (Spinney). In this example of Logos, actual statistics are not used. This is simply a statement that makes perfect sense based on background knowledge and a little common sense. Unmentioned related information is more forgettable than unrelated information simply because unrelated information is more likely to stand out in one’s mind. Unrelated info is
Whistling Boy by Frank Duveneck will go out on loan to San Francisco for an exhibition celebrating the 100 anniversary of the Panama-Pacific Expo. The piece that will be replacing the Whistling Boy in the Icons gallery is an incense burner from China made during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Whistling Boy will be gone through January 2016 and when it returns the painting will most likely be place in the Duveneck Gallery.