“I could just see him sitting on his suitcases, near the front door of my house. And I said to him, ‘I'm sorry, God, it's not you. It's me. It's just, I don't think you exist. I mean, God, look at it this way: it's really because I take you so seriously that I can't bring myself to believe in you. If it's any consolation, it's sort of a sign of respect. So, you know, sit here as long as you want to, stay for a while, if you need to, there's no big hurry.’
And slowly, over the course of several weeks, he disappeared.”
—Julia Sweeney, Letting Go of God
***
In Letting Go of God,
devout Catholic Julia Sweeney slowly comes to embrace a new identity for
herself: atheist. Through years of study and experience, she comes to the realization that the cherished religion of her youth can no longer be reconciled with an increasing sense of doubt, so she leaves her faith behind.
For this extra credit assignment, apply Aristotle's Modes of Persuasion to Sweeney's Letting Go of God. In three short answer responses, find examples of Ethos, Pathos, and Logos in Sweeney's story. Use specific examples from the monologue as evidence of these appeals.
A presentation on Aristotle's Modes of Persuasion can be found HERE.
Requirements:
- MLA Style
- 250-500 words
- Works cited
Due: No later than Thu 5.16 at 5 P.M. (via email—absolutely no late assignments accepted)
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