Undercover Persuasion
Much like the topic she writes on, Ellen Goodman's true feelings about the rise international surrogate motherhood is an enigma. She presents an explanatory account of the recent rise in the modern business practice, that has produced much controversy across the world. What adds to the voice of Goodman's credibility, or ethos, is her presentation of both sides of the issue. She reasons with her audience, citing the positive aspects of growing surrogacy. Goodman explains that women of third world countries will earn a decade's worth salary “for the production and delivery of a child.” Appealing to her readers pathos, she goes on to explain how surrogate motherhood is a far more beneficial alternative to such women than “a job crushing glass in a factory for $25 a month.” The reader is able to visualize poor, tired, malnutrition-ed women slaving away in terrible conditions, and imagine the injuries they could obtain, both physically and emotionally, from wasting their lives away crushing sharp, dangerous glass.
However, Ellen Goodman's true feelings about her topic are revealed towards the conclusion of her essay, subtlety, but powerfully. She closes her essay with the words “humanity is sacrificed to the economy and the person becomes the product.” Her concern and disagreement with the process of surrogacy pertains to the ethical and moral boundaries that are being crossed. This includes the relationship between the birth mother and the child she gives birth to, the exploitation of poor and illiterate “employees”, possible physical dangers, and overall intrusion of commercialism into what is natural and humane.
Ellen Goodman's essay is particularly memorable and powerful because of her effective use of ethos and pathos as a writer. She creates her own credibility by presenting both sides of the story, unlike several writers of current controversial topics. She writes as an informer, not as a persuader. She empowers her message by utilizing pathos, arising feelings of sympathy within her readers. Personally, after reading her essay, I can further understand the issues behind the debate of international fertility commercialism, and understand why it is wrong, but also, why it could be beneficial.
I agree that by stating both sides of the issue it helps give make her sound more credible as an author because she is not completely biased on the issue. However, she does not state any background information or any relation to the topic in a professional way therefore it does provide doubt. I think her article would also be a lot stronger if she could have provided a solution to the problem.
ReplyDeleteI liked your descriptions using ethos and pathos because I thought Goodman used both very well. I thought her true feelings came out when she talked about comparing surrogacy to slavery but I can agree with the end of the piece as well.
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