Where Sweatshops Are A Dream Analysis

Where Sweatshops Are A Dream

In the New York Times essay, “ Where Sweatshops Are A Dream,” writer Nicholas D. Kristof declares that how people in the poor countries such as The Kingdom of Cambodia (in Phnom Penh) are working in the harsh situations, and they all have dream to work for sweatshops. I chose this article because as long as I began to read this article I felt so sorrowful for children who are living in the undeveloped countries and because they deserve a better life. Although most of the people special American disagree with sweatshops, after reading this article, now I do agree. This article has three points for a classical argument piece such as ethos, pathos, and logos. Moreover, in this article Mr. Kristof explains to the readers why sweatshops can provide great opportunities for people in Phnom Penh than searching for old

plastic cups in the vast garbage dump in Phnom Penh, and he describes how sweatshops are literally a dream, a wish that people someday hope comes true. His first goal is to persuade audience that sweatshops are beneficial, and he indicates that poor countries such as Ghana and Cambodia do not have the same chance than countries in better-off nation like Malaysia. He also mentioned one way in order to help people in the poorest countries. Therefore, Mr. Kristof succeeds to write an informative and interesting argument by providing his reliability, effective reasons, and attractive to both logic and emotions.
Mr. Kristof as other authors has to get audience attention and their trust. In his classical argument he used ethos to persuade readers that sweatshops are beneficial. He spent several years living and observing in East Asia. He realized how living standards increased because of sweatshops even in his wife’s hometown in southern China (Kristof and WuDunn). In New York Times, Mr. Kristof has written several articles about sweatshops, and several other controversial topics, so he has a great credibility.
His credibility is not the only reason that his article becomes very interesting, he also indicates emotion and sensitivity (pathos) towards his topic. “ I’d love to get a job in a factory, at least that work is in the shade” Pim Srey Rath, a 19-year-old woman scavenging for plastic said. As a result it demonstrates how the author build a sense of empathy in the audience. He is always straight to the point, logical and uses amazing visual imagery as well.
This article has a clear structure and logical manner(logos).

Generally, writing an article about a different side of sweatshops takes many courage and guts, but Mr. Kristof did an excellent job. At the beginning of the article he indicate the environment surrounding of sweatshop. Then, he goes into details and explaining what the sweatshop would look like from the average American’s point of view. “ The miasma of toxic stink leaves you gasping, breezes batter you with filth, and even the rats look forlorn. Then the smoke parts and you come across a child ambling barefoot, searching for old plastic cups that recyclers will buy for five cents a pound. Many families actually live in shacks on this smoking garbage.” From my perspective, one of the strength points about this article is Mr. Kristof put the visual description at the beginning of his article. The interesting part for me that Mr. Kristof mentioned is: “Talk to these families in the dump, and a job in a sweatshop is a cherished dream, an escalator out of poverty, the kind f gauzy if probably unrealistic ambition that parents everywhere often have for their

children.”