Explanation:
Early in the morning, Jay Heinrichs sits in his kitchen, watching as his teenaged son George Heinrichs eats breakfast. Noticing the empty tube of toothpaste in the bathroom, he shouts, “George, who used all the toothpaste?” George shoots back, “The point is how we’re going to keep this from happening again.” Previously, Heinrichs has taught his son that the purpose of a good argument is to discuss the future tense. Heinrichs concedes George’s point, and then asks George to get some more toothpaste, which George does immediately. Considering this incident later, Heinrichs realizes that he won the argument by making George believe that he won the argument. George is happy to have corrected his father, and, because he’s feeling victorious, he goes to get some toothpaste.
Jay Heinrichs, the author and narrator of the book, likes to use examples from his personal life, especially his family life. By beginning with a banal-seeming example of the power of arguing, Heinrichs tries to establish a connection with his audience (his readers), most of whom, presumably, will be familiar with the kind of low-stakes, everyday arguments that Heinrichs mentions here. Notice also that Heinrichs’s argument with George reaches a clear resolution (unlike many arguments that people have in the course of a day). Heinrichs will show readers how to argue more intelligently and productively.
Active Themes
Ethos Theme Icon Pathos Theme Icon Logos Theme Icon Demonstrative vs. Deliberative Rhetoric Theme Icon
Rhetoric, the art of argument, is a vital tool for any parent with a moody child, Heinrichs says. Like it or not, arguing is a part of life: when people look at ads or listen to a politician’s speech, they’re bombarded with arguments. By studying rhetoric we can “decode” arguments, and learn how to craft arguments ourselves.
