Michael Stahl, a freelance writer based in New York, has written a range of topics ranging from The 9/11 of Absence Excuses to Inside the Colorado Mansion Where the Kittens of BDSM Run Wild. Enticing titles is a signature of Stahl, and one of his recent memoirs takes the cake. Michael Stahl’s The Day My Therapist Dared Me to Have Sex With Her was voted one of the 20 best untold tales by the editors at Narratively. Pairing his unique story of gaining self-confidence with a seemingly unrelated title, Stahl shows how the weirdest and most uncomfortable situations lead to self-emboldenment. Stahl’s use of pathos to draw a connection to his audience allows readers to not distracted by the out-of-the-ordinary title and instead focus on Michael’s …show more content…
journey, while Stahl’s tone and method of delivery lend his memoir an easy readability and trustworthiness. Michael Stahl’s The Day My Therapist Dared Me to Have Sex With Her is a successful piece of rhetoric because of its effective use of pathos, ethos, and narration. The rhetorical situation is set with Michael Stahl, the author, as the rhetor of his memoir; the exigence is from having this personal experience while in therapy for building upon his lack of self-esteem. Stahl’s audience isn’t limited to one specific group, but those who have or are currently experiencing some sort of therapy can be seen as the primary audience. Another subset of Stahl’s audience can be based solely on the title, which is provocative, unexpected, and more than capable of drawing in readers that had their interests piqued. The purpose in Stahl writing this memoir is to share his curious and unconventional story, as Narratively, the online website this memoir was published on, is a digital publication and storytelling studio that focuses on ordinary people with extraordinary stories that mainstream media doesn’t find. Several constraints placed upon Stahl and his memoir is that Narratively isn’t included in mainstream media. It is not a website that any person could recognize as easily by name compared to sites like Buzzfeed or even The Onion. Therefore, finding this specific story would take considerable knowledge of Narratively actually being an existing site, which builds into a resource. Narratively users and those interest in Narratively’s content would have been able to find this story, especially since it is in the 20 Best Untold Tales list at Narratively. Another resource is Michael Stahl’s phenomenal and suggestive title, which does better than a bland title would in drawing readers to his story. Stahl’s use of pathos shifts from a sexual fantasy that one might be excited to read to a “bigger picture” inspirational story that only used this unique situation to portray how he was able to achieve his original goal after getting into therapy.
The title leads anyone suspecting of a false story to think immediately of a sexual relationship between a man mentally struggling and a female therapist ready to please her client. Stahl uses descriptive language and unveiling details, such as Lori’s reveal of other clients sharing sexual fantasies with her to her blunt proclamation that Stahl wished he could do her from …show more content…
behind. Stahl’s pathos does not fulfill the immediate need the audience has. The raunchy title suggests a provocative plot, which almost comes to fruition. Hypothetically, if Michael were to say ‘yes’ to Lori when she offered herself to him, later on during Michael’s interview with Lori, she states that having an intimate relationship with a client normally isn’t reciprocated on the therapist’s part; instead, the therapist is playing along to make the client happy while the client believes everything about this “relationship” is real. Even though Stahl didn’t please the small subset of his audience who came because of the title, achieving his goals with the unusual aid of (almost) sex and an intimate therapist relationship offers inspiration those going through therapy and gives satisfaction towards his primary audience. Stahl uses ethos in describing the length of time he spent in therapy, along with the justification as to why he is there to begin with. Stahl was trying to build his self-esteem, as he was “always the target of ridicule” within the confines of his family. Stahl was not in therapy for a drug addiction or a tremendously negative issue such as suicide, which showed that he was mentally stable. The reader is able to make a connection with Stahl, as him being in therapy for a relatively small issue makes it seem as though it could very well be the reader in his footsteps, about to indulge in a fantasy that many dream of. Something that was brought up continually throughout the memoir was the length of time Stahl spent in therapy. This shows how long he was committed not only to achieving his goal of building self-esteem, but also how dedicated he was to Lori even after he got into a serious relationship with someone else. Much of Lori’s progress and breakthrough with Michael was through the sexual tension that she continually brought up and even developed. Even after Michael started to figure out things for himself and build confidence, along with getting a girlfriend, he was committed to Lori through and through, despite several lengthy pauses in time because of work. This commitment is significant not only to build Stahl’s case of ethos, but also to stress how difficult love and human emotion was to deal with, giving the audience a chance to be sympathetic and, therefore, closer and more trusting of Stahl. The coexistence of Lori and Shauna was a battle of emotion and morals; the actions of Michael showed readers how considerate he was, proving to the reader that he was a man with good intentions that they could trust.
