Rhetoical analysis

Embryonic Stem Cell Fairy Tales – A Rhetorical Analysis This is an article d Embryonic Stem Cell Fairy Tales, which was written by Swenson, Jean, and published in the year 2005. In this article, Swenson has addressed the question of stem cell research, and specifically the ‘ embryonic’ stem cell. She does not support the fact scientists are researching on the probable use of embryonic stem cells, as a source of cure for various conditions in the human population. She is objected to this new development by scientists basing on moral factors, and on his convictions about the ineffectiveness of embryonic stem cells in human use. The author uses rhetorical techniques of logos, facts, and analogy, to effectively convince the readers, and make them aware of the limitations of the embryonic stem cells in human use.
The author uses analogy as a strategy of making the readers relate to the issue she is addressing. In this case, Swenson has referred to The Emperor’s New Clothes, a fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, which she knows is quite popular among the audience. This is about an emperor, who considered that his clothes were the best, compared to those of other people. He therefore, goes in public to display his new clothing, yet this was an imaginary instance in his mind. In reality, he had nothing on, and a child notices this and acknowledges it. Swenson uses this scenario to link with the case of the scientists working on the embryonic stem cell. He wants to make his audience to understand that, the whole embryonic stem cell project by scientists is in vain, imaginary, and likened to a fairy tale, just like the emperor’s imaginary valuable clothes. By using analogy, he compares the scientific project and the emperor’s incidence, as having similar outcomes, which is false hope. This ensures that this comparison remains memorable among the audience, thus making it easy for them to relate with (Swenson WEB).
Secondly, the author uses evidence or support, to back her argument in the issue. This helps to make the audience consider the argument as having a solid ground. Swenson uses different forms of evidence to support her argument. For instance, she directs the audience to a website that will provide them with more information about the success of adult stem cells and cord blood treatments in treatment of many types of conditions. This supports her argument that only adult stem cell and cord blood treatment are successful in curing various conditions, and not the embryonic stem cell. She also revisits other incidences where embryonic stem cells failed to cure a condition, and then the adult stem cell succeeds in curing the condition. For instance, the case of the Russian scientist, who used embryonic stem cells to cure a spinal cord injury, but it failed, and then used the adult stem cell, which eventually cured the injury (Swenson WEB).
Swenson also employs the rhetorical strategy of appeal to convince the audience that his arguments are true and of value. This way, Swenson attempts to make the audience approve of her arguments by being persuasive in his address. The persuasive technique she uses mainly is logos. She ensures that there is the aspect of logic in his argument. For instance, she addresses the factors and circumstances surrounding the embryonic stem cell issue, since the past decades. She highlights different incidences in the past, where embryonic stem cells failed to cure different conditions. She also highlights the success of adult stem cells and the cord blood treatment in different incidences in the past. Such argument is logical, and the audience can easily approve it (Swenson WEB).
In conclusion, the author in this article supports the adult stem cell and blood cord treatment as being effective in the cure of different conditions. She is objected to the embryonic stem cell. Generally, the article is convincing, since the author has used believable facts to prove the ineffectiveness of the embryonic stem cell in the cure of various conditions. This is the greatest point of the article, as the author has not entirely relied on her own knowledge and judgement of stem cells, instead, she has based on different scientific experiments performed by trusted scientific institutions and scientists on the issue. From this, one learns that affective use of rhetoric by an author makes the author’s or speaker’s message to be delivered effectively to the audience. This article is convincing and easy to believe, because of the author’s correct use of rhetoric.

Works Cited
Swenson, Jean. Embryonic Stem Cell Fairy Tales. July 27, 2005. Web. Viewed 27 February
2013