Cullen Ethos Pathos Logos

Appeals?

Cullen uses logically appeals to present reasons why media or bullying cannot be blamed for the killers’ actions. He reasons that they were not bullied; they themselves were the bullies! (Cullen 258). He deduces that Harris and Klebold’s psychological states caused their actions.

Cullen appeals to the audience’s sympathy to allow them to emphasize with the victims’ families who found “comfort” in the crosses erected at Rebel Hill (Cullen 195).

Cullen evokes fear by vividly describing the horrifying recordings found in both boys’ journals such as a declaration that “all [he] want[s] to do is kill and injure as many of you pricks as [he] can!” (Cullen 216).

The audience’s parental impulses are evoked when Cullen argues how reasonable

Allusions?

Cullen describes the impact that Harris and Klebold had on other school shooting, particularly Seung-Hui Cho’s siege at Virginia Tech. “He understand only that Eric and Dylan left an impression” (Cullen 348). Cullen’s inclusion of this other shooting demonstrates that the shooters left behind a legacy, albeit one of tragedy.

Cullen describes the similarities between Cassie Bernall and Valeen Schnurr’s martyrdom to those of early Christians “who went joyously to their deaths in the Roman coliseum” (Cullen 222).

Cullen compares the outbreak of religion following the shootings to a second “Great Awakening”, or the period when Christianity experienced its first significant influx of converts. The story of Cassie Bernall’s murder “spread like bushfire. Among Evangelicals, e-mails, faxes, and phone calls whipped across the country” (Cullen

Anecdotes?

The story of Dave Sander’s agonizing last moments is detailed with even minute subtleties, such as when the students “slipped his wallet out and began showing him pictures” (Cullen 141).

Cullen paints a vivid image of Cassie Bernall’s murder through the retelling of the event by an etewitness Emily Wyant: “She looked into Cassie’s brown eyes. Casse was still praying. There was no time for words between them. Eric shot Cassie in the head” (Cullen 227).

Cullen tells each aspect of Patrick Ireland’s recovery, down to the minutiae. After the shooting he was faced with “speech therapy, muscle therapy, testing, prodding, poking, and the needless efforts just to communicate” (Cullen 269). Cullen details the football season Columbine High School dedicated to fallen athlete, Matthew Kechter: “Each player wore Matt’s number on his helmet and Matt’s initials, MJK, on his cap” (Cullen