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John Quinones

Mr. Pickell

3 October 2017

English 1020

Carlos Deserves It All:

An Analysis of American Education Capitalization in Carlos Doesnt Remember

Capitalization. An act in which you take advantage of something. It can happen in any

situation. If you see a window of opportunity, you have a chance to capitalize on something.

Capitalization is not equal, though. There are some countries in the world where capitalization

does not exist, whether that be because of governmental reasons, or any other reason that limits

freedom of opportunity. In contrast, there are some countries that want people to take advantage

of capitalization in their country, they thrive on the opportunistic minds which drives the country

in the right direction. An ideal society is supposed to provide the best based on a persons

abilities.

Now, think of capitalization and how well do you perceive it here in the United States of

America. Do you think capitalization is acceptable in America? Or do you think capitalization is

a huge problem in America and there should be a call for change? More specifically, think about

it in terms of capitalization of education in America. Do you think all students are capitalizing on

their talents? Are they going to the best schools possible to get the best education possible to

meet their needs? Probably not.

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Capitalization in America is something that people can overlook. When a person thinks

about America, they think about the land of opportunity, but is there really opportunity for all

in this country? As this question is answered, think specifically about the students and schools in

America. Think about what you know of the schooling in America and the succession of students

who study in America all their lives. Is it something, as an American, that you are proud of? Or

should there be change, or reform, to get back to its competitive edge?

It can be tricky at times to evaluate whether capitalization of students in America is good

or not. There are numerous aspects to think about when answering all these questions. It matters

greatly on where that certain student lives. Whether in a safe or dangerous neighborhood, if the

students family household income is on the high or low end, or if the student has a family

responsibility like working to support their family. So many aspects to think about for kids who

should just focus on taking advantage of the education given to them. In this essay, capitalization

of students in America will be evaluated to see that if it is really a problem in the United States.

Capitalization in America is being addressed through an unbelievable story of a young

boy, who is talented, smart, even gifted, is told. His name is Carlos. Malcolm Gladwell, from

Revisionist History, interviews Carlos in a podcast episode called Carlos Doesnt Remember,

which was published on August 9th of 2016. Carlos is just another regular looking kid, he is very

mature for his age, and he seems older than he is. Carlos is that kid who always finishes his

school work early in class, gets good grades, doesnt really need to study, He catches on to most

concepts that he learns quickly. Carlos is all around gifted student. He also attends a massive

public high school in South Los Angeles, which is known for not having that much money. He

then transfers to an elite private school where he can continue to take advantage of his talents. As

Gladwell is interviews Carlos, he is providing background on the subject and his thought of
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capitalization in America and how he thinks it is not as good as people think it really is. By now,

a question is probably raised, So what? Carlos is a talented kid who is in an excellent high

school, so what is the problem here? Well, there are a lot of problems. A lot of bumps in the

road that Carlos must get through to get where he is today. More than you will ever know.

Eric Eisner, which is Carlos savior from all the misfortunes that he has gone through,

asks Carlos to remember the times where he goes through something very misfortunate. This

could be due to his family not having that much money and not living in a very safe and

prosperous neighborhood. A story was about how Carlos doesnt play with the other kids at

recess is brought up. He has shoes that are three sizes too big for him, and he doesnt want to be

around the other kids in fear of being embarrassed. Another story, more saddening, was brought

up about how Carlos and his sister, who he now must take care of since both of their parents are

absent, were taken into foster care. Carlos has a very selective memory, which he uses to his

power, because there werent a lot of good memories growing up as a child for him. He wants to

leave the past behind him. Eric Eisner helps Carlos leave that horrible past behind him. Eisner is

a very rich man with a lot of power. He uses his power and money to help less fortunate kids,

like Carlos, get a good education because they deserve it. They work extremely hard and Eisner

sees so much potential in them that their current education is not adequate to him so he wants to

send these kids to an elite private school. So, going to a private school that can push your

abilities is a great fit for the students that he helps.

Eisner then shares a story of another kid, who has a similar story as Carlos. This boy,

only in the fourth grade, shared his story with Eisner that his father and brother were shot by

their deranged neighbor, as their house is set on fire by the same person while the boy and his

sister were in the house hiding under a bed. It is very traumatizing for this boy to go through that,
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and the reason why Eisner brought this boy up was because he is in the top three of his class.

Carlos isnt as unique as thought of for the fact that there are literally thousands of kids who

cant take advantage of their academic talents because where they reside, if they dont have

enough money to go to a good school, or they are simply going through many unfortunate events

out of their control.

At the very end of the podcast, Carlos is asked if he ever felt pessimistic at any point of

his life. He answers with a different word, overwhelmed. Carlos sister also says that she

knows Carlos would never give up and he would always find a way to get through anything.

Malcolm Gladwell wants his target audience, who are either education activists, or reformers, to

pay attention to this current issue in America. Carlos has been put into bad situations many

times. All that he does not deserve to go through. He is a smart and talented kid that has a lot of

potential, but everything doesnt go his way. Gladwells purpose of this podcast is to think about

the idea of capitalization in America. He wants the audience to ask the question to themselves: is

it true that were good at capitalization?

