Rhetorical Analysis: Why Teach
Olivia Nash Professor Hall The Rhetoric of Written Argument 12 September 2024 Beyond the Field When athletes are pushed to their limits, do they truly evolve, or are they torn away from their authentic selves, becoming insincere and jaded in the process? In the chapter “Do Sports Build Character?” from Mark Edmundson’s book Why Teach?, Edmundson uses rhetorical strategies, personal anecdotes, and philosophical references to question the popular belief that sports develop moral virtues within a person, instead of the reality of sports instilling values of competitiveness, aggression, and selfishness. Edmundson’s project with this chapter was to truly challenge the idea of physical achievements equaling any amount of moral growth, utilizing a
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Society often glorifies athletic participation, especially in schools, as essential for teaching children and young adults valuable life skills such as teamwork and sportsmanship. Edmunson argues that sports do not instill values of teamwork, discipline, and integrity, as many people think, but instead build aggressive and competitive mentalities within individuals. Edmundson implies that the competitive nature of sports encourages aggression, selfishness, and an unhealthy obsession with winning and trying to be the best. We read, “Sports can do great good: build the body, create a stronger, more resilient will, impart confidence, stimulate bravery. But at the same time, sports can and often do brutalize the player– they make him more violent, more aggressive. intolerant of gentleness. turn him into a member of the pack” (Edmundson 60). Edmundson’s project with this chapter is to critically analyze the idea of sports shaping an individual’s character, encouraging readers to question whether sports truly instill the values society claims they do. To build his argument, Edmundson utilizes the strategy of anecdotes, which creates a sense of
Society often glorifies athletic participation, especially in schools, as essential for teaching children and young adults valuable life skills such as teamwork and sportsmanship. Edmunson argues that sports do not instill values of teamwork, discipline, and integrity, as many people think, but instead build aggressive and competitive mentalities within individuals. Edmundson implies that the competitive nature of sports encourages aggression, selfishness, and an unhealthy obsession with winning and trying to be the best. We read, “Sports can do great good: build the body, create a stronger, more resilient will, impart confidence, stimulate bravery. But at the same time, sports can and often do brutalize the player– they make him more violent, more aggressive. intolerant of gentleness. turn him into a member of the pack” (Edmundson 60). Edmundson’s project with this chapter is to critically analyze the idea of sports shaping an individual’s character, encouraging readers to question whether sports truly instill the values society claims they do. To build his argument, Edmundson utilizes the strategy of anecdotes, which creates a sense of