Monday, March 7, 2011

John Q post

The final scene in the movie when John is being taken away to the jail was an extremely beautiful ending that gave me the chills. This is probably due to the fact that logos, ethos, and pathos were all incorporated and working together to create a satisfying and cathartic end to such an intense plot. Pathos is the most obvious, seen from his son making the strength gestures he made earlier. This time, though, there is much more meaning in his movements--he is a strong healthy boy because of his father's drastic actions. His father's crazy actions, though, are not insane; rather, it makes sense how he would do anything to save his son's life (even sacrifice his own.) Thus logos comes into play, because who wouldn't give up "3-5 years" of his life in prison to save his son? Although it's drastic, it is still logical. However, because John is able to make this decision and take control of the ER for good reason, he gains a unique type of authority, in that he is superior to us simple people for acting in such a heroic way. His friend even calls him a hero as he walks out of the courthouse! As a result of these rhetorical devices working together, the mood of the ending is joyous, even uplifting. The audience respects John for his logical yet extreme actions to save his son and reflects on their love for their family and the sacrifices they might make.
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3 comments:

  1. Markbar72March 7, 2011 at 10:37 PM

    Hey Alysa,

    You picked a good scene (and yes, you did copy me). I agree with your rhetorical appeals, and I liked how you overanalyzed this scene.

    Good job Girl!

    -Mark

    ReplyDelete
  2. Alexandra ContrerasMarch 8, 2011 at 6:18 AM

    Hey Alysa,

    I thought the ending scene was awesome! You did a great job picking a scene that had all three rhetorical appeals and explaining them thoroughly.

    -Alex

    ReplyDelete
  3. Jason LeeMarch 8, 2011 at 6:34 PM

    Hey Alysa,

    I also agree that the ending scene was amazing. I especially love the part when John's son says "Good-bye", but John immediately responds without hesitation "See ya later". It is such a moving scene that makes me have conflicting thoughts. I am happy that John's son received the heart transplant, but I am also angry that he would have to serve a few years in jail. However, there is also a part of me that thinks about the lawful side, where John does indeed deserve at least some time in jail.
    Good work on the entry! Great job explaining all the rhetorical appeals :)

    - Jason

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