In “The Advertised Infant: Ivan’s Adventures in Babyland,” Carole Corbeil discusses how parents use baby products to assist them in raising their children. In the text, the author tries to present the consequences of delegating parental roles to baby products. Although Corbeil has attempted to argue against baby products using rhetorical strategies and devices to drive the points, more research is needed to uncover the consequences of these products on children before making a convincing case.
The text clearly shows that the author has used three rhetorical strategies: pathos, ethos, and logos. In demonstrating pathos, the author develops a brief but well-thought-out thesis statement. The thesis sets the foundation and can be used to determine the focus of the essay. The thesis statement is “the artificial heartbeat did, there’s no getting around it, reminding Ivan of better times” (Corbeil 146). The author supports the thesis by providing in-depth reasons and credible evidence on how parents have neglected their children to pursue their dreams. Corbeil uses reason to show that parents want to be at two places simultaneously; thus, they purchase the advertised baby products that can distract the children. The author presents the argument logically and in an understandable order.
Ethos, which is the appeal to credibility, is demonstrated in various ways. First, the author is qualified as she was an arts writer and critic of This Magazine, Saturday Night, Canadian Art, and The Globe and Mail. She won the City of Toronto Book Ward in 1993 using her novel Voice-Over published in 1993 (Corbeil 146). She has published other works, some of which have been adapted into theater plays. Moreover, the author respects multiple viewpoints by using other sources to cement her points. She uses quotation marks for information extracted from other sources, such as the “nursery listening system for parents’ peace of mind” (Corbeil 146). This information was drawn from an advertisement for the product. She uses appropriate diction for the target audience, and the text is presented in a professional design.
Lastly, the author uses pathos, which is the appeal to emotions. Clear examples have been used to probe the readers’ imagination. For instance, throughout the text, the author uses the life of a baby named Ivan. She describes how Ivan’s parents have purchased numerous products, so their child can be less of a burden. The products include the voice-activated crib mobile, orthodontic pacifier, activity center, glow-worm, and many others (Corbeil 146-147). These examples appeal to the emotions and beliefs of the readers; thus, they are relatable.
Besides rhetorical strategies, Corbeil applies various rhetorical devices to illustrate her point. Personification is seen throughout the text through the story of Ivan. Ivan’s parents used baby products to act as human substitutes for their child’s comfort. For instance, the author describes the “nursery listening system for parents” which has two ears; one in the baby’s room and one in the parents’ current position (Corbeil 146). The devices act as human ears, monitoring the baby. The product has been given a human function; listening to the baby and conveying the information to the parent. The author has also used irony to cement her argument.
She writes that “the Big One’s agenda is vastly more important than one’s own” (Corbeil 151). This statement implies that parents value their interests, such as careers, more than they value their children. This is ironic since people should focus more on their offspring than anything else. Baby products have made parents less bothered to care about their responsibilities of raising their children. Also, instances of metaphor are seen in the text. For example, the author writes, “the Big One takes an eternity to come and see him” (Corbeil 147). The term eternity has been used to emphasize that the parents take a long time before going to see their baby. The metaphor is used to emphasize the point.
Though Corbeil makes a solid argument, there are instances of fallacies in the text. The author uses a slippery slope in pointing out the consequences of using baby products instead of parental presence. The author argues that later in life, Ivan will want to sleep with a walkman, suck on artificial heart valves, physical and metaphorical doors will give him anxiety, and he will prefer to be restrained during sex (Corbeil 148). These arguments are slippery and do not have a credible backup. The author should have taken a lifetime study of Ivan instead of predicting outcomes without supporting evidence for the occurrence of these events.
Hasty generalization is observed when the author assumes that the child’s future will be messed up entirely based on the baby products. The author argues that Babyland separates the baby from the rest of the world, thus, they will not learn their culture (Corbeil 148). This is a hasty generalization since only one aspect of the child’s growth has been considered. This conclusion does not consider other elements contributing to the baby’s growth and development, such as religion, language, education, and other interactions.
In conclusion, the author has presented a reasonable argument; however, more research is needed to establish this perspective. The ethos, pathos, and logos are well presented, elaborating the authors’ views. Also, the author uses rhetorical devices such as irony, metaphors, and personification to illustrate the points vividly. However, instances of hasty generalization and slippery slope fallacies are evident. For example, the author uses a small portion of the baby’s growth, the use of baby products, to build up the child’s future. Other growth and development perspectives, such as education, religion, language, and others, should be integrated to make this argument sound.
Work Cited
Corbeil, Carole. “The Advertised Infant: Ivan’s Adventures in Babyland.” 1987. 146-151.