Rhetorical Analysis Of Opioid Addiction

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Losing a battle to illness is devastating and utterly heartbreaking. With addiction, it is quite often that people fail and fall into their old habits. Others simply don’t want to be sober. In How to Help Someone with an Opioid Addiction, published by the Chicago Sun Times, the author lists ways for friends and family members to assist in the process of sobriety. But, what if it doesn’t work? This question is addressed in the third section of the article. For that reason, the author writes with a rhetoric of pathos to encourage the reader to persevere and also purchase Naloxone, a drug which can alter the effects of opioids in case of emergency. Since addiction is an emotional subject, this section of the article contains much pathos rhetoric …show more content…

But, the fact of the matter is that an emotionally sensitive topic such as addiction which has such a hold on to American citizens would greatly benefit from an appeal to these sensitivities. Of course, any article would benefit from facts such as, “About 40 percent of people using opioids aren’t interested in treatment,” or logic like, “Somebody who says they’re ready for treatment doesn’t mean they’re ready to stop using.” But, when someone fails to overcome addiction, they face mortality. An ultimatum between life and death is an empathetic topic and by appealing to emotions that become aroused by the topic of death, one can strengthen their argument. Undoubtedly, facts and common sense are important. Yet, feelings are almost impossible to control and will persuade readers to continue their or their loved-ones battle against addiction. In How to Help Someone with an Opioid Addiction, published by the Chicago Sun Times, the section titled What if it doesn’t work? encourages readers to embrace failure, persevere, and take precautionary methods. Specifically, the author uses pathos rhetoric along with ethos and logos. However, the pathos rhetoric is the strongest pertaining to this article. That is because the mass amount of people affected by addiction and the emotional turmoil it causes. By relating to those feelings, the author creates an understanding and persuasion towards the