rhetorical analysis of

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“Don’t Dismiss the Humanities” by Nicholas Kristof
 The author Nicholas Kristof of the article “Don’t Dismiss the Humanities” tries to sensitize the young generation especially those who are studying humanities that still it has space in this digital era. The author in his analysis focuses more on how humanities as a discipline play a big role in shaping the community even today and that it is as important as other science or technology based subjects in the modern world. In fact, the author uses the words “more important” to try to give emphasize on his ideas.
He further explains that humanities is not only important and significant in his life but also acts as a toolbox that facilitates him to think more of himself, others and the surrounding world. It is like in his analysis he tried to mean that with no space for Humanities, then the world could be more desperate, taking it in a figurative way.
Clinging on his original idea, Kristof, gives an example on various ways on how different people within the societies that we live use their ‘Humanities’ to make things interesting and beautiful. A good example he uses is that of musicians whom he says that they play a big role in awakening our souls. Looking the world of music today and buying the idea of the importance of Humanities in the view of Kristof, we can argue that music is the ‘panacea of our souls’ as our disturbing souls needs it than in any other time before (Kristof, Nicholas, opinion page, New York times).

The ideas Kristof tried to create was that music in our times is curing many disturbances that human beings pass in their daily activities. Information is delivered through music, encouragement and counseling are passed through to the most affected through music and big of it all ‘our souls’ are entertained through listening or being part of the music.
Another good example used by the author is the role played by writers who now and then comes out with a story to create fiction. In the article, he says the writer takes the reader into fiction land where he could imagine a situation in a different angle. The author also recognizes the role played by philosophers as they help people to exercise their minds and engage the world on real issues.
Therefore, the idea about this article is that Humanity is important as far as life is concerned and it is as important as science especially in this digital generation. In his argument, the author tries to depict that humanity plays an important role in the world and with no Humanity the world would look boring and lack the most important life ingredients the current digital generation wants.
Concurring with what the reader is trying to communicate, the language he uses is also important. First I recognize the usage of pathos, ethos and logos in the entire article as a way to make his readers understand more about what he is trying to communicate and believe the article. To start just by describing what it means by pathos, ethos and logos in writing technique, they are used as a way to draw audience more closely on what article is saying
Pathos also tries to bring out the reader’s emotions in regard to what the author is speaking about. On the other hand, logos try to appeal on the clarification of the claim presented by the author to bring more logic and reasoning on the application of its evidence. In this article, Kristof applies these appeals as a way to make the audience trust what he is communicating and make them see things on the way he is seeing them. He wants his audience to believe on his thought.
Moreover, the usage of pathos by Kristof makes his audience to believe that humanities are important subjects as far as modern age is considered. To his view he believes that it is needed, even more. Therefore, the ones who are studying Humanities in the institutions of learning should not be seen as they are wasting time.
In the article also we find that the author tries to bring the views of John Rawls, who is a philosopher and scholar. This philosopher tries to link Humanity with having a narrow idea of social contrast. A social contrast creates an idea of either a person, community, race, religion or a nationality one comes from is more important than that of others. Rawls tries to make it clear that with knowledge ofHumanities we can raise beyond our social construct and see each other in a wider perspective but not seeing him or her as either; ‘rich or poor,’ ‘smart or dumb,’ lazy or ‘diligent either as ‘American or Bangladesh.’
These views are put into consideration by the author, as they create emotions among the audience on the up to date controversial subject of equality. In terms of equality, American are well known to be proud of equality, therefore, by the knowledge of humanities creating equality will be something that will make the audience feel more emotional.
Looking at his idea ‘by knowing that we could have been born in a wealthy family living in a suburb or to a single mother inside the city, then people could raise up to support all the measures that are protecting the unprivileged in our societies’ the audience here is highly touched and creates emotions to most of them since a big number is counted as a lower class. On the other hand, the sentiments could also spark some emotions of happiness to the few wealthy and rich who raise up to stand with those who are unprivileged and suffering.
Kristof further makes another important point, where he says that in the context of today’s news, there will be a less likelihood to bring forth the Honduran children to what they have been escaping. This creates emotional to the audience since no one would like to see children going back to desperate life. Though many pathoses have not been used in this article, since the article itself contain many emotional details that can spark what is tried to be communicated in the article.
The use of ethos can also be seen as a way for Kristof to communicate that Humanities are an important ingredient that we should always include in all spheres of life, especially in this digital era. It is important to note that the author of this article is a columnist for New York Times. Therefore, the audience sees him as somebody that can be trusted more specifically in what he is explaining.
Conclusion
In his article, Kristof could focus more on the subject matter instead of philosophical ideas. The philosophical ideas in his article had some points of weakness since it only focused on the small point of Humanities. If in his article he could come up with various aspects of Humanities he could, therefore, be able to come up a comprehensive conclusion that Humanities is significant in the modern world. His article also could have included some visual aids to show how Humanities is as important as science.
However, Kristof did a great job in compiling different views of philosophers who had some reflections on the same view. Through the contribution of the philosophers, his prove on the role of Humanities had weight. Overall, Nicholas did a great job to make his readers see the importance of Humanities in the modern world just like the way computer science or any other based science is important.
Work Cited
Kristof, Nicholas. “Don’t Dismiss the Humanities.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 13 Aug. 2014. Web. 24 Nov. 2014.atio