Gladwell utilizes a definition argument to insist that America is not good at capitalization

as people perceive it to be. Gladwell includes formal definitions of the terms capitalization and

capitalization rate. He says, Civilized societies are supposed to provide opportunities for

people to make the most of their abilities, so that if youre born poor, you can move up; if you

work hard you can improve your lot. Theres even a term for this: capitalization (Gladwell,

02:57 04:15). He also adds, A societys capitalization rate is the percentage of people in any

group who are able to reach their potential, capitalize on their potential (Gladwell, 02:57

04:15). Gladwell provides definitions of both terms because they are the basis of his argument.

He builds his argument around these definitions because it leaves no room for discrepancy when
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these terms are further evaluated through Carlos story. Gladwell benefits from the use of formal

definitions because it is something that the audience will have to accept and there is no way to

avoid addressing it if the audience is not on Gladwells side. It is also useful since the term

capitalization is used, or indirectly used, throughout his argument as something to refer to as

he tells Carlos story. For example, this podcast explains how a young, smart, and talented kid

named Carlos, goes through many hardships of growing up in a poor neighborhood and not

getting the education that he deserves. Gladwell expresses that going to a very fancy private

school is nearly impossible in America if you do not have a rich, high-powered advocate to get

you there. This kind of method to get that kind of opportunity is not how capitalization in

America should be.

Gladwells target audience are those people who are education activists or reformers.

Gladwell wants his target audience to hear and know what is happening in an unfortunate life of

a talented kid, Carlos. A secondary audience could be concerned parents in America who hear

about how lucky their own kids have it, which applies to pathos where they want to see kids

across America receiving the same chances, because they do not want what happened to Carlos

to happen to their own children. The style of the podcast, which alternates from narration to

interview, is appropriate for it gives an effective appeal to ethos, pathos, and logos. All three of

these appeals do a good job appealing to the audience, especially pathos, using Carlos own

voice to connect to the audience, and logos, using facts and background about the current

situation of Carlos and where he resides. The genre is a podcast, more specifically an interview.

The podcast, which costs money and time to have everyone in one place for the interview is a

constraint. A podcast is worth it though because it allows for voices and emotions to be heard,

rather than hearing the argument in writing where the audience can have difficulty determining
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tone and mood. Gladwell created this podcast to raise awareness of the capitalization problem in

America and it should be brought to his audiences attention. Gladwell knows that if this

problem is left alone, then it will become a bigger problem in America soon.

Malcolm Gladwell contributes to his Ethos just by presenting himself as a well-known

author who has five New York Times bestsellers. He is also named one of the one hundred most

influential people by TIME magazine and one of the Foreign Policys Top Global Thinkers,

(Revisionist History Podcast. Revisionist History, revisionisthistory.com/about). Gladwell is a

very trusted individual that automatically targets his audience of education reformers and

activists to make a change because of who he is. He knows that he can use that power to connect

to his audience. Good ethos is provided when the Gladwell provides good judgement, This is

what civilized societies are supposed to do: to provide opportunities for people to make the most

of their abilities, so that if youre born poor, you can move up; if you work hard you can improve

your lot. Theres even a term for this: capitalization. A societys capitalization rate is the

percentage of people in any group who are able to reach their potential, capitalize on their

potential. I think the capitalization rate is one of the single best ways we have to capture how

successful and just a society is. If I know that number, I think I have a better handle on how well

a country is doing than if I know its GDP, or its growth rate, or its per-capita income. And right

from the beginning, Americans have told themselves that they are really good at capitalization.

Really good at social mobility. Any kid can grow up to be president. Thats what is supposed to

set America apart from everywhere else (Gladwell, 02:57 04:15). He addresses that civil

societies should give opportunities for all people to make most of what they can do. He also says

that it doesnt matter where you are from, if you are poor/at the bottom, you can move up as long

as you work hard. These two very direct statements from Gladwell are a summary of what
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capitalization means. Gladwell is basing his argument on the definition of capitalization and

thinks that it is the most accurate piece of data when analyzing how successful a countrys

society is, not GDP, or its growth rate, or its per-capita income. Gladwells thought of

capitalization is something that the audience will agree is worth addressing. This quote and use

of ethos contributes to Gladwells argument because it shows how aware/knowledgeable he is

about capitalization, which helps his credibility when audiences are determining if he can be

trusted or not. Another contribution to ethos is when he asks a question I want to reevaluate

that idea. Go back and ask the question: is it true that were [America] good at capitalization?

(Gladwell, 04:16 05:02). Doing this shows that he is understanding the complexity of the issue

and wants his audience to reevaluate capitalization in America. Gladwell is also showing

authority in this quote by asking a question, which suggests to the audience that he is

knowledgeable on the topic. Gladwell also uses a lot of outside sources throughout this podcast

interview. He uses the trust in Carlos personal story and Erics, who used to be a lawyer, story,

as the basis to fulfill his argument. Gladwell is putting a lot of trust in these sources because he is

just relaying the information in his podcast. He chose the people he interviews wisely so that he

can get the most effect out of the subject.