Lori’s close and open “relationship” with Michael texting him on a daily basis. It is considered an ill-advised choice for a therapist to text and interact so closely outside of the office, as it could lead to influenced emotional decisions that wouldn’t be in the best interest of either the therapist or client. After reading some of the text messages Lori sent to Michael, Shauna was considerably upset, and in turn, Michael describes his situation to Lori the following day and asked for this mode of contact to end. Michael did not think this communication was a big deal, but he did not want to upset
Shauna. What makes Stahl’s use of narrative effective and efficient is that Stahl achieves a goal, similar to morals found in fables or heroes achieving something significant in a story. Stahl’s memoir was not a how-to list of how to accomplish what he did in therapy. Instead, it was a story intended to share how he was able to accomplish creating more self-esteem and confidence through unusual circumstances in therapy. Pairing the setting of his experiences (of Stahl being in therapy), Stahl is able to connect to his audience, as the intended audience should know what therapy feels like, and the unusual circumstances could be believed and possibly shared with other members of the audience who have legitimately gone through similar things, such as erotic transference and sexual relationships. Stahl writes his memoir in narration from start to finish. In choosing to do so, this works with the audience as it is a personal story of his experience with therapy and uncomfortable situation, compared to if Stahl wrote a self-help list of how to approach therapy for gaining self-esteem. In conclusion, Stahl’s rhetoric in his captivating memoir is successful because of his intuitive uses of pathos, ethos, and narration. Even with what could be considered two audiences—one primary and another a subset—Stahl’s pathos satisfies the primary audience through inspiration with the use of an alluring plot. Stahl is able to establish a comfortable tone and pace for readers to follow with his efficient and effective use of ethos, allowing readers to feel connected to Stahl throughout the memoir. The method of delivery, narration, allows for the story to be told in its captivating essence instead of being a to-do list of how to gain self-esteem. Considering Stahl’s situation with Lori, imagine if he said ‘yes.’ One small decision—a decision many men would probably not think too hard about—has so much impact; saying ‘yes’ would mean Stahl might not have ended up with Shauna or Stahl not gaining self-esteem and confidence when he said ‘no’ to such a tempting offer. If you were in Michael’s shoes, would you have taken Lori up on her offer, or considered why you were in therapy in the first place?
Devin Friedman is a creative storyteller who incorporates observant details in his writings, which makes the readers feel like as if they are part of the adventure. Devin attended the University of Michigan, and he was awarded as the winner of the Hopwood Contest. This contest was hosted by the university committee who appoints experienced judges and the Ann Arbor community to select winners in different writing divisions. In his recent years, Devin wrote for numerous publications such as The Best American Crime Writing, The Best American Travel Writing, The New York Times Magazine, Rolling Stone, The New Yorker, Esquire, People's Stories, and GQ. Out of the many articles Friedman has written in the past, “The Best Night $500,000 Can Buy,” “Famous People: James Franco,” and “The Unbearable Awkwardness of Being” are the ones I have chosen to read because of the interesting subject matters and the different writing styles.
hooks, bell. "Seduction and Betrayal." Writing as Re-Vision: A Student's Anthology. Ed. Beth Alvarado and Barbara Cully. Needham Heights: Simon & Schuster Custom Publishing, 1998. 108-111.
Alison Bechdel's graphic memoir, Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic, documents the author's discovery of her own and her father's homosexuality. The book touches upon many themes, including, but not limited to, the following: sexual orientation, family relationships, and suicide. Unlike most autobiographical works, Bechdel uses the comics graphic medium to tell her story. By close-reading or carefully analyzing pages fourteen through seventeen in Fun Home one can get a better understanding of how a Bechdel employs words and graphic devices to render specific events. One can also see how the specific content of the pages thematically connects to the book as a whole. As we will see, this portion of the book echoes the strained relationship between Bruce Bechdel and his family and his attempts to disguise his homosexuality by creating the image of an ideal family, themes which are prevalent throughout the rest of the nook.
While all relationships can be difficult, romantic relationships seem to be some of the most complicated types. Sometimes two people can care for one another so much, yet they cannot seem to communicate effectively. When a lack of communication occurs between two people for a long period of time, it most likely will lead to a huge confrontation and possibly a complete dissolve of the relationship. The Break-Up is a movie that shows how important interpersonal communication is in relationships. The movie features Brooke and Gary, a couple which has been together for several years. Although they seem to be arguing about something trivial like lemons, there are much bigger issues that begin to surface. Throughout this paper I will show how
Andi Anderson (Kate Hudson) is a beautiful, young, and successful writer who maintains a “How-To” section in “Composure” magazine. Her dream is to “write about things that matter, like politics and the environment, and foreign affairs- things I’m interested in.” (How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days, time stamp 02:00). She knows that the only way she will eventually be able to write about subjects she’s passionate about is to be successful in writing her superficial “How-To” section in the magazine.
