Introduction
There is a world of difference between screaming for help and calling for help. Calling for help has a definite source, is targeted, definitive, instructive, and elaborate. This is as opposed to a scream for help, which is just an indicator that someone needs help. The article by Selick (2016) is a textbook example of a call for help. It has a definitive author whose qualifications to write the article are included. Based on the totality of the text, it is also clear to decipher who the audience is. Further, the author uses the rhetorical tools of pathos, ethos, logos, and kairos to present the actual call for help. Indeed, by studying the text of the aforementioned article, the reader will understand to whom the call is addressed, why the call should be accepted, what should be done and even when to do it, upon acceptance of the call, thus qualifying the article as rhetorically ideal.
The Author and Audience
The article is clearly marked as being authored by Mike Selick whose qualification to write it is indicated as his being the Hepatitis C Program Coordinator, within the Harm Reduction Coalition. The article is written in first person, making it personalized by the author. Further, a continuous mention of New York City within the personalized appeal reveals the author to be a New Yorker, who is addressing fellow citizens. The audience is not clearly defined but the message within the article is well targeted, a fact that can be used to figure out the target thereof. Whereas the message is about opioid use and the adverse consequences thereof, it is not targeted towards drug abusers. Rather, it is addressed to the secondary parties who are affected by drug use such as close family members and friends. It is to this group that the author is seeking for help, in a bid to extenuate the problem of drug abuse in general, and particularly its adverse effects such as the spread of HIV and Hepatitis C as well as death through an overdose.
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The Use of Pathos in the Article
Pathos is an emotional appeal meant to move the heart of the audience. The general idea behind pathos lies in the fact that it is easier to convince an audience that is already sympathetic to the cause being spoken about. The author of the instant piece carefully uses pathos to elicit the concern of the audience over the subject being canvassed. From the very word go, the author makes reference to mourning, an act that is closely associated with death. The idea of death is one of the most emotion-evoking issues in the world since every person on earth is affected by it. Most people have lost a loved one and everyone will be facing death one day. The mention of mourning is, therefore, geared to invoke emotion and get the absolute attention of the audience. Further, the article consistently refers to adversities caused by opioid use hence maintaining the emotional appeal.
The Use of Ethos in the Article
Ethos is defined as the appeal to the authority of the author as well as the sense of obligation from the audience. It connects the author to the audience within the subject matter. The author is the leader of an organization that deals with consequences of the subject matter of opioid abuse. The abuse of opioid is mainly done through the use of needles and other injecting materials which are mainly shared by the addicts. This has contributed exponentially to the spread of Hepatitis C. As the Hepatitis C Program Coordinator, the author is not only an expert in the field addressed but also a concerned party who is doing something about the problem. In this scenario, therefore, the author is using ethos to indicate that he understands what he is talking about. Further, the author gains credibility in the fact that he is not merely asking others to act as he is also acting himself.
The use of Logos in the Article
It is perhaps the use of Logos that covers the largest part of the article. Further, the use of logos creates the difference between the referenced article being a scream for help and being a cry for help. The word logos shares the same root with the word logic. In the rhetorical analysis, it regards to the use of facts and figures to convince the audience. From a careful perusal of the article, the author does have an advanced knowledge of the subject matter being canvassed which knowledge is passed on through the article. The author begins the logos use by quoting the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) for statistics about the subject matter. He also uses facts to define the problem and the extent of damage it has caused to the society. Facts are also used to create relevance to the article. Indeed, the article is written by an expert in Hepatitis C, yet is written in a day that commemorates opioid addiction. Facts create a connection between the two, based on the issue of transmission of the disease through needles used for opioid use. After facts are used to define the problem, more facts are used to introduce and elaborate on the solution to the same. This includes discouraging the use of opioids by the loved ones of the audience and if that fails, having a proper Supervised Injection Facilities (SIFs) developed in New York where this drug use can be taking place safely. Logos convinces the audience to act and also informs the audience on how to act.
The use of Kairos in the Article
Kairos is a minor rhetorical analysis tool that assesses an indication by the author on the when and where to act. Within the article, the author has used the magnitude of the subject matter to expound on its urgency. This is meant to indicate to the audience that the best time to act is now. Further, where to act is clearly and repeatedly indicated as New York City.
Conclusion
A great article not only communicates but also convinces the audience with regard to the subject matter. A careful analysis of the article as particularized above will show that it not only communicates but also convinces the audience to rise to action with regard to the subject matter. The article is not a scream for help that creates an alarm only but rather a call for help that gives particulars of the problem as well as the solution. Further, the article, through ethos, qualifies the author and his capability to pen the article as well as the audience and their capacity to act upon the instructions of the article. Through Kairos, the article is clear that the time to act is now and the place to act is New York City. Through pathos, the author relies on the fear and concern of death to elicit the emotions of the audience to create a connection to the subject matter. The main focus, however, is ethos where, what the cry for help is about and what its response should be is particularized.
Reference
Selick, M. (2016, August 31). Awareness is not enough - it is time for action to end overdose deaths in NYC . Retrieved October 07, 2017, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/awareness-is-not-enough-it-is-time-for-action-to_us_57c46a11e4b0c936aaba57c0