In Carlos Doesnt Remember, Gladwell appeals to pathos to persuade his readers that

America is not as good at capitalization as people perceive it to be. Pathos is mainly being used

in this podcast through the peoples voice throughout the interview so it can appeal to the

audience. Gladwell uses this to his advantage because when someone is sad, quiet, surprised, or

even about to cry, the audience can hear it. An example of this is when Eric Eisner, Carlos

advocate, meets another young fourth grade and tells a frame story. His answer was so peculiar,

it gripped me so fast. He looked at me and he said, there was violence. Those were the very
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words that came out of his mouth. And the minute he said it I went, oh my god. (Gladwell,

26:46 28:58). This part of the frame story expresses the terror and sadness that that fourth

grader is going through. His father and brother were just shot dead, he and his sister were hiding

in their burning house from their deranged neighbor, all while the mother was nowhere to be

seen. The kid saying, there was violence and Eisner responds to it by saying oh my god

appeals to the audiences emotions that this is a serious issue and that these kinds of scenarios

are like what Carlos is going through. Another use of pathos is when Gladwell asks Carlos sister

what she thinks about him and Carlos holds back his tears. Carlos is looking straight ahead as

shes speaking, like he doesnt want to cry (Gladwell, 32:23). Carlos sister describes her

brother as someone who she thought would never give up. All what Carlos has gone through of

having an absent father, their mother being taken to prison, and Carlos has to take care of her

sister on his own just caught up with Carlos at that moment. He is about to cry and you can hear

the distress in his young voice through the podcast. This contributes to pathos because it is a

heartbreaking moment that summarizes Carlos depressing story.

Malcom Gladwell contributes to the use of logos as he provides many statistics from

credible sources. Gladwell mentions a lot of statistics throughout the interview and strategically

places them where they relate to the subtopics being talked about at that moment. He uses data

from two prominent economists, Caroline Hoxby of Stanford and Chris Avery of Harvard. Both

economists wanted to prove wrong that there arent a lot of poor, smart kids out there. Hoxby

and Avery decide to fact check this. Is it true? They go to the college board and get the entire

database of college test scores, SAT and ACT. Then they take those scores and match each score

to a high school and a neighborhood and a zip code, all they could find about where a student

comes from, and they end up with a map of every high-achieving low-income high school senior
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in the country. And heres what Hoxby and Avery discover: the admissions officers are totally

wrong (Gladwell, 11:32 12:40). The two reputable economists, Hoxby and Avery, prove that

the admissions officers are wrong. That there are about 35,000 students a year who place very

high in standardized testing, which is way more than the drop in the bucket. The premise that,

capitalization in the United States is not as good as people think it is, is backed up here by this

fact that there are thousands of students who do not get the opportunity to use their potential to

the fullest. This applies to logos that the readers should accept as well for it is gathered data that

is considered statistics/facts.

Malcolm Gladwells fallacies include the use of either-or choices, overly sentimental, and

dogmatism. Gladwell asks a question to the audience, Go back and ask the question: is it true

that were [America] good at capitalization? (Gladwell, 04:16 05:02). This makes the

audience think and applies to pathos since an either-or-choice is made that either were good at

capitalization or not. Gladwell then overblows emotional appeals that distracts from facts which

can weaken his argument. A friend of mine was once stopped by cops, speeding on the West

River Drive in Manhattan, drunk with a syringe on the dashboard. And what happened? Nothing

happened! He went on to have the kind of brilliant career, he deserved to have. Thats the point

of privilege: it buys you second chances (Gladwell, 24:46 26:44). He gives a short story of a

friend that is exaggerated greatly to get the simple point across that privilege gets you second

chances. Last, Gladwell wants the audience to call this story depressing using dogmatism. But

whatever you do, dont call this story inspirational. Because its not. Its depressing. Because it

says that if you live in Lenox and things go awry, you must have an Eric and an Alina in your

corner, and be as tough and single minded and one-in-a-million as Carlos is to make it out

(Gladwell, 28:59 30:54). He does not call it inspirational because of all the unfortunate things
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that happened to Carlos and the unnamed boy. Its sad because Carlos is very lucky to have all

those helpful and supportive people in his life to get him through his troubles that are out of his

control. Even though there were fallacies identified, some that may not be considered fallacies by

the audience, Gladwells argument is still deemed very effective as a whole.

The issue that capitalization of American students is not as good as people think it is

addressed well in this podcast. Gladwells utilizes good judgement and questioning, Carlos

powerful story, and statistics from two reputable economists to back up his argument. Therefore,

the use of a podcast is very effective in expressing Gladwells purpose to his audience. This

ultimately raises awareness that capitalization of students in America is not as good as it is

thought to be.
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Work Cited

Gladwell, Malcolm. Revisionist History Episode 04. Revisionist History, 9 Aug. 2016,

revisionisthistory.com/episodes/04-carlos-doesnt-remember.