An Author’s Words of Wisdom An analysis of Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use” Authors often name their written and perfected texts by using the main gist of the story, a specific line, or, often, the message, which is cleverly enveloped in the title. An example of an author who used a certain line to name their book was Steinbeck, in his story about the Great Depression, “The Grapes of Wrath.” An example of a story in which the author uses the message of the story to portray and derive a title was with Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible.” Further, authors come up with titles, and often, readers do not understand or care to understand the idea of the title.
The tragicomic Fun Home, by Alison Bechdel, is generally considered one of the most important pieces of the modern LGBTQ canon of literature. The graphic novel tells the story of Alison Bechdel’s attempt to find the truth about her father’s sexuality and what lead him to possibly commit suicide. Along the way, Bechdel finds her own sexuality. Bechdel’s choice to write about her and her father’s simultaneous journey to finding their sexuality was revolutionary at the time. Very few authors were writing openly about their own sexuality, and something even more revolutionary that Bechdel addressed was mental illness.
hooks, b. Seduction and Betrayal. In B. Alvarado & B. Cully (Eds.), Writing As Re-vision: A Student's Anthology (pp. 108-111). Needham Heights, MA: Simon & Schuster Custom Publishing.
In this vignette, the client and social worker begin a new session at the point where the last left off. Kirsten, a college student, has come to this private practice setting to discuss her experiences, fears, and difficulties with coming out, particularly after her previous coming out experiences. In the previous sessions, the worker and Kirsten have explored many themes revolving around coming out, her experience coming out to her neighbor, and Kirsten’s anxieties about talking with her sister. The role of the social worker in this vignette is to discuss possible options with Kirsten as she moves toward talking with her sister, engaging in role play Kirsten has requested, and exploring Kirsten’s feelings about the upcoming meeting with her
Over the course of their therapeutic relationship, Dr. Davenport violates client confidentiality as it is described by the American Counseling
I have chosen to write about Virginia Woolf, a British novelist who wrote A Room of One’s Own, To the Lighthouse and Orlando, to name a few of her pieces of work. Virginia Woolf was my first introduction to feminist type books. I chose Woolf because she is a fantastic writer and one of my favorites as well. Her unique style of writing, which came to be known as stream-of-consciousness, was influenced by the symptoms she experienced through her bipolar disorder. Many people have heard the word "bipolar," but do not realize its full implications. People who know someone with this disorder might understand their irregular behavior as a character flaw, not realizing that people with bipolar mental illness do not have control over their moods. Virginia Woolf’s illness was not understood in her lifetime. She committed suicide in 1941.
In the graphic novel Fun Home, by Allison Bechdel, sexual self-discovery plays a critical role in the development of the main character, Allison Bechdel herself; furthermore, Bechdel depicts the plethora of factors that are pivotal in the shaping of who she is before, during and after her sexual self-development. Bechdel’s anguish and pain begins with all of her accounts that she encountered at home, with her respective family member – most importantly her father – at school, and the community she grew up within. Bechdel’s arduous process of her queer sexual self-development is throughout the novel as complex as her subjectivity itself. Main points highlight the difficulties behind which are all mostly focused on the dynamics between her and her father. Throughout the novel, she spotlights many accounts where she felt lost and ashamed of her coming out and having the proper courage to express this to her parents. Many events and factors contributed to this development that many seem to fear.
Gartner, Richard B. Betrayed as Boys: Psychodynamic Treatment of Sexually Abused Men. New York: Guilford, 1999. Print.
For all intents and purposes, the act of telling stories about their alleged illness is the main outlet for MBI offenders since storytelling affords the offender an opportunity to both construct and live out ornate, fantastical, and rather complicated personal histories that are often far more interesting that the truth. Characteristically, the stories of MBI offenders resemble that of an old wives-tale or “fish story” in that the context of MBI stories generally consist of a wide array of exaggerations, fictitious characters, and unbelievable storylines and plots that the offender hope will bring more attention or sympathy towards their direction (Cunningham & Feldman, 2011). In theory, the overt exaggeration in these stories likely makes
Sexual relationships between counselors and clients should never ben permitted due to the power associated with the counselor’s role with clients. While ethical guidelines vary between different counseling associations as to whether it is acceptable for counselors to have sexual relationships with clients after the professional relationship has ended, in many cases these relationships continue to be prohibited. This standard is held because some believe that the powe...