Monday, April 7, 2008

Analyzing My Argument


Claim: Patriotism cannot be described by only one definition.

Qualifier: Most people only think of one definition for patriotism. Either the dictionary definition or those provided by the media.

Good Reasons: People die in the name of being Patriotic.
There are a multitude of different definitions for every word.
Every word can have a different meaning for every person.


Warrant: People should realize that the definition of patriotism depends on the person doing the defining and that it is all of the ideas and thoughts of all Americans combined that makes up the genuine and complex definition of Patriotism.

Backing: The general public should be aware that each definition is unique to the situation and person, and that one should take what the media says with a grain of salt.

Evidence: People are dying for their definition of patriotism.
The government and media take advantage of the community’s feelings of unanimity and patriotism.

Authority: Quotations from different public figures regarding patriotism.

Rebuttal: Some people in the community use the idea of patriotism for their purposes only and don’t care about the true definition.

Response: If people do not wish to be informed or taught, they do not have to listen. However, everyone has the same right to being educated and informed.

I thought that this essay was incredibly hard to do a Toulmin Analysis on since there was really no hard evidence provided. My essay was basically based on opinions and thoughts. However, it did present the different views and versions of definitions of patriotism. If I had to rewrite this essay in a Toulmin style I would most likely need to find some more hard evidence and use that to support my ideas that were presented. I would possibly use more statistics and polls from the general public on their ideas and feelings.

No comments: