Neil Sanchez Newman English 101: Rhetoric September 15, 2013

As a human, being vulnerable to a multitude of illnesses and maladies, it may not be much of a surprise that one is in constant concern for their health, and as the month of October approaches a multitude of humanitarian and health organizations are helping October become Breast Cancer awareness month, and giving an increasing amount of awareness towards people getting annual mammograms and doctor visits regarding breast health. Many magazines directed towards a feminine audience publish articles about individuals that try to help others who cant afford or simply arent informed enough to get the medical care for proper breast health. In the October 2013 issue of Family Circle, Louise Farr profiles Dora Arias. The author introduces Dora Arias, a Hispanic woman who tries to help break the language barrier for other Hispanic women in America that cant get proper mammograms, in her article entitled, Guiding Light. Farr adequately and successfully wields pathos and ethos in her profile of Dora Arias struggle with and overcoming breast cancer. Farr begins the article by describing Dora casually walking down a street and approaching landscape workers, whom she doesnt know personally, and asking them in Spanish, her mother tongue, if they had wives or sisters and if those women wanted a free mammogram then she would be happy to help them in their endeavor. After mentioning this, the author talks about Doras nonprofit organization Curmonos

that she founded in 2007 which, has helped hundreds obtain breast cancer screenings and, when necessary, treatment and financial aid (66).This displays Farrs knowledge of Doras active effort to aid women in the fight and prevention against breast cancer in a concise form. Yet Farr doesnt stop there, she also extrapolates on the topic of Curmonos explaining that not only does Doras organization deal with women who currently have breast cancer, but she also tries to prevent it she teaches free classes on the importance of breast health and early detection at community centers and homeless shelters (66). These introducing statements strengthen Farrs credibility as a writer with her knowledge of what Doras mission agenda is. In the middle of the article Farr puts her use of pathos on display as she tugs on the readers heartstrings with Doras personal struggle with breast cancer. Farr focuses on Doras emotional turmoil as a mother of two would have upon the realization that she had a disease that could potentially be lethal, I remember praying `God, just let me live to see my daughters graduate from high school (68). This quote does a great job of touching down to the feelings of the target audience of Family Circle on a level that they could relate to by invoking the fear of not being able to see their children grow into adults. The author isnt done appealing to the readers emotions as Farr gives a quick description of the medical procedures that Dora had gone through, After undergoing a mastectomy and breast reconstruction in July 2003, Dora returned to her job that October (68). This statement shows that Farr can appeal to more than a readers apathy, by informing the reader that Dora had returned to work several months after her surgeries, giving the reader a sense of Doras strength to overcome breast cancer and all it

had done to her. Her ability to utilize a readers own emotions in multiple ways exemplifies her success of putting the reader in Doras shoes. Continuously, Farr employs the use of pathos to stir the readers emotions in multiple areas by throwing the reader into the fear and pain of breast cancer. Additionally, Farr explains that after Doras surgery she quit a promising job at J.P. Morgan to build her nonprofit organization, She incorporated Curmonos as a nonprofit in 2009 and started spreading the news to breast cancer doctors, they began referring Spanish speaking patients to Dora, who connected them to specialists willing to reduce or waive their fees (69). This line shows how Farr transformed the readers views of Dora from a struggling victim of breast cancer to an individual who has experienced the same pain as those she is trying to help. The final line of the article is a quote from Dora, This experience has given me even more meaning to my lifeand to Curmonos, my lifes work (69). This final excerpt is Farrs final, powerful use of ethos to leave readers on a positive note that although Dora had been put through a harrowing experience, it had ended up not only changing her life for the better, but also the lives of others in need. The author puts pathos to use in order to stroke the feelings of her readers, helping Farr to succeed in establishing a lasting connection with her readers. Louise Farr sufficiently puts ethos and pathos to successfully share the struggles that Dora Arias went through with breast cancer and the importance of annual mammograms and breast health. The article gives off the feeling that Farr is knowledgeable and understands the communal and personal blight of breast cancers impact on a persons life. Farrs excellent handling of pathos allows her to be able to reach out and touch her audiences emotions, making her writing easier to take in.

Works Cited Farr, Louise. "Guiding Light." Family Circle 15 Sept. 2013: 66-69. Print.