TOW #17 IRB

              In Malcom Gladwell’s outliers, Gladwell in the epilogue of his book, decides to talk about his own life, and his mother’s “Success” story. This was done through very anecdotal means of him telling the story of his own family. Though the story was most likely biased or embellished, it was most likely there to appeal to pathos. It was meant for the average person. The rest of the book had talked about the right people at the right time who worked hard enough to get the right result, but not everyone has the right place, or the right brain. This epilogue was trying to show that everyone has a story of success, no matter how much is against you. It may not be as grand as Bill Gates or Steve Jobs, you may not play hockey for professional Canadian leagues, but Gladwell wants his audience to not end the book feeling alienated. He tries to keep people feeling like they are able to accomplish things in their life, that they don’t need luck.

Gladwell also incorporates the device of rhetorical questions into his writing. During the beginning of the epilogue, he keeps things vague on purpose, and he asks the reader questions that they are not capable of having the answers to. At first the reader may be confused but it again, appeals to pathos once the connection is made between Gladwell and his parents. Gladwell writes this ending to qualify his own point. He does not deny anything he said previously, but he does not want to leave his readers feeling hopeless in their life achievements.