Rhetorical Analysis Of They Might Sound Gross But Intestinal Worms

437 Words2 Pages

In the article, “They might sound gross, but intestinal worms can actually be good for you”, written by Dr. William Parker, the associate professor of surgery at Duke University. Parker successfully builds his argument by using ethos, plenty of logos, and counter arguments to persuade his audience that intestinal worms are beneficial to your overall health. Dr. Parker uses ethos, evidence based on his reputation, to show that he knows what he is talking about. Parker states that “part of our study [implying that he has a lab] included a survey of helminth users” He starts off this article by putting himself on a pedestal so the audience him will trust him more and what his claims are. He also mentions multiple times that “working with Duke University” and “My laboratory began work a few years ago, looking for the sociology of “helminthic therapy.””. By doing this, Parker associates himself with a creditable university, Duke being one of the top biological and environmental science schools in the nation. …show more content…

Dr. Parker “recently showed that the presence of helminths in pregnant rats protects the rat pups from inflammation. In other words, it seems that the mom’s helminths can protect her unborn babies” He references his own research to support his claim that intestinal worms aren’t bad for you at all. Another study he found that “helminths have been found to protect laboratory animals from a wide range of allergies and autoimmune conditions.” He is suggesting that with this research, that helminths could have the same effects on humans that they have on helminths. Most people are most willing to accept arguments when there is factual evidence to back it up. Most this article is filled with claims backed up by research and