Rhetorical Analysis Of Lee's Parents
By telling a story of Lee’s mother, the author demonstrated that the native people looked down upon foreign people who had difficulties to live in a new circumstance and could not speak English well to express what they wanted and thought. With the discrimination from the native people, Lee’s family struggled a lot in this community. The audience is the people who did not show respect to the foreigners and did not help them overcome the difficulties.
The logos shows at the beginning of the article. “The town, like seven others in New Jersey, has passed laws requiring that half of any commercial sign in a foreign language be in English”(1). It reflected that the city showed its indifference to foreigners and forced them to fit in the English
environment. The pathos is that Lee’s mother died of cancer and he found her pocket English workbook. It made audience feel sympathy to her, because she was trying hard to fit in this city and she was embarrassed and sad when the citizen embarrassed her. The ethos is that “But being raised in a Korea immigrant family, I saw every day the exacting price and power of language, especially with my mother, who was an outsider in an English-only world”(10). It shows the credibility of the author.
In the same community, people should show respect and help with each other, especially who has difficulties and troubles to live in this community. After reading this article, It reminds me of the time when I just got to American. It was hard to communicate with native speakers. So I chose to live in the China Town, which makes me easier. I was thinking why Lee’s mother hid her English workbook.
The logos shows at the beginning of the article. “The town, like seven others in New Jersey, has passed laws requiring that half of any commercial sign in a foreign language be in English”(1). It reflected that the city showed its indifference to foreigners and forced them to fit in the English
environment. The pathos is that Lee’s mother died of cancer and he found her pocket English workbook. It made audience feel sympathy to her, because she was trying hard to fit in this city and she was embarrassed and sad when the citizen embarrassed her. The ethos is that “But being raised in a Korea immigrant family, I saw every day the exacting price and power of language, especially with my mother, who was an outsider in an English-only world”(10). It shows the credibility of the author.
In the same community, people should show respect and help with each other, especially who has difficulties and troubles to live in this community. After reading this article, It reminds me of the time when I just got to American. It was hard to communicate with native speakers. So I chose to live in the China Town, which makes me easier. I was thinking why Lee’s mother hid her English workbook.