Pobanz 1

Allison Pobanz

Professor Parry

English 2010

May 19, 2017

Shedding Light on Hunger in America

[Revisions made to this text:

This essay was revised to strengthen the overall rhetorical analysis. The first revision was

adding how this paper would specifically explain rhetorical appeals (ethos, pathos, logos) to the

thesis statement in order to direct the attention of the thesis to the essays purpose. Initially, it

mainly explained the text that is being analyzed. The second revision was fixing grammatical

errors, such as putting titles of longer works in italics. And the final revision was inserting the

topic sentence, The written word can have powerful effect on emotion to introduce the subject

of the paragraph.]

To the average, well-fed, American, it might not be evident that hunger touches many

aspects of society. One may even make hasty assumptions about where hunger occurs, what it is,

and who it effects. Robert Egger, author of the article Five myths about hunger in America

published by the Washington Post, reports the hard facts concerning national hunger to persuade

one about the complexity of hunger. By doing so, and by using rhetorical appeals, such as ethos,

pathos and logos, readers are drawn into his argument. By section, he writes to prove why each

myth is more fantasy than reality. The article presents who, why, and how hunger impacts the

functioning of society in America, and why it is important to understand such subjects.

 Pobanz 2

As a notable humanitarian and successful business man involved in community nutrition

projects, Robert Egger is fitted to discuss hunger. He is the founder of DC Central Kitchen, a

non-profit organization that recycles food from local sources to support a culinary arts job

training program for men and women coming out of foster care (About). At the time this

article was written, November of 2010, America was recovering from the worst recession since

the Great Depression (Amadeo). It is plausible that topics concerning economic security and

social structure were spread across the nations media landscape. Robert Egger was able to

convey his message in the Washington Post at very applicable timing, because the issue of

hunger fit right in to the prevalent conversations of many Americans. Several arguments he gave

in his text seemed to allude he was targeting middle, and possibly upper class Americans. For

example, to illustrate how hunger threatens Americas economic future, he hypothetically

proposes a scenario of a man who ends up in prison due to hunger as a school boy. Egger

concludes that this scenario would cost taxpayers thousands of dollars, targeting the population

who is constantly concerned about minimizing annual tax payments and where tax money is

being spent. It is interesting to note that the Washington Post, where Eggers article was

published, has the motto of Democracy Dies in Darkness, (Washington Post). Obviously, the

issue of hunger that this man zealously fights for is a part of a much larger conversation of

people raising their voices to make a change in Americas society.

The written word can have powerful effect on emotion. Throughout the article are words

like forced, vulnerable, and condemn used to create a unique image in conjunction to the

consequences of hunger. Such words evoke feelings of fear and bondage, and who likes to feel

that way? The answer would most likely be no one. Egger uses these commonly avoided

emotions to create an even playing ground that his audience can relate to. This appeals to pathos,
 Pobanz 3

as the article instantaneously becomes more than a text full of words; it is now a message that

encourages the reader to participate in personal reflection. At first glance, the type of statistics

that Egger uses may just appear to be numbers, but the way that he chooses to present the facts in

clever percentages and large numerical quantities carries startling news, especially when the

numbers are applying to populations like single mothers. The hard facts stir up feelings of

concern, passion, and action, thus engaging the reader in the complexity of fighting hunger in

America.

The article is titled 5 myths about hunger in America, but truly, Egger seeks out not

only to explain the myths, but to expose the complicated truth. This adds an interesting dynamic

as the reader examines a fact, and then compares it to the preconceived idea or myth. As this

happens, the reader is affirmed by the thoughtfulness the author has put forth in order to set

things straight. Suddenly, logos is established because it appears the author is reporting the facts

for the readers own good. To add to the validity of this persuasion technique, Egger uses a

slightly sarcastic tone of voice throughout the article, but specifically when he is describing

evidence that supports his claims. This develops a deeper relationship between the author and

reader, because the evidence feels like it is being given by a real person, not from a text book of

information. It seems reasonable and worthwhile to pay attention to what Egger has to say

because of his crafty use of logos.

The continual application of facts and statistics in Eggers article paints the picture that

he is a credible source of information. Concerning many topics, Egger also proves to be a critical

thinker towards the knowledge he presents by displaying ideas that may have not been noted by

the average scholar. For example, he claims that We are dying not because we arent eating, but

because we are eating the wrong things, and Hunger isnt about food. Its about jobs and
 Pobanz 4

wages. These perspectives relating to hunger are relatively controversial and not commonly

discussed. This causes the reader to wonder what else Egger has to offer in his area of expertise.

It may also persuade one to recognize hunger as a much more complicated subject than meets the

eye. To solidify his own credibly, towards the end of the article, Egger states his position in the

non-profit world as the founder of D.C. Central Kitchen. As he reports the success of his

business, readers are persuaded to trust what he has previously claimed through establishing that

he is well acquainted with food related matters in the community, which directly appeals to

ethos.

Through the use of pathos, logos, and ethos in Robert Eggers article, the audience is told

to dig deeper, keep reading, and believe in the complex nature of hunger in the United States. If

bold, and seemingly hard facts are used wisely to generate persuasion, this method can be

effective. Robert Egger accomplished this task. He was able to successfully call to action

audience members by requesting their emotions to side with his arguments. To hook his reader

even further, he gave validity to his evidence by presenting a thoughtful persona and trustworthy

credentials. Whether one was convinced to completely rid themselves of myths referring to

hunger in America or not, new light was bound to be shed in the readers mind relating to the

reality, and surely the complexity, of those who are hungry.

 Pobanz 5

Works Cited

"About." Robert Egger. N.p., 29 Dec. 2016. Web. 22 May 2017.

Amadeo, Kimberly. "11 Recessions Since the Great Depression." The Balance. N.p., 02 May

2017. Web. 22 May 2017.

Egger, Robert. "Five Myths about Hunger in America." The Washington Post. WP Company, 21

Nov. 2010. Web. 22 May 2017.

"Washington Post: National, World & D.C. Area News and Headlines." The Washington Post.

WP Company, n.d. Web. 22 May 2017.

Revisions made to this text:

 Pobanz 6

This essay was revised to strengthen the overall rhetorical analysis. The first revision was

adding how this paper would specifically explain rhetorical appeals (ethos, pathos, logos) to the

thesis statement in order to direct the attention of the thesis to the essays purpose. Initially, it

mainly explained the text that is being analyzed. The second revision was fixing grammatical

errors, such as putting titles of longer works in italics. And the final revision was inserting the

topic sentence, The written word can have powerful effect on emotion to introduce the subject

of the paragraph.