Annies analysis of The Optimism of uncertainty by Howard Zinn

This article was published in September of 2004 on Thenation.com, the

longest running newsmagazine in the county. They have a very long, rich history and
have a very liberal, largely pessimistic audience. This was written to the pessimistic,
Liberal American. There was a lot happening in the world at that time. It was a
presidential election year. We were at war in Iraq. There were several natural
disasters that took hundreds of thousands of lives that year. So many things
happening that could and did trigger thoughts of despair and loss of hope.
Zinn wrote this article to show people that because of our history we should actually
be optimistic even though the events around us lead us to believe otherwise.
Through his knowledge of history and lighthearted words Howard Zinn explains how
in this awful world where the efforts of caring people often pale in comparison to
what is done by those who have power, he manages to stay involved and happy. He
says There is a tendency to think that what we see in the present moment will
continue but that what leaps out from the history of the past hundreds of years is its
utter unpredictability. He shows through examples in history that No cold calculation
of the balance of power need deter people who are persuaded that their cause is just.
He shows that we should be optimistic. He says that Revolutionary change does not
come as one cataclysmic moment! But as an endless succession of surprises, moving
zigzag toward a more decent society.
Howard Zinns uses his personal history and experience to build the Ethos. He then
goes through events in history to justify why optimism is reasonable as he delves into
the Logos. Zinn starts the article by appealing to the desire for happiness, Pathos, as
he expounds on this throughout the article we understand that he is showing us how
to be happy despite what is happening in the world. Through these different uses he
is effective in convincing a group of pessimistic people that there is hope.
The Ethos part of this article is Howard Zinns history. He is regarded as one of the
most prominent and respected historians in the world. His parents were Jewish
immigrants that worked in factories. There were no books or magazines for him
growing up. Zinns parents introduced him to literature by sending ten cents plus a
coupon to the New York Post for each of the 20 volumes of Charles Dickens collected
works. Eager to fight fascism, Zinn joined the U.S. army during World War II and was
assigned as a bombardier. He dropped napalm bombs on Royan. He later developed
an anti war stance in part due to his experiences. This also spurred him on to write
about his experiences there and how his action impacted the citizens there.

Howard Zinn went to New York University on the GI Bill graduating with a B.A.. He
then went to Columbia University and earned an M.A. and a Ph.D. in history with a
minor in political science.
Zinn was a professor of history at Spelman College from 1956 to 1963 until he was
fired for participating in anti war demonstrations. He went on to teach political
science at Boston University for 24 years where he retired at age 64. Zinn wrote
dozens of books throughout his career. Because of this past He perfectly uses Ethos
to write this piece because he has studied history and has the ability to look at
history and explain that just because there are all these bad things happening right
now, we are no worse off then we have been in the past.
As he goes further into this article he uses so Logos as he goes through events in
history and explains why we as a people should have optimism. He says What leaps
out from the history of the past hundred years is its utter unpredictability. He talks
about the revolution to overthrow a czar of Russia, that this not only took Lenin by
surprise but it sent him rushing by train to Petrograd. He continues for several pages
using logos and examples of history. He talks about Germany rolling through Russia
apparently invincible only to be defeated with Hitler huddled in his bunker waiting to
die. His use of Logos throughout this article really makes you remember and
understand how there are many examples of the small or weak defeating the giant or
super power.
A powerful statement for Logos is where he says: The end of World War II left two
superpowers with their respective spheres of influence and control. Yet they were
unable to control events. The failure of the Soviet Union to have its way in
Afghanistan, its decision to withdraw was the most striking evidence that even the
possession of the thermonuclear weapons does not guarantee domination over a
determined population. He talks about the US and how we faced the same situation
with the Korean war. He is able to very powerfully show examples in history where
the bigger nation had the weapons and the means to win but because of the
population and a determined people they did not. This is a great example of logos
because you are able to see that small things and people can make a difference even
if your nature is pessimistic. He goes on to further support this a paragraph later in
saying; its clear that the struggle for justice should never be abandoned because of
the apparent overwhelming power of those who have the guns and the money and
who seem invincible in their determination to hold on to it. History is the perfect use
of Logos because it is hard to argue with it. The facts are the facts, they might be
interpreted different from one person to another person but you cant change what
happened.

Zinn starts the article by appealing to the desire for happiness and our Pathos with
this statement: In this awful world where the efforts of caring people often pale in
comparison to what is done by those who have power, how do I manage to stay
involved and seemingly happy. He draws the reader in and makes them think about
the world they live in and how in the world they can be happy. He goes on to say he
is not totally confident that the world will get better but that we shouldnt give up
before the game is done. He says not to play is to foreclose any chance of winning.
To Play, to act, is to create at least a possibility of changing the world. This
statement makes you feel like you can make a difference and should try to make a
difference.
Zinn does a beautiful job of weaving the Pathos and the Logos throughout the article.
One place that he has both of them is where he says That apparent power has,
again and again, proved vulnerable to human qualities less measureable than bombs
and dollars: Moral fervor, determination, unity, organization, sacrifice, wit, ingenuity,
courage, patience whether by blacks in Alabama and South Africa, peasants in El
Salvador, Nicaragua and Vietnam, or workers and intellectuals in Poland, Hungary
and the Soviet Union itself. No cold calculation of the balance of power need deter
people who are persuaded that their cause is just. I think the writer does a very
good job of proving his point. I think that he is trying to give people hope. He wants
them to be optimistic about the future even if it seems like there is nothing to be
optimistic about. He does such a brilliant job of using logos to make his point and
appeal to our pathos.
He writes Revolutionary change does not come as one cataclysmic moment but an
endless succession of surprises, moving zigzag toward a more decent society. People
dont have to engage in grand heroic actions to participate in the process of change.
Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world.
He uses fun and light hearted words throughout the article that make you feel
optimistic.
Howard Zinn is able to use these different appeals to play on emotions, to give
courage and hope. His tone throughout the article is happy, full of hope, and filled
with facts. He has organized this article perfectly he starts with a statement, then
goes into logos, then pathos, while he weaves the two together. He then finishes with
a great summary that plays mostly to Pathos when he says. We need hope. An
optimist isnt necessarily a blithe, slightly sappy whistler in the dark of our time. To
be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that
human history is a history not only of cruelty but also of compassion, sacrifice,
courage, kindness.

This article had the desired effect on me. It gave me hope and made me look at
history to see that things can and do rapidly change. That small movements can
make a huge difference. I am by nature realistically optimistic so I was able to relate
to this article very well. I think that regardless of how pessimistic you are this article
should give you hope.