Why Generation Y Yuppies Are Unhappy Rhetorical Analysis

We’re Not Special Because We’re All Special: The Generation Y Conundrum In the article “Why Generation Y Yuppies Are Unhappy”, author Tim Urban utilizes ethos, logos, “young” diction, and first person narration to mock Generation Y yuppies. Ethos and logos are created through the use of graphs, statistics, and definitions. The author’s informal tone and modern word choice create a young atmosphere and overall mood in the article. Finally, the author’s use of first person narration allows him to compare the mentality of Generation Y to that of a child. Ethos and logos are threaded throughout the article. A clear example of ethos is the author’s frequent use of graphs. When one thinks of something that is official and true, often times there are graphs involved. Urban uses graphs to show the relationship between hard work and success, the number of people per year that describe their job as fulfilling, and the net disappointment between Generation Y’s expectations and the reality

Lucy is a member of Generation Y, and she is convinced that she is special. She also happens to be very unhappy, which the author says is the cost of being a part of Generation Y. The article talks about the generation as a whole but mentions Lucy throughout. Graphs illustrate Lucy’s unhappiness and relate it to her unrealistically high expectations. Her childlike mindset is illustrated by the pictures throughout the article. One of the pictures illustrates Lucy’s expectations as a unicorn, which is to say that they are unattainable and unreal. Children often believe in what isn’t real, like a unicorn, and Lucy thinks her life should be as great as a unicorn. This is a very innocent and naïve way of thinking. Urban’s pictures include rainbow colors and childlike illustrations. Generation Y can be looked at as immature and as a generation that should be soothed like a child would be when they fail or fall down and scrape their