Kroll's essay was more effective than Mencken's because it had a better use of pathos. In Mencken's essay, the closest we as the readers come to being emotionally attachted to the argument is when he associates the hangman with other unpleasant jobs. Given the fact that most of us aren't trashmen, plumbers, and the like, the pathos in the essay is very weak. In Kroll's essay, however, we're right in the middle of the story. We can basically create the picture of Robert Harris getting executed. This opens our thoughts up emotionally to Kroll's hidden argument against the nature of the death penalty. It is through this emotional connection that Kroll's essay is more effective than Mencken.
No comments:
Post a Comment