Rhetorical Analysis Of Ellen Goodman

Although past traditions have installed norms and standards regarding who may be considered as true ‘family,’ Ellen Goodman effectively employs a variety of rhetorical strategies including figurative language, perspective, and Aristotelian appeals to highlight that in choosing to disregard these pre-established conditions and/or labels, individuals have the ability to progress with society in a manner that will encourage them to ultimately embrace the many intricacies of an extended family.
To begin, in order to justify her argument and allow readers to closely analyze the similarities and differences between past and present family dynamics, Ellen Goodman utilizes figurative language. In one example, Goodman uses the concept of biology to
She argues that today, it is important to understand that purely recognizing who falls under personal ‘family trees’ can be detrimental because a family tree is not enough to acknowledge all family members. While Goodman does not fail to include empirical data and statistics to argue her point, the initial foundation of her argument rests upon the encounters of a ten year-old girl. In supporting her argument with a young girl’s circumstances, the author is able to strengthen her argument through the development of perspective. In observing her own family circumstances, the young girl, notes that her family is particularly unconventional, consisting of many members. Aside from her immediate family, the girl lists her step-mother and stepbrothers, in addition to a series of other individuals who are half-related or who may not have any biological relations to her at all. This is significant because audiences can recognize that as her family has expanded over the course of time, her many relationships have evolved positively, in spite of family circumstances, such as her parents’ divorce. Furthermore, this goes to support Goodman’s argument that “all sorts of relationships that survive marital ones [exist]." Although the girl closely examines and analyzes the complexity of her relationships, she comes to the conclusion that “We are all in the same family.” Because Goodman chooses to showcase her argument through the perspective of the young child, she effectively presents her opinions in an unbiased and accurate way. The author’s argument is additionally strengthened and credible in that she allows for this ten-year-old child to come up with her own conclusion, without interference based on the author’s experiences. It is also important to note the girl’s constant uncertainty of what she should call her relatives. The author