Success is a Process of Failure: A Rhetorical Analysis In contemporary society, success is defined as a means to an end, a goal that is achieved when we attain popularity and profit. Dr. Joseph Loscalzo, MD, Ph.D. in his editorial, “A Celebration of Failure,” details how the modern understanding of success has come to define people, culture, and organizations. He argues that failure has an essential role in our experiences, education, and personal development and that position should be explicitly acknowledged as so. Loscalzo begins by setting the tone, cites convincing facts and statistics while successfully employing emotional appeals. He stays professionally in sync with the rules of his genre, through appealing to an issue relevant to his audience identifying facts to back up his opinions. Finally, he brings his editorial together with ideas of how to move forward through citing his own rewarding experiences with failure, and how he learned from it. Loscalzo's editorial assumes a sympathetic and interested reader that connects to his interests and experience. His intent is to …show more content…
He explains, “We are first exposed to the concept of failure in elementary school, quickly realizing how it can affect our educational progress” and he adds “This early, first experience with failure obviously colors our perception of the concept with great negativity.” Loscalzo effectively establishes a conversational tone that helps the reader nail down an otherwise abstract idea. Likewise, he draws a parallel between the ideal current belief of success and the burden it causes. When he notes, “Nothing but perfection will suffice because failure renders our professional efforts, view of accomplishment, and sense of ourselves imperfect,” even the most distinguished scientist feels the impact of his words, inspiring a call to