Robert Lawson

Mr. Soeth

January 26, 2011

English 3 AP

REHUGO Analysis-Reading: In Search of the Good Family

A. Author of essay: Jane Howard Name of essay: In Search of the Good Family

B. In this essay the authors main objective is to stress the importance of family. Howard gives ten characteristics on what makes a "clan, network, or tribe" a "good family."

C. Howard uses logos to support her argument by taking quotes from social scientist and great writers such as Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. with sayings like " human beings need all the relatives they can get - as possible donors or recievers not of love but of common decency"and extended families are " one of the four greatest inventions by Americans". Her pathos show through the text she uses such as " Their welfare must be nearly as important to you as your own. Even if you live alone, even if your solitude is elected and ebullient, you still cannot do without a clan or tribe." The tone that the words gives off tell how much family is important and how much you need them your life persuading the reader to either recconect with their own family or be glad of the clan, or clans, they have.

D. " Have not the Japanese for years had an honored, enduring - if perhaps by our standards rather rigid - custom of adopting nonrealatives to fill gaps in their families?" "Should we not applaud and maybe imitate such ingenuity" these rhetorical questions asked by Howard come off some what witty giving the reader examples off how a culture has thrived and is recognized of their family ways and values. She uses the repition of the words " good families" to say exactly what she wants more of, what she would like to see, and to show " what a human cannot live without." She gives ten examples of characteristics of what "good families" have such as a " chief" and a "switchboard operator" all to prove her main point of everyone needs a good family.