Hope B. Torres
English 151
September 23, 2014
Shooting an Elephant vs. Mexicans Deserve More Than La Mordida
Shooting an Elephant and Mexicans Deserve More Than La Mordida are two essay that are being written to argue and make a point about important topics, the British Imperialists and "La Mordida" in Mexico. They are telling a story in which they both had to make decisions in being a part of something that, really, wasn't a good thing; shooting an elephant or giving the police money - they both caved into peer pressure. Both writers persuade us by using three types of appeals; ethos, pathos and logos.
Both authors start off by introducing their backgrounds, this helps us with an idea of what the essay will be about. By using this way of introduction we are able to know the character and therefore, we are able to trust them and know that they are accredited.
The shooting elephant of the Prince of Wales
Shooting an Elephant
Andrés Pico (1810-1876), governor of Alta Califor...For writers, it is important that the first thing they have accomplished in their writing is getting their audience to trust them, this is known as ethos, when trusting somebody the reader will believe what he/she is saying or in this case, narrating. In Orwell's essay he uses ethos by choosing a topic in politics - he was a man of strong opinions on the major political movements of his time (George Orwell Biography) - imperialism. He is well known for writing Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four. Orwell is a good writer when it comes to imperialism, fascism and communism whereas Rodriquez is well known for his editorial writing on Mexican-American identity, bilingual education, gun control and drugs (The Trans-Canada Writer). Shooting an Elephant is about Orwell confronting the dilemma of having to shoot an elephant in must. Mexicans Deserve More Than...