Abby Williamson Mrs. Elgammal AP Language & Composition 20 September 2024 Rhetoric in “Chimera” In his essay “Chimera” Gerald N. Callahan makes a vulnerable admission: he has been haunted by visions of his late wife, seeing her as if she is still alive. Throughout the essay, Callahan employs the rhetorical strategies of ethos, drawing on his expertise as an immunologist, and logos, via logic and facts related to his studies, to bridge science and the unknown in an attempt to comprehend his experiences. Callahan begins his passage by describing how he repeatedly sees his late wife as if she still lives. He expresses his confusion and his desire to understand why this is occurring by starting with what he already comprehends, stating “Some of …show more content…
The knowledge that he has is that it is natural for humans to try to compensate for something that has gone missing, which he knows because he is an immunologist. Later in the essay he continuously mentions this concept, almost using it as a backbone for trying to find reasoning. In addition to his use of ethos, Callahan employs logos through many facts about immunology to connect what he knows with what he doesn't. To start, he explains that “... immune systems do remember things, intricate things that the rest of the body has forgotten. And the memories stored inside our immune systems can come back, like my first wife.” (Callahan 370). It can be seen in this quote that he starts by including a fact that he knows about the immune system. He uses this scientific reasoning from immunology to explore his theory that he sees his wife all around because of his immune system’s memory. The logic he uses helps provide reasoning to his essay and backs up his theory, helping him to explore an explanation for his reappearing wife. Overall, Callahan’s use of logos and ethos in his essay demonstrates that …show more content…
In “Looking at Emmett Till”, Wideman uses syntax to express emotion and distress in his writing. Specifically, he utilizes rhetorical questions that help to appeal to the readers’ emotions and allow them to ponder and reflect. For example, he writes “Where were you when JFK was shot?... When Martin Luther King Jr. was shot?...Where were you when Emmett Till floated up to the surface of the Tallahatchie River for “Babying a white woman?” (Wideman 42). The series of questions he packs into this text underlines the significance of Wideman’s argument, which is that some things must be reflected upon to improve society, even if we don't want to remember them. His use of rhetorical questions gives readers a chance to think about his argument on a deeper level, as well as allows them to reflect on the questions he asks specifically. This essentially supports his argument that it is important to remember moments such as the death of Emmett Till. It creates a personal connection between the reader and the essay, as well as between the writer and the essay, as it evokes emotion and vulnerability. However, while Wideman does a good job of using syntax, Lauren Slater uses it more effectively in “Three Spheres”. Slater employs repetition to express raw emotion and a sense of