“On Compassion” by Barbara Lazear Ascher The purpose of this essay is to question the readers. Ascher wants the audience to analyze themselves to determine the reason behind why people show kindness‚ whether it is out of fear‚ pity‚ or compassion. Compassion is learned through experience and seeing those less fortunate; it brings out sympathy because one cannot ignore it when unfortunate people are everywhere. “And yet‚ it may be that these are the conditions that finally give birth
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Is There Compassion in the Air? Compassion. Hidden agenda. The difference. City dweller Barbara Lazear Ascher‚ in her essay “On Compassion‚” recalls in her own words‚ “a couple of brief encounters with homeless people”. While maintaining a critical tone‚ Ascher utilizes an anecdote‚ a personal experience‚ and appeals to her audience’s ethical values as strategies to fulfill her purpose. Ascher effectively achieves her purpose to convince her audience‚ people inhabiting cities‚ there is a lack
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Compassion at Play Are people born with a complete quandary when it comes to compassion or is it something that has always been there? Barbara Lazear Ascher‚ born in 1946‚ writes‚ “On Compassion.” Having lived in New York City‚ Ascher is able to take first hand examples from the city to show the affection people have towards each other. Ascher is able to illustrate that compassion is something that has to be taught because of the adversity at people’s heels by including tone‚ persuasive appeals
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that’s what one would hope. In “On Compassion”‚ Barbara Lazear Ascher considers what really drives people to be compassionate towards others. Do people really feel a need to help those who are unfortunate? Or do they do so out of fear or annoyance? The audience learns what Ascher’s attitude is towards this question through her tone‚ anecdotes‚ and conveying a sense of self-reflection. Ascher uses a thoughtful tone when questioning the motives behind compassion. She writes as if she’s thought about
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“On Compassion” by Barbara Lazear Ascher and “Homeless” by Anna Quindlen are two essays written about homelessness. Ascher has written from a compassionate perspective. She describes events with homeless individuals‚ but focuses on the reactions of others towards the homeless. The essay written by Anna Quindlen lends a different perspective on the matter of homelessness. She describes a brief interaction with a woman who appears to be homeless. Despite the woman’s raincoat and bag with the grime
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Language and Composition 3 October 2012 Finding True Compassion In human society‚ man is surrounded by those less privileged‚ those in a state of desperation. In her piece “On Compassion”‚ Barbara Ascher describes brief scenes that capture the basis of transaction between the helpless and those in a position to give help‚ arguing that the only way society can achieve true compassion is by truly identifying with the suffering of others. Ascher observes the world around her as a member of society
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Church Period 1B November 18‚ 2014 Essay on Compassion Compassion is something we all must give and receive because compassion is the one thing that makes us human. It is when somebody shows someone else that they care about them‚ and to stop ones suffering. In other words: love. It is not possible to have love without compassion. The two work together like clockwork. Compassion is necessary to the human experience because if someone is not shown compassion (thus not experiencing it) they will suffer
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Compassion The author of the writing uses imagery displaying the images of the struggle‚ diction showing the poverty that is going on and examples of compassion that she questions as she goes around the city‚ to help convey the message do we really do things out of compassion or do we do them out of sympathy or pity. To start the passage the author states‚ “his button less shirt‚ with one sleeve missing‚ hangs outside the waist of his baggy trousers. Carefully plaited dreadlocks bespeak a better
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humanizing homelessness people can be compelled to effect change in their community. Change can alter the opinion of people or influence someone to act differently in their everyday life. Authors‚ Anna Quindlen in “Homeless‚” and Barbara Lazear Ascher in “On Compassion‚” emphasize the human aspect of change; however Quindlen is more effective in compelling people to change their ideas about homelessness because of her passionate and inspiring‚ she doesn’t defy in persuading change and making the
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A Crime of Compassion or Just a Crime? In “A Crime of Compassions” Barbara Huttman (writer) told the audience in the Phil Donahue show and every person that read A Crime of Compassion about Mac and the way Mac suffered from lung cancer. “Mac was a young‚ witty‚ macho cop who walked into the hospital with 32 pounds of attack equipment‚ looking as if he could of single-handedly protect the whole city‚ if not the entire state” (par 4). By the vivid description and effects Barbara Huttman gives her
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