A Reality to Expect: College Graduates Realization
“Rhetoric then may be defined as the faculty of discovering the possible means of persuasion about any subject”; it comes from the outstanding words of Aristotle, a Greek Philosopher who came up with the terms, Ethos, Pathos, and Logos. The three terms describe how a writer creates credibility and character. A writer uses logic and stimulates the emotion to persuade and inform an audience. An example of a writer who is experienced in most of these modes of persuasion is Jennie Le, author of the Vietnam Talking Points. She happens to be recognized for her work of interpreting expressive forms of illustrations. In the article “What Does It Mean ‘to be a College Grad?” she goes into detail about what it is like to be a college graduate and what would be beneficial for a college degree. Those that have a college degree take their success as part of an accomplishment and therefore figure out what the next chapter in their lives is. One should work hard to achieve their goals and make a difference in the world. Those that do not bother to try their best like college graduates are setting themselves up for failure and defeat. College graduates want to become victorious and successful and want to pursue their passion for anything that will come to mind. Le was urged to write the article due to her broad research and stories as an author. She states that having a college degree means living a comfortable life and having the chance to move up at work and in life. Le explains the significance of having a college degree and what benefits it has in society. She informs her readers and peers that dedication, motivation, and inspiration can make a distinction in success, the world, and life. Jennie Le builds a powerful and meaningful argument throughout the different categories of persuasion. She provides Ethos by presenting her research and discussing her personal experience for the topic, Logos by using a set of factual evidence and an indisputable explanation, and Pathos by explaining her daily routine before she graduated and receiving her freedom as she earned her degree.
Le corresponds elaborate and brilliant beliefs as it is explicitly considered with the ethos in the first chapter that contains the character and credibility, providing confidence, and having professionalism. This can draw awareness to the viewers about building ethics that can be understandable to what Le is saying in her claims. Her belief in ethos is clear when she is explaining about the character she chose to become and creating a fighting chance to make way for a better life for herself when her mother didn’t have that: “Personally, my degrees validate my mother’s choice to leave Vietnam. She moved here for an opportunity. She wasn’t able to attend college here or in Vietnam, nor choose her occupation. But her hard work has allowed her children to become the first generation of Americans in the family to earn college degrees: she gave us the ability to make choices she wasn’t privileged to make” (40). She indicates that her mother didn’t have the opportunities that her children have, so she had to support them with any kind of opportunity she was given to make their lives better and to have a better future for them. For this example, Le has made it clear to the people that making the best decisions is believing in oneself, being motivated, and inspired to achieve their objectives. The first generation that comes from families or previous generations will provide the best element for change in a case where the previous generations did not get education, careers, or workforce to be resourceful for their families. That way the new generations can have a better life for themselves and they won’t have to follow in the same path or trouble any more. Le’s choice of evidence is eloquent, appealing, and alluring as it presented her belief to be an appropriate illustration to ethos. Another example of ethos is about how she will have new responsibilities with long-term and short-term goals as she is transitioning into a member of society after becoming a college graduate. “I will also have new commitments: weekly dinner dates with my mom, brother/sister time with my other two brothers, job hunting and career-building, car purchasing, and maintenance… In essence, my life will be – or at least feel – completely different” (40). Le testifies that there will be some obstacles coming along her way that she must face and would have to figure out a schedule with a balanced life and a maintained lifestyle. She asserts that she is going to have some new changes and responsibilities that will come her way, so she can learn how to become a mature adult. This explains to the reader that Le understands how to specify the interpretation she has demonstrated and prove to them her submission in a way that the reader accepts that her beliefs are exact and vivid. This is because she believes and understands that her life will now be different and will need to adjust to her new life. This indicates to the reader that Le understands how to connect her illustrations to her interpretation in the sense that the reader admits that her interpretations are specific. Le makes sure that she is particular with what she illustrates and using the cooperative data, the readers do not have the need to overthink, doubt, underestimate, or question about the passage. Le’s use of ethos creates a valid representation of the images of her statement.
