Note the sections of the essay that refer to personal experience. Does Cofer's use of personal experience weaken her argument or make it more effective? Explain. Would the essay be more effective with less--or more--personal experience? Explain your view.
Cofer's use of personal experiences makes her argument for effective. If someone was reading this and there weren’t any personal experiences, it would be easily dismissed as false. But since she has first hand experience with the issue at hand, her credibility on the matter is boosted and it makes the story more relatable because we are given a first person POV on the experience.
ReplyDeleteI think it personally strengthens her argument because it not only provides her with credibility on the subject matter, but it also is a lot more interesting than a lot of the other arguments she could have made.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, Nate. It strengthens the argument because it establishes her ethos and lets the audience know that what she's saying has really been experienced and that her feelings are genuine.
DeleteCofer's use of personal experiences definitely enhances her argument. She brings the reader's in by describing her own struggles, and relating to other Latina women out there as well. I think that more personal experience would not hinder her argument, but I think that she has a solid amount of experiences to contribute to her argument already.
ReplyDeletePersonal experiences are a type of first-hand evidence. Any use of evidence will enhance the author's argument. In Cofer's case, her enriched personal experiences and culture are very beneficial for her argument. She definitely should not drown the reader with personal experiences because some second-hand evidence should be used as well to balance the evidence out. (ex: a fact or event)
ReplyDeleteBecause of the subject, any of her personal experiences make for a good argument. Using other real life situations others have gone through will also help her argument. As john said any of the experiences are evidence. legitimate evidence can make for a good argument.
ReplyDeleteThe personal experiences added by Coffer add to her essay, but at a point, they may become too much. The number of personal experiences Coffer uses could also suggest she overexaggerates the situations. It would be beneficial to use outside experiences beside her own personal experiences. The focus on herself gives the impression that she alone has had these experiences.
ReplyDeleteI think that Cofer's use of multiple personal experiences strengthens her argument. The use of personal examples allows her audience to connect with her on a deeper level. I think that Cofer uses the perfect amount of personal examples because any more personal examples could be excessive and any less would not expand enough on her purpose.
ReplyDeleteThe personal stories keep me more interested. The last thing I want in an essay like this is a bunch of stats that discuss race/gender. It is simply boring reading material and the personal stories make her seem more like a real person.
ReplyDeleteCofer's use of personal experience strengthens her argument. It gives her some Pathos, as we connect with her since these are not just moments that she is documenting from a statistic she saw. These are personal experiences that actually happened to her. She also balances her personal experiences with explanations of why these certain things happen to her, so it does not come off as only her story, but a story many more people (specifically Latina women) can relate to.
ReplyDeleteHer use of personal experiences contribute greatly to her final claim: that dismantling racism must start at a personal level. Her personal experiences force the reader to gain a sense of empathy for her. It forces us to question our stereotypes. She proves that although she is highly educated, people see her as a stereotype instead of a person. Her stories help the reader connect. I drew a lot of connections between her stories about family influence and the way my Indian side of the family influenced the way I dressed, especially when I was younger. Her personal experiences prove that stereotypes do exist
ReplyDeleteCofer's use of personal experience enhances her argument because it makes it more real for the reader to hear about actual accounts of Latina stereotyping. The argument was good with the amount of personal experience it had, but if anything, Cofer should add more to provide more evidence of the things that she and other Latinas go through.
ReplyDeleteCofer's use of personal evidence contributes to her cause because stereotyping is a personal issue. Without personal experience, this piece could not have any real footing as an argument, and would be much weaker.
ReplyDeleteI definitely think Cofer's use of personal experiences work for her argument. They help the reader relate to what she's saying (especially if they have experienced something similar). It assures readers that what she's saying is true because she has experienced it herself.
ReplyDeleteTo me Cofer's personal experiences definitely helped her argument. As Loberger said, they are a type of evidence, and it helped strengthened her rhetorical appeals. By experiencing it herself, the stories feel more real and believable, she can exactly portray the emotions experienced, and it feels more relatable because she is an ordinary person like us living ordinary lives, unlike extreme eye-catching news stories, so it seems more common. While all the personal experience is good, I think that their should be some balance with different types of evidence to show different perspectives and and thoughts. That way, she has all the effects of first hand evidence with support from other sources and people's experiences.
ReplyDeleteCofer's inclusion of personal experience in her writing strengthen her cause. By reading the personal experiences, the audience is able to really understand what the author, as a Latina in America, goes through on a regular basis. It connects the audience and the author on a deeper level because it makes the author vulnerable and more relatable. The amount of personal experience Cofer includes is the perfect amount. Any more personal experience that is included may seem more of a complaint rather than a help to her argument.
ReplyDeleteBecause her final claim is focusing on a personal level and because this is a situation where statistics cannot fully reveal the true situation, I think that the personal evidence is the most suitable for her argument. The personal evidence also helped the audience in relating to her, which strengthens her argument. However, I might add in some evidence concerning the experiences of Latinas from different communities and backgrounds to more fully prove her argument, for it would give the audience an even clearer picture of how wide spread this problem is.
ReplyDeleteI think it is good for her argument. With a subject such as this, sometimes the best way to explain something is through a personal example. She can include her thoughts and rationale as well to make it even more effective.
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