Reflection

Before English 1213, I never thought much about what made up an effective argument.  If I did, I would have placed being logically sound as the most important requirement for being effective.  Now I know that there are several other equally important parts of effective arguments.  One of those features is ethos.  Writing Arguments: A Rhetoric with Readings, the textbook for English 1213, summarized ethos as the "appeal to credibility."  Based on the textbook, in-class discussions, and other readings, I have developed my own definition of ethos.  Ethos is the professional and personal background of the author.  Having a strong professional background, such as having written several bestselling books on the topic being discussed, contributes immensely to the credibility of the writing, while revealing personal details helps readers understand why the author took a particular stance in his writing.

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Before I read the “Ethos as location” article and believed that ethos only depended on your professional background, I worried that my arguments would have no ethos because I didn’t have a reputable background.  Now that I know that ethos also depends on personal background, I have the opportunity to expand my own ethos.  The basic features of my ethos are that I’m a white male Christian college freshman. The biggest portion of my ethos probably stems from being raised in a cross-cultural setting.  Because my parents are missionaries, I’ve spent most of my life in Brazil, occasionally visiting the United States for a year or other countries for a shorter period of time.  Another part of my background comes from my hobbies;  I am an avid reader and also enjoy playing computer and video games.

Knowing my background and ethos, it is easy to understand why I chose many of the topics for my assignments.  In my first blog assignment, I discussed Skype, an internet text and video chat program.  Like I explained in the blog, Skype has become a big part of my life, letting me communicate with my friends in Brazil easily.  Because of how I've used Skype, my blog post was mostly positive and focused on the its benefits.  My choice of the second assignment's topic, Internet and gaming addiction in South Korea, also stems from my personal background.  Having lived in several countries, I am always interested in international conditions.  Internet and gaming addictions also struck home with me.  I'm frequently playing games or surfing the web on my laptop, often much longer than I intended.  Because of this, I was especially concerned with the symptoms and effects of Internet addiction.  In one case that I found while researching my paper, a teenager developed cavities and problems with his hearing, eyesight, and physical condition.  My background also influenced my choice of ads in my third assignment, an essay comparing two political ads.  Because I come from a conservative background, I felt that it would be difficult to present an unbiased argument comparing a Romney ad to an Obama ad; I probably would have been more inclined to agree with the argument that the Romney ad made.  Because of this, both of the ads I chose were from the same candidate.  In all of my assignments, my background and ethos has affected what I've written about and how I've written it.