Le coordinates sophisticated thoughts as it is briefly explained upon pathos back in the first chapter along with the support of emotions, convincing people through a response and persuasions in arguments. Her argument in pathos is expressing about not going through struggles, hassles, or sacrifices once a college student becomes a college grad: “By Fall, there will be no more acappella rehearsals, no more papers or exams, no more sleepless nights, no more weekday drinking, no more 1 AM milk tea runs, no more San Francisco Bay Area exploring. I won’t be with the people I now see daily. I won’t have the same job with the same awesome boss. I won’t be singing under Sproul every Monday. I won’t be booked with weekly gigs that take me all over California. I won’t be lighting another VSA Culture Show” (40). She suggests that by fall, there will be no more running around for errands that she used to do while she was attending college, so that daily routine goes away while making a transition to a new journey and a new life as a college graduate. From the example, Le has illustrated to the audience that being a college grad with a college degree showed the struggles, sacrifices, and challenges that are all obstacles to be endured. When it comes to graduating, there will be some major changes along the way, but dedication, effort, participation, and success always play an important role daily. The impact has made the mind of a college graduate decide to move on to the next phase of their life which is getting a job and pursuing her career. Le’s preference of evidence is coherent, thorough, and charismatic as it authenticated that her proposition is a true example of Pathos. This is seen by how she explains how valuable a college degree is. Another example of Pathos is about how she argues on taking the opportunities and chances that are being handed out to the ones who have earned a college degree. This explains what college grads should do and come upon as there is motivation, inspiration, and dedication being built in a step by step process for them, so they have a plan and provide what the future generations can achieve for. Le makes the argument that if a college graduate can work hard and earn a degree, there will be resources, guidance, and assistance prepared for the incoming generations and families to achieve of: “For me, this degree symbolizes my family being able to make and take the opportunities that we’ve been giving in America, despite growing up with gang members down my street and a drug dealer across from my house. This degree will also mean that my children will have more opportunities because of my education, insight, knowledge, and support” (41). According to Le, earning a degree is the beginning of success and a good life.
Le correlates good ideas as they are defined and discussed with logos with the assistance of clear reasoning, explanations, data, and factual evidence to inform the audience that being a college grad will be helpful in life. One example of her claim to logos is explaining that college grads are more likely to move up to a better job and a better life: “Also, only 27% of Americans can say they have a bachelor’s degree or higher. Realistically, having a college degree will likely mean a comfortable living and the opportunity to move up at work and in life” (40). She claims that only 27% of Americans said that they have a bachelor’s degree or higher, but they are capable to move up in their jobs and living a better life. For this example, Le has demonstrated to her audience that by having a college degree, there are many possibilities and opportunities which can’t be limited to what college grads have learned and obtained from their knowledge and skills. This is because according to Le, the college degree will enable her and other graduates to get an opportunity that the generation before them did not have. 27% of Americans made their path to earn a bachelor’s degree or a higher one and are likely to earn twice as much as those who did not. Le’s selection of evidence is clear, precise, and factual representing Logos. Another good example of logos is when she restates her main claim with the same statistic, but she claims that education can be important no matter what goes on in our lives. This is defining that college grads with a college degree will have opportunities even after graduating. “Even though a college degree isn’t worth as much as it did in the past, it still shows that I – along with my fellow graduates and the 27% of Americans with a bachelor or higher – will have opportunities unheard of a generation before us, showing everyone how important education is for our lives and our futures” (41). She uses this quote to support her claim that Americans with a college degree will have resources and options available to them as it applies to their knowledge and expertise in the real world and to be a functioning member of society at a later time. This proves to the reader and to the audience that Le knows how to connect her claims in a way that the reader understands in a clear and precise manner. Using the factual evidence Le’s claim is supported so that the readers understand. The readers are also guided to acknowledge the fact about college graduates who achieve and earn a college degree have the opportunity of new beginnings and a different path in life. Le’s use of logos provide a clear image and understanding and sounds more convincing.
Throughout her essay, Le uses resourceful tools to address an effective argument to her audience through the use of logic and emotion. However, despite her efficient use of examples, her argument would be better if her credibility were to be more included in her story. She would for example share what she studied in grad school and what her two college degrees entail. She could have again shown how the college degrees have benefited her. It would have been more captivating if she brought more of her, other than when she states that her degrees are a validation of her mother leaving Vietnam. Also, this would help if she were to make herself more credible, so this way it could have been appealing to the readers. For example, she could have used herself as an example to show the readers that her college degree had helped her secure a job and earned her a better life. The audience gets the logic and emotion clearly because she has demonstrated a great argument. After all, she has at least two out of the three aspects incredibly detailed. The importance of having a college degree has its benefits and a lot of good to it. It is therefore of utmost significance to acquire a college degree to increase the opportunities in life. Le has provided sufficient detail about having a college degree and its importance. It is therefore important to visualize success as an accomplishment to be able to move to the next level in life. One should strive to do better, work hard to get to where they want to be, and become a functioning member of society. Le explains about those who do not try be better and asserts that they will set themselves up for failure and will not get to become a college graduate hence losing a lot of opportunities in life.
Works Cited
“Art of Rhetoric Quotes by Aristotle.” Goodreads, Goodreads, www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/423608. Accessed 12 May 2020.
Le, Jennie. “What Does It Mean To Be A College Grad?” Practical Argument. 4th. ed., edited by Laurie G. Kirszner and Stephen R. Mandell. Bedford / St. Martin’s, 2020, pp. 40-41. Originally published in talk.onevietnam.org. 9 May 2011.
