rhetorical essay of "on compassion"
Basic motivation must be behind any given act of kindness, at least that’s what one would hope. In “On Compassion”, Barbara Lazear Ascher considers what really drives people to be compassionate towards others. Do people really feel a need to help those who are unfortunate? Or do they do so out of fear or annoyance? The audience learns what Ascher’s attitude is towards this question through her tone, anecdotes, and conveying a sense of self-reflection.
Ascher uses a thoughtful tone when questioning the motives behind compassion. She writes as if she’s thought about this question more than once, she must have been wondering what people’s true motives are for quite some time. The question of whether or not people who perform good deeds really mean it is explored throughout the essay. There is a possibility that showing someone kindness is done only in selfishness. Ascher is not afraid to bluntly ask the question “Was it fear or compassion that motivated the gift?”{Ascher, 47}
Living in New York City, Ascher has had many experiences with the less fortunate and how others react to them. She cleverly adds some of these personal anecdotes to her essay. Ascher describes a woman who gives a dollar to a homeless man after he stops and stares at her child. Was the woman’s sympathy genuine or based off of fear? In another instance Ascher witnessed an owner of a coffee shop giving a food and coffee, the owner did this twice.{Ascher,47} The owner could have been annoyed and wanted to get rid of the man, or she really could have empathized with him. These stories are the foundation for the rest of the essay, without them Ascher wouldn’t have the credibility that is also established through them.
Through Ascher’s own analysis of the motives of others, the reader can’t help but analyze their own reasons. Ascher’s own observations and questioning make you feel almost guilty. The reader wants to prove Ascher wrong and tell her that kindness is purely from compassion, not fear
Ascher uses a thoughtful tone when questioning the motives behind compassion. She writes as if she’s thought about this question more than once, she must have been wondering what people’s true motives are for quite some time. The question of whether or not people who perform good deeds really mean it is explored throughout the essay. There is a possibility that showing someone kindness is done only in selfishness. Ascher is not afraid to bluntly ask the question “Was it fear or compassion that motivated the gift?”{Ascher, 47}
Living in New York City, Ascher has had many experiences with the less fortunate and how others react to them. She cleverly adds some of these personal anecdotes to her essay. Ascher describes a woman who gives a dollar to a homeless man after he stops and stares at her child. Was the woman’s sympathy genuine or based off of fear? In another instance Ascher witnessed an owner of a coffee shop giving a food and coffee, the owner did this twice.{Ascher,47} The owner could have been annoyed and wanted to get rid of the man, or she really could have empathized with him. These stories are the foundation for the rest of the essay, without them Ascher wouldn’t have the credibility that is also established through them.
Through Ascher’s own analysis of the motives of others, the reader can’t help but analyze their own reasons. Ascher’s own observations and questioning make you feel almost guilty. The reader wants to prove Ascher wrong and tell her that kindness is purely from compassion, not fear