There are things in life as humans that we do naturally: lies, gossip, etc. Like those things we do, we also tend to think of ourselves as good people. But are we doing our best as a human race? Sviatoslav Richter from “Two Reflections on a Homeless Brother” and “Tun Lin Was Trapped on a Slave Ship for 11 Years. Now he is fighting to end slavery,” both highlight the humanistic fallacy of apathy using rhetorical devices. Both also encourage critical thinking about empathy. Sviatoslav Richter, on the other hand, focuses more on evoking empathy, while Tun Lin focuses on the excitement of action. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay As an outsider, it's hard to find empathy for others who find themselves in situations we're not dealing with, so some of us turn to apathy instead. In Sviatoslav Richter David Means highlights this apathy in his text using dialogism, taking the thoughts of people who pass by the homeless man. It is to suggest that people on the outside look at being homeless “as a way to escape responsibilities, dodging them for the poetic position of being the strange homeless gentleman.” What would be poetic about living on the streets and living day to day eating food from dumpsters? These are not minimalist individuals trying to spread their message about a simpler way to live. A 2015 study investigated the link between homelessness and mental illness and found that 25 percent of homeless people showed signs of severe mental illness and 45 percent showed signs of less severe mental illness. Other factors play a role in homelessness, mental illness, divorce and job loss. Ignoring these factors and treating every homeless person as if they are just trying to "dodge responsibility" is very insensitive. Joe McCarthy similarly shows this problem, apathy in humans, using the appeal to ethics to help us visualize the lack of ethics within. these practices. Using quotes such as “multiple nationalities and languages involved, these workers become an easy group for companies and governments to exploit” McCarthy indicates that Thai fishing companies were concerned with selecting individuals who were easily manipulated, vulnerable and could be taken advantage of . We, as consumers of this fish brought across these slave ships, show no empathy towards their plight, because we are still consuming it. This multi-billion dollar Thai company is used worldwide for restaurants and supermarkets. McCarthy also uses pathos, putting the reader in Tun Lin's shoes, feeling his pain over the injury: "The captain then told him that he would have to jump into the water and swim to a nearby boat if he wanted to be treated." Making a man swim to a nearby boat after his hand has just been crushed, keep in mind that this is modern, as it happens today. If an individual were to be injured during working hours in the United States of America, they would be assisted with medical care and receive compensation. Tun Lin was basically thrown into the ocean as shark bait. In schools we talk about equality and JUSTICE FOR ALL, but does this sound like justice for all? As people who do not face these situations every day, we are apathetic towards the injuries, inhumane living conditions, and exploitation of vulnerable individuals. Both authors want us to ask ourselves whether we are really doing our best or our apathy is greater.
tags