Soapstone Analysis:
Speaker: The speakers of this article are Madison Park, Holly Yan, and Jon Ostrower. Park is a CNN journalist based in San Fransisco. Yan is a reporter, writer, and editor for CNN Digital. Ostrower is Aviation Editor for CNN Digital Worldwide, guiding the network's global coverage of the business and operations of flying. He also serves as a correspondent for CNNMoney, reporting on all aspects of aviation. Not only do they work for one of the world's most recognized news sources, but they possess credentials that boost their credibility and appeal to ethos by providing trustworthy sources. Occassion: This article was published on December 19, 2017, just one day after the Amtrak train crash occurred. This event saddened the hearts of many, especially those who personally knew the victims involved in the incident. The article was published in DuPont, Washington while the incident occurred in Tacoma, Washington. Audience: The author intended this article toward family and friends of the victims of the crash. These relatives still have many unanswered questions about this incident and this article played a key role in regard to answering the questions. The author also intended this article for Americans who were saddened by the news of this incident and need more information in regards to what caused it. A common belief that is supported among the audience is sorrow and sympathy, for those who were affected by the crash, and concerns/questions on what caused it. Purpose: Madison Park, Holly Yan, and Jon Ostrower wrote this article with the purpose to inform readers on the details of the Amtrak train crash that occurred in Tacoma, Washington. The author explains in the depth what caused the crash and what precautions are being taken. They want readers to know that although this crash was detrimental to the people involved and the company, Amtrak will be working hard to avoid future incidents like this. They want readers to understand that this incident will help the company learn from the mistakes and make the company more efficient, through improved technological advancements. Subject: The general topic of this article is the recent Amtrak train incident was caused by the train traveling at a fast speed. The article further investigates the how the crash occurred and what precautions are being taken in order to avoid this crash. Although things are chaotic now, this incident provides the company an opportunity to make advancements to avoid future occurrences of this. Tone/Dictions: The authors' sincere tone helps convey their formal diction. The formal diction includes polysyllabic words, free of slang and idioms, which contribute to elevating the tone. The diction helps emphasize the tone by captivating the audience, through polysyllabic words, in order to emphasize how the authors felt about this incident. This diction was evident in phrases such as "Investigators will likely examine the track, human performance, operations and the mechanics..." Using these type of words, as opposed to the simple run of the mill words, make the article more professional and credible. The authors convey their sincere tone through their serious emotions throughout the article, in order to demonstrate the genuineness of their argument. This was shown in the statement, "Most of the route was graded for a maximum speed of 79 mph, but the speed limit on the curve where the crash occurred is 30 mph". This statement was sincere as it was backed up with credible evidence and illustrated the main argument in a way that showed that the tone and diction contribute to the significant meaning of the article. Rhetorical Appeal:Rhetorical appeals are literary devices that contributed to understanding the underlying meaning of the article and were replete throughout the article. The authors first established ethos by working for CNN, which is a globally recognized news source and is highly credible. In addition, Park, Yan, and Ostrower included testimonies from the National Transportation Safety Board, victims of the incident and the mayor in order to boost credibility. In regards to the incident, the National Transportation Saftey Board stated, "...the train was going 50 mph over the limit when it went around a curve." This information comes from a source that is well educated on the topic of transportation and therefore adds to its credibility. In addition, it provides insight to the main argument that is demonstrated throughout the article. The author appeals to pathos by including the statement, "The high-speed catastrophe killed three people and hurt more than 100." Many people feel an added sense of sympathy and sorrow when injuries or casualties are involved in an incident. This shows how the author uses emotions to make an argument about how detrimental the incident was. Lastly, the author appeals to logos by including dates, times, facts, maps and statistics in order to back up information provided in the article and to contribute to the argument. This appeal was evident in the statement, "Amtrak has equipped 49% of its locomotives and 67% of its tracks with PTC" This statement makes good use of statistics in order to add some background to the argument and incorporate some logistics about Amtrak. This appeal was also evident in the statement, "In response to a 2008 head-on collision that killed 25 people near Los Angeles, Congress passed a law ordering railroads to adopt PTC by December 2015." This statement makes good use of dates and numerical values to back up the argument and show that this is not the first time this type of catastrophe has happened. These appeals are key in conveying Madison Park, Holly Yan, and Jon Ostrower's argument and are beneficial in the sense that they allow readers to better understand the purpose of the text. http://www.cnn.com/2017/12/19/us/amtrak-derailment-washington/index.html
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