In all of these op-ed pieces, the author very convincingly expresses his or her opinion through the use of something that can be called personal rhetoric. That is what makes most of these op-ed pieces similar. The differences stylistically are of device and method, and can be expressed simply by citing directly parts of each article side by side.
First, here will be covered the use of personal rhetoric, as it has so been named. It is not but before the first few lines of each piece in which the author establishes a personal foundation for the rest of the article to be built on. Anna Quindlen begins her article “In a Peaceful Frame of Mind,” with this expression of subjective experience: “It was the part about reading that got to me” (Quindlen, “In a Peaceful…”).
In a piece designed to express the inhumanity of outlawing euthanasia, Quindlen here established what would be her grounds for considering the politically volatile option. Without getting into lofty intellectual rhetoric, she appeals to the humanity of us all—hoping we will think of that thing we do that makes the arduousness of life bearable being taken by some biological twist of fate. Here, like in all op-ed pieces, there is a high risk of losing audience out of an inability to relate with what has been asserted by the writer. If people just cannot identify with wanting to die because of losing the ability to read, then the rest of the article may not stand firmly on that shaky ground.
Staple’s style in “Editorial Observer; Why Colleges Shower Their Students With A’s” is much more formal. He does not use a personal rhetoric, is informative, and uses strictly the third person throughout is piece. His assertions are factual, not subjective. His conclusion reads as follows: “Addicted to counterfeit excellence, colleges, parents and students are unlikely to give it up. As a consequence, diplomas will become weaker and more ornamental as the years go by” (Staple, “Why Colleges…”).
Though the rest of his performance is without personal opinion—here is where his pieces editorial nature is exposed. He is using the example of college superficiality to make a broader statement about America’s “addiction to counterfeit excellence.” Though using a contrasting diction of a tone informative and factual, he indeed is attempting to convey a personal belief, much like Quindlen, with more of a veneer of absolute truth.
Brooks is much more like Quindlen. In his article “The Gender Gap at School” he begins ingest: “There are three gender-segregated sections in any airport: the restrooms, the security pat-down area and the bookstore” (Brooks, “The Gender Gap…”). It is important to note that he does not shape this topic sentence in completely subjective form, as does Quindlen, however he does present the issue of the article—gender differences—with a flair of familiarity, through humor, that does compare with Quindlen’s opening and contrast with Staple’s.
Britz takes her readers into the world of a college admissions office in her op-ed “To All the Girls I’ve Rejected.” She begins with a personal anecdote, telling of her daughter opening a letter from a college that has put her on a waiting list (Britz, “To All…”). In this piece, like in Brooks’ and Quindlen’s, a personal touch is put upon the realities of a bigger issue. Here, the bigger issue is the great competition caused by the increase in female application to college. She brings to light the realities of rejecting highly qualified female applicants due to this phenomenon. Each of these three articles contrast with Staple’s piece, because he uses a distant, informative tone to convey facts in order to comment on the state of the American appetite for superficial excellence.
The commonality of all of these is the subjective nature of the purpose of their editorials. That is of no surprise. The forms however are shaped very differently, from Britz, who is essentially apologizing to all the girls she is forced to reject, to Staple’s who is turning a critical eye on the American search for more, faster; instead of less and substantial.
Works Cited
Brooks, David. “The Gender Gap at School.” The New York Times. 2006. Web.
Britz, Jennifer. “To All the Girls I’ve Rejected.” The New York Times. 2006. Web.
Quindlen, Anna. “In a Peaceful Frame of Mind: Demanding Control Over Their Medical Care May Not Relinquish It In Their Final Days.” Newsweek. 2002. Web.
Staples, Brent. “Editorial Observer; Why Colleges Shower Their Students with A’s.” The New York Times. 1998. Web.