AP English Language Weekly #2

For the Week of September 7-11, 2020

Monday - No School Labor Day

Tuesday Introduction to our text for this marking period – In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
- What is the difference between fiction and non-fiction? How do you know one from
another?
- Complete the biographical information on Truman Capote using your electronic
device. Report out your findings at the end of the hour.
- The text can be downloaded in either PDF, MOBI or EPUB. I do have some hard
copies of the text put I will need some of you to take the electronic version since I do
not have enough hard copies for this class.
- Read In Cold Blood Part I – The Last to See Them Alive by Tuesday, September 15.
Take annotated notes by either using a Major Works Data Sheet or by using sticky
notes.

Wednesday - Finish the introduction for the Rhetorical Analysis #1 Pitts. Turn in when complete.
Read In Cold Blood Part I – The Last to See Them Alive by Tuesday, September 15.

Thursday - Reviewing Ethos, Pathos and Logos and introducing Kairos

- See if you can find it in Rhetorical Analysis #2

Friday - Go through your introduction vs the sample introductions from Rhetorical Analysis
#1
- Take a look at the AP rubric for the Rhetorical Analysis Essay.
- Complete a full essay Rhetorical Analysis of either article #1 or #2. You choose.
This will be due before class on Thursday, September 17.
- You will need to justify your rhetorical analysis grade using the AP rubric on
Thursday, September 17.
What are logos, ethos, pathos, and kairos?

Often, instructors give assignments asking students to analyze the “argument” that a text makes, or to
take a side on a “hot topic” issue. Most often, he or she wants you to think about the “rhetorical
strategies” that the author of the text uses to address his or her audience and to think about the
“rhetorical situation” that involves the writer, the audience, and the text. Instructors may ask you to
consider the concepts of “logos,” “ethos,” “pathos,” and “kairos” (all Ancient Greek rhetoric terms) to
breakdown the rhetorical situation. This handout offers you a definition and explanation of each concept
and concludes by giving you a few suggestions as to how you may conduct your analysis using these
terms.

Logos (Greek for “word”)

 Focuses attention on the message.

 Often called a “logical appeal,” or an “appeal to reason.”
 Points out internal consistency and clarity within its argument.
 Frequently uses data to support its claim.

Ethos (Greek for “character”)

 Focuses attention on the writer’s or speaker’s trustworthiness.

 Takes one of two forms: “appeal to character” or “appeal to credibility.”
 A writer may show “ethos” through her tone, such as taking care to show more than one side of
an issue before arguing for her side. When you use a counterargument to show an opposing side
to an issue before explaining why your thesis is still correct, you use ethos.
 Other times, the author may rely on his reputation for honesty or his experience in a particular
field. Advertising that relies on doctors’ statements or political records often use an appeal to
ethos.

Pathos (Greek for “suffering” or “experience”)

 Focuses attention on the values and beliefs of the intended audience.

 Appeals to the audience’s capacity for empathy, often by using an imaginable story to exemplify
logical appeals.
 Whereas logos and ethos appeal to our mental capacities for logic, pathos appeals to our
imaginations and feelings, helping the audience grasp an argument’s significance in terms of
how it would help or harm the tangible world around them.
Kairos (Greek for “right time,” “season” or “opportunity”)

 Refers to the “timeliness” of an argument.

 Often, for an ad or an argument to be successful, it needs appropriate tone and structure and come at
the right time. For example, an ad featuring Avril Lavigne would be more effective for a teen magazine in
2002 than in 2012. A Sears ad featuring Kim Kardashian would be more appropriate in TeenVogue than
it would be in AARP magazine.

 Kairos is also the reason you might send a different kind of complaint email to your boss than you
would to your mom or to a close friend. You may want similar results from all three of these recipients,
but depending on who will read it, you may adjust the timing, tone and level of formality within the
email itself.

How can you use these four concepts in your writing?

Remember that effective arguments use each of these rhetorical strategies to some extent. Some news
articles may focus on connecting with a reader’s empathy rather than presenting a lot of statistics, but
logos is still likely to be involved to some degree. Some ads may really focus on “What’s Hot Now,”
which seems like a direct appeal to kairos, but also involves ethos by using a popular celebrity who
serves as a “credible source” on new trends. Feel like you’re ready to analyze? How about write an
argumentative essay of your own? Check out our “thesis statements” worksheet for tips on creating a
strong central argument!

Content adapted from Writing Arguments: A Rhetoric with Readings (8th Edition), pp. 62-63