Evaluating an Argument Essay: “Stereotyping, Prejudice and Discrimination”
Rubric Score: 3+
The objective to writing this essay is to prove whether the author’s argument is effective or not. So this essay has a mastery of “Critical Thinker” because you really have to have well-organized ideas and writings. I was successful in grasping their strongest points in the essay to prove that the author(s) arguments are effective. My weak points in the essay were that my handwriting made it hard to read. A new strategy I attempted in this essay was to be more logical. In my next essay, I hope to widen my perspectives on both arguing sides.
The Two Author’s Successful Evaluation
Joseph Helgot and Michael Schwartz’s essay stressed the progression of stereotyping as it turns into something worse. They both emphasize how much a little thing can become something with the greatest of negative connotations. Their essay is successful in their efforts to explain stereotyping and how it can lead to worse scenarios. Joseph Helfgot and Michael Schwartz’s argument is effective because they use broad examples that coexist with everyday lives, which then bring in the ethos of the negative connotations of the word, and then in turn they elaborate their tone and diction as the word stereotype turns into words with a strong pathos. The effects of their essay will persuade the reader.
The two authors are effective by giving examples that the reader will recognize to be persuaded. In paragraph 2 of their essay, they quoted, “they expect teachers to be older than they are and to know more than they do,” The authors give examples that the average majority of students today use on their teachers. This proves that the author knows stereotyping is being used and the general people acknowledge it. The authors then expose the cons of stereotyping, “teacher is a very high visibility category. It may lead to a number of other generalizations which may be incorrect.” The authors assume that these stereotypes are never 100% true. The reader will clearly be affected because the author’s tone in that passage leads the reader in. These examples will then narrow down to ethos and racial statements.
Joseph Helfgot and Schwartz are even more effective as they begin to be more specific in racial stereotypes. They quoted about one stereotype the common people have on blacks, “We meet a black person who cannot sing well, but we still may generalize that Blacks are musical.” The reader realizes the abundance of stereotyping races. They become more persuasive over the bad themes of stereotyping. To widen the area of effect, another quote this time about Jews is used, “when we meet a Jewish person who contributes generously to charity, we may stubbornly insist that Jews are stingy.” The categories are even more specific when the author brings in a religious group of people. They exploit the bitter effects of stereotyping which leads to a serious issue of discrimination. Their direction and scholarly language proves that they are trying to show that the word “prejudice” has the worse of connotations that originate from stereotyping.
Pathos becomes a big key factor in the climax of the essay because it is the author’s strongest argument that targets emotion. Helfgot got and Schwartz bring in their claims about generalizations, “Most of the generalizations people make about racial, ethnic, and religious groups are false.” The claims these two authors make are leading to effects that become a social calamity. They are effective because they are able to link their claims to a fact which worries the reader. They point out how the common person stereotypes, “we allow those false generalizations (stereotypes) to influence our behavior toward them, even when they do not apply.” The authors assume when people are influenced, they in turn will act in usually a negative way when generalizations turn to discrimination. The authors are persuasive because they are able to chain a small habit like stereotyping and put it into a deep issue of discrimination. Helfgot and Schwartz’s idea and argument are effective in persuading the reader because of the evaluations of negative implications which makes the essay competent.
Joseph Helfgot and Michael Schwartz’s prove that stereotyping can lead to worse issues. Their essay is strong in warning the reader what will happen. They explain the cause and effect of stereotyping and how it goes together with prejudice ideas. Their whole essay is fixed to one point which goes deeper and deeper. The two authors are able to use examples and tone to get across their point. The evaluations on the essay are as positive as the effects of stereotyping are negative.
