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Rhetorical Analysis Of Debtors Prisons By Samuel Johnson

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Samuel Johnson's, excerpt from "Debtors' Prisons (2)"; argues that debtor jails hinder society's progress. Johnson uses pathos when describing the inhumane treatment of those in the jails and logos when explaining that jailing hurts the free population as well. Johnson wrote this to expose the ugly truths of debtors prisons in order that more people will support ending the debtors' jailing system. Johnson is writing to the general population in a formal tone. Johnson explains how debtors are put in prison and "forgotten" (9). These prisoners, "twenty thousand" of them get lost in "oblivion" (11-12). His terminology, implementing pathos, suggests that their existence is pitiful in prison and aims to reach the heart of his audience. The prisoners

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