Rhetorical Analysis Of Response To Scott Russell Sanders

To Scott Russell Sanders, the minds of individuals are slowly destroying our planet. Sanders contradicts with Rushdie’s positive outlook on “people who root themselves in ideas rather than places.” As Rushdie sees nothing but hope, Sanders sees nothing but fear and doubt. Scott Russell Sanders utilized various forms of strategy to effectively address his response to Salman Rushdie’s essay and the reasoning behind his stance.

Sanders’s response mainly appealed to logos as he depended on historical evidence to support his claim. The author mentions the fact that “colonists brought slavery with them to North America, along with smallpox and Norway rats.” Sanders included this statement to make it seem as if moving was the source of disease, pests, and slavery in the first place. To Sanders, moving already had produced

Throughout his piece, Sanders uses the words, “we” and “our.” The author’s use of first-person pronouns already brings him together with his audience and shows that his response does not only concern him, but everybody else. The passage ends with Sanders stating, “When we cease to be migrants and become inhabitants, we might begin to pay enough heed and respect to where we are. By settling in, we have a chance of making a durable home for ourselves, our fellow creatures, and our descendant,” which appeals to pathos. Again, the author includes the audience and even speaks about the future generation. Sanders is worried about the later consequences of moving. With the environment constantly changing and getting damaged by “movers,” the future generation might be facing bigger challenges. This causes the audience to potentially feel that same way and start to understand where Sanders is coming from. By including the audience in his perspective, Sanders allows the audience to see from the same