+200.  Appeal to the Feelings.+—­Persuasion, therefore, in order to produce action must appeal largely to the feelings.  But all persons are not affected in the same way.  In order to bring about the same result we may need to make a different appeal to different individuals.  One person may be led to act by an appeal made to his sense of justice, another by an appeal made to his patriotism, while still another, unmoved by either of these appeals, may be led to act by an appeal made to his pride or to his love of power.  If we would be successful in persuading others, we ought to be able to understand what to appeal to in individual cases.  Children may be enticed by candy, and older persons may be quite as readily influenced if we but choose the proper incentive.  It is our duty to see that we are persuaded only by the presentation of worthy motives, and that in our own efforts to persuade others we do not appeal to envy, jealousy, religious prejudices, race hatred, or lower motives.

EXERCISES

Show how an appeal to the feelings could be made in the following.  To what particular feeling or feelings would you appeal in each case?

1.  Try to gain your parents’ permission to attend college.

2.  Urge a friend to give up card playing.

3.  Try to persuade your teachers not to give so long lessons.

4.  Persuade others to aid an unfortunate family living in our community.

5.  Induce the school board to give you a good gymnasium.

6.  Persuade a tramp to give up his mode of life.

7.  Try to get some one to buy your old bicycle.

8.  Urge your country to act in behalf of some oppressed people.

9.  Urge a resident of your town to give something for a public park.

+Theme CVII.+—­Write out one of the preceding.

(Consider what you have written with reference to coherence and climax.)

+201.  Argument with Persuasion.+—­In some cases we are sure that our hearers are already convinced as to the truth of a proposition.  Then there is no need of argument and persuasion is used alone, but more frequently both are used.  Argument naturally precedes persuasion, but with few exceptions the two are intermixed and even so blended as to be scarcely distinguishable, the one from the other.  A good example of the use of both forms is found in the speech of Antony over the dead body of Caesar in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar.  Read the speech and note the argument and persuasion given in it.  What three arguments does Antony advance to prove that Caesar was not ambitious?  Does he draw conclusions or leave that for his listeners to do?  Where is there an appeal to their pity?  To their curiosity?  To their gratitude?  What is the result in each case of the various appeals?

In the following examples note the argument and persuasion.  Remember that persuasion commences when we begin to urge to action.  Notice what feelings are appealed to in the persuasive parts of the speeches.