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Malcolm Gladwell Ethos

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Malcolm Gladwell, in his captivating New Yorker article “None of the above: What IQ doesn’t Tell You about Race” analyzes a book written by James Flynn, a famous psychologist who posits that “IQ is as much a barometer of society and education as it is a measure of intelligence.” In the article, Gladwell aims at showing his readers the meaning of IQ and its relationship to race, class, and culture. Gladwell achieves this goal by constructing a trustworthy ethos and by incorporating rhetorical devices, which make the essay more effective at convincing its audience. Gladwell’s appeal to extrinsic and intrinsic ethos is very strong as he successfully establishes himself as a credible and reliable writer. …show more content…
He discusses the different theories of the mentioned psychologists in a chronological order which makes the article easier for the intended readers to follow, him to make the article engaging. He also uses compare and contrast to deliver his point that “Flynn’s interpretation of data is superior to that of others” by comparing the rogue theories of Rushton, Murray, Herrnstein, and other, to Flynn’s theories. He uses this strategy to bring out the positives in Flynn to convince the readers for what he has to say, evident from when Gladwell claims, “Flynn is a cautious and careful writer [who] unlike many others in the IQ debates … resists grand philosophizing.” Additionally, his use of light humor helps engage the audience to ensure that they read the entire article to conclude that Flynn is right. This is evident from when Gladwell states that, “United Nations [is] populated largely by people who today would be considered mentally retarded”. Also, Gladwell avoids using scientific jargon and keeps it simple for his intended audience. For instance, he explains, “Rushton [is] a psychologist to [compares] ... the Negroid brain with … the Negroid penis” without using any technical words. This effectively promotes reader engagement since they don’t have to refer a thesaurus frequently, thus making the article more

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