Question

Read the excerpt from “Take the Tortillas Out of Your Poetry.”

In other cases, the censoring has been direct and brutal. On February 28, 1981 the morning newspaper carried a story about the burning of my novel, Bless Me, Ultima. The book was banned from high school classes in Bloomfield, New Mexico, and a school board member was quoted as saying: “We took the books out and personally saw that they were burned.”

Which best describes the rhetorical appeal used to illustrate the destructive nature of censorship?
factual evidence is used to appeal to the reader’s sense of logic
a painful event is described to appeal to the reader’s sympathy
the author’s novel is referenced to appeal to his credibility as a writer
a strong opinion is presented to appeal to the reader’s anger

Answer 1

a painful event is described to appeal to the reader’s sympathy

The author recounts the burning of his novel—an emotionally charged, brutal act—to evoke the reader’s sympathy and highlight censorship’s harm.