Rehugo- Reading

Bryan Mai
Mr. Soeth
English 3 AP
January 26, 2011
REHUGO Analysis - Reading: Community

A. Essay- “In Search of the Good Family.” by Jane Howard

B. The main point in the essay “In Search of the Good Family,” indicated by the author, Jane Howard is that a human being is always in need of a family whether or not they make the right decisions in life.
C. Evidence:

a. Howard explains how a person a person is always in need of a family. As she starts her essay, she states, “Call it a clan, Call it a network, Call it a tribe” which indicates that a so called family does not really refer to a blood relative. She refers to the word “Family “as someone would need in their life because it is required. She goes on to argue that a person has two different types of the word “Family”. One who is willing to with you while you’re damaged in a state of mind, and the ones who just comfort you, but that is all they can do.

b. As her opening paragraphs become more emotional, Howard starts stating that family is sometimes too far to interact with in some causes. As she continues with her argument, it addresses pathos because people can connect to the situation as they live their lives. A family party is offered once or twice a year which brings everyone in the family together but aside from that, there is rarely a chance that we can see our long distance relatives each week due to the fact that it is complicated to visit them if there is no special event. Since that is the cause, people make friends that are nearby and tend to create some sort of a family. For example, an average teenager would attend high school and make friends. As time progresses, their friendship becomes what we call a family because they can act normally around those types of people.

D. Rhetorical Strategies:

a. Howard uses cause and effect throughout her essay by stating one example and addressing its outcome. She talks about how people barely see their families because of distance and family arguments which is the cause, and the effect would be that people create a sort of family that is close to them even if they are not blood related.
b. Appeal via emotion (Pathos): Throughout her essay, Howard creates words that have us relate back to our situations. “The trouble with clans and tribes…they are too far away”(283) shows how we can barely speak to half of long distance family members. Her words also address to herself to let audiences know that she is also in the same situation as a majority of us. Using herself as an example, it is easier to connect to the audience because they can relate to what she is going through.


MLA citation for essay:

Howard, Jane. "In Search of the Good Family." The Language of Composition. By Renee H. Shea, Lawerence Scanlon, and Robin Dissin Aufses. Boston: Bedford/ St. Martin's, 2008. 283-88. Print.