One Asian American Actor’s Career in Holywood (Post 2)
Rhetorical Analysis
An article by Jill Cowan titled, What One Actor’s Career Tells Us About Asian Representation in Hollywood, seems to highlight the new and improved roles that Asian Americans seem to be getting in Hollywood these days. The article’s focus is on the role that actor James Saito received for the film Always Be My Maybe. Cowan starts off by talking about her own life experience with seeing Asian Americans on screen during her childhood, specifically James Saito. She talks about how her mother went to grade school with him, and always pointed him out when she saw him on the television. Cowan then moves on to write about Saito’s more recent feature on screen in the film Always Be My Maybe by Nahnatchka Khan. After giving a bit more background on the film and Saito’s role, she then moves the article in a different direction. The rhetorical devices used in the article such as anecdote, analogy, and pathos are all ways to engage the reader in the article. The article changes from a writing about Cowans experiences into an interview with James Saito and his own experience as an Asian American actor.
Rhetorical Strategies
This article is a unique piece that uses certain rhetorical methods to draw the reader in and keep them engaged in the reading. The first method that I noticed Cowan applying in her article was the usage of anecdote. She uses her own experience to add more depth to the topic. The second method that Cowan seemed to use in her writing was analogy. She uses an analogy near the beginning of the article to emphasize the effect that James Saito as an actor had on her life. A final rhetorical device that I believe was used in the article was pathos. Although it may not have been intended to be used as a rhetorical device, I think that pathos plays a large part in the interview section of the article. These three strategies stood out to me as ways to keep the writing appealing.
Anecdote
Cowan starts off the article with a personal experience about the topic at hand. In the article she writes about James Saito and how “Growing up, he seemed to be everywhere”. This first sentence of the article sets the stage as to how James Saito is relevant to her and the topic she is writing about. Cowan then proceeds to go into more detail as to why she saw Saito everywhere during her childhood. Her personal experience is a perfect example of the use of anecdote. This allows the reader to draw from their own life and try to relate to what the author’s purpose is. At the same time, the article becomes more engaging by letting the reader have a more active role while reading.
Analogy
The analogy that Cowan used in the article yet again illustrates the emphasis on James Saito’s role in the story. While doing that, it sets up a structure for the interview of Saito later on in the reading. The analogy she uses is, “Over the years, my mom has kept an eye out for her classmate, as if she’s playing some decades-long game of “Where’s East Asian Waldo?”. This rhetorical device gives more explanation as to why Saito was such a relevant part of her childhood and the story she is writing about in the article. While being a humorous statement that may make a reader chuckle, it also keeps the reader engaged by giving them details to think about. When a reader is given explanations in entertaining ways, it allows them to be more invested in the article or writing.
Pathos
The final rhetorical device that Cowan applies in the article is pathos. I think that the strategy can be seen everywhere in the article. The interview with Saito seems to be the most relevant part of the article that dealt with emotions. Although it is not exactly her own writing that has pathos, the answers that Saito gives are. When asked about the stereotypical roles that he was playing on film, Saito says, “that’s all there really was then. I guess you just kept hoping that something better was going to come along”. The answer that Saito gave to the controversial question was filled with the idea of hope. Using this idea to evoke a feeling in the reader is a great way to keep them hooked on to the story.
Conclusion
Cowan used many rhetorical devices in the article to help readers be more intrigued about the topic of Asian American representation in Hollywood. She used a specific story, person, and examples to shed light on a topic that is seemingly very broad and large in scope. The usage of anecdotes, analogies, and pathos in the article are all strategies that keep the reader engaged with the writing. This article was very unique in the way it transitioned from Cowans own story about James Saito to his own story in the interview section. I think that many articles can be engaging and unique in their own way while using a multitude of different rhetorical strategies.
Works Cited
Cowan, Jill. “What One Actor’s Career Tells Us About Asian Representation in Hollywood.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 2 July 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/02/us/james-saito-asian-representation-hollywood.html?searchResultPosition=2.