Rhetorical Analysis Of The Dead By Ali Nolan

Ali Nolan tells her personal story in order to deeply influence people towards her argument. Throughout the sharing of her personal story, she argues that running may seem like a hassle at first glance but in actuality running improves lives in various ways. Sometimes the time to start running doesn’t seem right or possible however an individual needs to make time for it. Contrary to the belief of most inactive people, running actually helps you cope with a busy schedule and is an incredible stress reliever. Nolan uses herself as an example of this argument because she has a chaotic life but still finds time to train and complete a 20-miler. Her article is structured around her emotional story so that pathos enables the reader to emotionally connect and bond with her. The usage of metaphorical language, imagery, and first person aids the reader in comprehending her viewpoint and developing trust in her advise. All these rhetorical devices help the readers process and think about what the author is saying. The devices create pathos throughout the article making the readers more susceptible to believe her argument. …show more content…
Only eight sentences into her story, emotion stirring words appear such as “it was a terrible week”, “hospital”, “ICU”, and “weak” (Nolan 4). Most readers can emotional connect and relate to what the author is experiencing. Since she reveals how she overcomes such a disadvantage, the audience can trust in her. The audience is more likely to agree with her point or argument since they know she personally experienced a struggle to get there. If she were to bluntly insist that everyone needs to run, most readers wouldn’t take her advise serious. However, by using pathos and addressing her busy chaotic life, her audience is able to relate with her and trust her advising