Jason Vanegas

Rosario/Schecter
AP Language+Composition
December 1, 2017

Throughout American history, racism, social inequality, and discrimination have

washed up in many different shapes and forms. From racial segregation in public areas such as

bathrooms and buses, to unfairness and inequalities like police brutality amongst African

Americans and other people of color. American author, journalist, comic book writer, and

educator Ta-Nehisi Coates published a book in 2015 titled ​Between the World and Me,​ which is

a letter to his teenage son that addresses the many disadvantages of being an African American

citizen in the United States. In his book, Coates argues that African Americans were and still are

being treated unfairly compared to people of lighter skin tones in the U.S. The author writes in a

formal tone for his son, and more importantly, the American people. Coates supports his/her

assertion by demonstrating Ethos, Pathos, and Logos to persuade Americans that people of color

are facing discrimination. His purpose is to create a perspective on how African Americans are

treated here in the U.S in order to inform others that there are many issues regarding racism in

the country and that it should be fixed by treating each other fairly and equally.

In Coates’ book ​Between the World and Me​, he uses three different types of

rhetorical appeals to persuade the American population that African Americans are facing

injustice in the U.S. One rhetorical appeal he demonstrates is Pathos. Pathos is used in writing to

add feeling. Pathos in argumentative writing can influence emotions on the audience, so the

audience can choose their side of an argument. In Coates’ book, one example of him using
Pathos to influence emotion on the audience is located in lines 7 and 8 on paragraph 8. Coates

writes to his son “...That the police departments of your country have been endowed with the

authority to destroy your body.” This quote emphasises Pathos because the author wants the

audience to feel sympathy for the African American community. He does this by saying “with

the authority to destroy your body”, ​meaning that police departments in the U.S. are allowed to

disown and physically hurt African Americans.​ This impacts the audience because the author

wants American citizens to feel sympathy for the black community, and hopefully help the

audience acknowledge the many racial problems in the country. Another example of Pathos

being used in Coates’ book is also located on line 12 of the same paragraph. The author explains

that “All of this is common for black people.” This sentence means that discrimination is

common for African Americans, and that justice must be served in order to stop such prejudice.

The sentence also demonstrates Pathos because Coates hopes that people realize the harm that is

constantly being done to black people, in hopes that people can take on his side to stand with

African Americans.

Coates also demonstrates another rhetorical appeal; Ethos. Ethos helps identify

credibility in an argument, which helps persuade the audience choose one side over the other. In

Coates’ book, one example of Ethos is located in the first line of the first paragraph. “Last

Sunday the host of a popular news show asked me what it meant to lose my body.” This quote

demonstrates Ethos because it gives credibility. In this line, we know that the person who wrote

the book is a famous or significant person, because the author spoke in a popular news show

regarding his book ​Between the World and Me.​ Having Ethos in any argumentative writing is

important because the audience can understand the importance of an argument based on who
wrote it, which establishes persuasion. Ethos helps the author and the audience establish

trustworthiness, as well as authority.

One more rhetorical appeal that Coates demonstrates in his book ​Between the

World and Me​ is Logos. Logos fundamentally means logic, which provides facts in an

argumentative piece to persuade the audience. One example of Logos in Coates’ book is located

in the first, second, third, and fourth lines on the eighth paragraph. “I am writing you because

this was the year you saw Eric Garner choked to death for selling cigarettes, because you know

that Renisha McBride was shot for seeking help, that John Crawford was shot down for browsing

in a department store.” This quote demonstrates Logos because the author included actual people

who were victims of discrimination/police brutality in the United States. ​Coates includes facts to

help persuade Americans that many people have suffered and are still suffering the consequences

of being a colored person in America.

Coates uses all three rhetorical appeals to persuade the audience that

discrimination in the United States is real, and that it should be fixed. Ethos, Pathos and Logos

are important to establish emotion, credibility, and logic into an argument. Ta-Nehisi Coates

wrote this book to his son, to teach him about the negatives of being black in this country. Most

importantly, Coates also wrote this argumentative piece to the American people to help stop

discrimination and that everyone should come together to help and support each other.

Grading Rubric:
4 3 2 1
ANALYSIS Claim is clear and Claim is clear; text Claim is somewhat Claim is unclear; text
paragraphs insightful; well-chosen evidence is unclear; text evidence evidence does not
text evidence is well-chosen; makes sense but make sense;
woven seamlessly explanation links text seems disconnected; explanation does not
into student’s own evidence to claim. explanation attempts link text evidence to
writing; explanation Adequately analyzes to link text evidence claim. Inadequately
thoroughly links text the rhetorical to claim with only analyzes the
evidence to claim. choice(s). partial success. rhetorical choice(s).
 Effectively analyzes Analyzes the
the rhetorical rhetorical choice(s).
choice(s).
Rhetorical appeals  Student shows Student show working Student shows partial Student shows
thorough understanding of understanding of minimal
understanding of chosen rhetorical chosen rhetorical understanding of
chosen rhetorical choice(s). choice(s). chosen rhetorical
choice(s). choice(s).