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Generic College Paper Rhetorical Summary

The document summarizes Jon Wu's article "A Generic College Paper", which argues that college students often use flowery and complex language in their writing that detracts from the content. The author uses ethos by establishing himself as an authoritative figure on the topic. He appeals to pathos through passionate language emphasizing his value of plain rhetoric over pretentious vocabulary. Logos is also used through presenting convincing evidence, such as common tricks writers use to meet word counts that actually undermine the argument.

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207 views1 page

Generic College Paper Rhetorical Summary

The document summarizes Jon Wu's article "A Generic College Paper", which argues that college students often use flowery and complex language in their writing that detracts from the content. The author uses ethos by establishing himself as an authoritative figure on the topic. He appeals to pathos through passionate language emphasizing his value of plain rhetoric over pretentious vocabulary. Logos is also used through presenting convincing evidence, such as common tricks writers use to meet word counts that actually undermine the argument.

Uploaded by

neliamarichal
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Nelia Marichal

Professor Trevor Hunsworth


ENC 1143
September 24, 2019

In “A Generic College Paper” by Jon Wu, the author utilizes logos, pathos, and ethos to
assert the notion that college students have a tendency to utilize “flowery” language that often
takes away from the content of college essays.
The use of ethos by the author is not blatant. One can only assume that he is a college
professor or an adept and experienced writer in the way that he points out common flaws of
typical college writing. This makes Wu appear as an authoritative figure, making for a
convincing argument for more concise language that demonstrates a genuine understanding of
a topic.
Wu appeals to pathos by constructing a passionate delivery of his ideas. Stating that
“Since the beginning of time, bullshit, flowery overgeneralization with at least one thesaurus’d
vocabulary word.” He begins with a forceful and assertive tone that emphasizes an underlying
value. He clearly values plain rhetoric over the use of a seemingly pretentious vocabulary. Wu
also states that this particular use of language reveals a “blind search for evidence reflecting
increasing desperation.” The use of such harsh words such as “blind” and “desperation” suggest
that the practice of language in most college essays do not enhance the essay, but in fact drains
it of incompetence of the writer. The author’s harsh diction highlights his strong feelings
towards the subject, allowing for readers to also feel similarly or at least deeply reflect on their
previous construction of college essays.
Logos is also a meaningful mode of persuasion in this document, as Wu presents
evidence in a vary convincing way. This allows the reader to feel as though the writer is very
knowledgeable about this subject. He says that in college essays there is often an implement of
“open-ended question undoing what little intellectual progress has been made? Filler sentence,
which breaks entire flow of argument, specifically designed with maximum complexity in mind
so as to solve lingering word minimum concerns.” This statement demonstrates that the author
is very equipped with evidence against average college essay writers. He lists common tricks
that appear constantly, while also providing brief explanations as to how these practices are
actually ineffective. His use of logic is compelling in this case, as it again forces the reader to
reflect on the ways of writing.

Word Count: 381

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