Dave Nuttall
ENG 1010 5:30p
Rhetorical Rationale – The Strangers Gift
1. Describe your writing process for the Issue Exploration Project. Look back at the research process you did and trace your thinking about your topic and about your paper.
I typically enjoy writing and was not initially intimidated by the concept of the IEP but then as I began the process, my calm demeanor was shaken to the core. I understood the importance of finding a topic I was both passionate about and interested in but it seemed that when I began searching the suggested topics, I could not find one to latch on to. I played around with several potential topics but realized that I kept coming back to the concept of organ donation. This was a topic I had both passion and interest in and I decided to go with it. This is when the real trouble started. My understanding of MLA and annotated bibliography’s was truly lacking and I suddenly found myself making little to no progress for several days. As I reviewed the instructions and examples provided to me by Professor Bailey, I was finally able to work through it and once I had done a few, they did not intimidate me anymore. Professor Bailey had stated that the writing would come easily once the AB’s were completed and I found this to be the case.
2. Were Aristotle’s appeals (logos, ethos, pathos) helpful with the research and writing process? Be sure to discuss both audience and purpose.
The topic of organ donation is deeply pathos in that the act of saving or extending another human life is within the grasp of other humans. This is truly a cause which people can get behind only if they are passionate about helping their fellow man. To give up a kidney or to register as a donor for other organs after death is not entirely logical to most. To do these things, one is driven by passion to do good and to help, often without recognition or praise. Ethos does play a larger part than logos in respect to the person being willing to donate which could be driven by a person’s desire to do the right thing.
3. Describe the revisions you made in your IEP and discuss why you made those revisions.
I wrote the initial structure of the IEP covering basic concepts only. After this, I went back and moved things around to suit the placement of paraphrases found in the various research articles. I initially considered inserting direct quotes but later found paraphrasing to be more of what I was looking for. I do believe however, that if I had more time to continue working on this paper, it is very likely that I would add a few direct quotes and continue editing it.
4. What did you learn about research and about writing in this paper?
I learned several great things, first of which was that I can actually create a completed research paper now with confidence. I found that SIRS Researcher is a very helpful tool provide by the campus library. Professor Bailey suggested this one and I had used a couple other sources (never Wikipedia) for previous papers but this direction I was given seemed to be very valuable right from the start. I also learned that it is extremely difficult to compose a research paper with my children running around.
5. Discuss anything else you would like readers of your final to know about your writing or about yourself as a writer.
As
indicated above, this paper and this topic are deeply rooted in pathos. I believe very strongly in the importance of
organ donation as a way of providing a second chance at a quality life for so
many people. Without organ donation
which is a relatively new ability in our medical world, so many people would be
dying sooner. An even larger number of
people would then be impacted, their families and friends who care for them and
even others who depend on them in business or other relationships. As an EMT for nearly 20 years now, I have
witnessed the good that has come of one’s choice to be a donor and I have seen
many cases where the discussion came too late and the person missed an
opportunity to help so many others. I
recognize that this can be a difficult subject and I do not expect everyone to
share my pathos regarding it. However, I
do appreciate those who do!
