Tony Kornheiser, a famous talk show host for ESPN and former columnist for the Washington Post, commonly uses sarcasm and bluntness to convey his message in a comical yet effective manner. This article about New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina is somewhat different, though. In Kornheiser's article "In New Orleans, a Resounding Victory for the Human Spirit", his animated admiration reveals his along with the rest of the nation's support of the New Orleans residents attempting to rebuild their lives after the hurricane as well as their respect for the resiliency of the citizens who refused to give up on their city. Kornheiser uses ethos, pathos, and pathos to transfer his tone and message to his audience.
Kornheiser begins by establishing ethos with the use of exemplification. He has been at "hockey playoff games where it seems like the noise is louder than in any other arena," basketball games where "it sounds like U2 and Green Day are playing inside your head," football stadiums that "shook with noise," and "the 1987 World Series in Minnesota, where the noise level inside the Metrodome made it feel like your eyeballs were about to pop out." Kornheiser has been in the business for years. These four examples, each pertaining to a different sport, show his experience in a wide range of sports. He then follows this up by stating that he "cannot recall anything" even comparatively close to the "noise, glee, gratitude, relief, hope and prayer" that the Superdome contained during that Monday Night Football game. Despite his expertise and years in the profession, nothing compares to what he experienced at that game. Portraying this event on a scale of such magnitude conveys to the reader how astounding Kornheiser believes this event to be.
While it is not the focal point of his argument, pathos is used briefly and effectively by Kornheiser to aid in the reader's understand of the situation. The Atlanta Falcons, who were playing the Saints, felt at a "competitive disadvantage" because "the whole world" was "against them," and "everyone [was] rooting for the Saints." It's not that people hated the Falcons, they were simply the opponent to the world's temporarily favorite team. That was the simple truth: everyone wanted the Saint's to win, everyone wanted the Saints to overcome their tragedy. Kornheiser stated that "If the Saints [could] rebuild," then, by "metaphoric extension," "so [could] New Orleans." This was a belief and hope that was clung on to by the citizens of New Orleans. Their local heroes were rising from the debris and carrying on for their community, and this inspired the rest of the town to pick themselves up and do the same.
Pathos is utilized effectively by Kornheiser throughout the essay to invoke the readers emotions and sway them in favor of his own emotions. He points out that outside the Superdome, there are "miles and miles of ravaged houses and empty neighborhoods," and it will take "years and years" for New Orleans "to come back whole again." This painstaking imagery reveals to the reader how catastrophic the destruction was from Hurricane Katrina. By tugging these emotional strings, he sparks feelings of sorrow and sympathy in the reader. He later concludes the column by describing the events of the night as "a script that was perfectly written and a moment that was perfectly lived." Even though times are hard and problems abound, there is still a shining light of hope in the darkness. The Saints fighting and continuing symbolize this hope, and the reader recognizes this determination with respectful admiration.
At the time it was written, the destruction from the hurricane was fresh, and the problems were largely unattended to. When Kornheiser wrote and published this column, it voiced the opinion of many Americans. He, as well as everyone else, was rooting for the community of New Orleans. Everyone wanted to see them overcome the hardships placed before them. The spirit shown by the Saints and Saint's fans showed hope. Hope that they would survive, hope that they would rebuild their destroyed town. And the whole world was behind them.
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