Final answer:
Anecdotes effectively appeal to pathos by engaging readers' emotions, fostering empathy, and elucidating the author's purpose. They humanize abstract issues, prompt readers to reflect on contrasting viewpoints, and can challenge pre-existing beliefs by giving the issues a personal dimension.
Step-by-step explanation:
The anecdote is a powerful tool used in writing to appeal to pathos, engaging the reader's emotions to effectively support an author's purpose. When Nye shares the story of the man lacking a sense of heritage and then reveals that he possesses a heritage that is equally valuable, it targets the reader's emotions, stirring up sympathy and then a sense of relief or affirmation. Similarly, tales of experiencing ethnic food at a fair can make readers feel a sense of longing or enjoyment, which is then connected back to their own heritage and cuisine, reinforcing the notion that all cultures have their own invaluable traditions and tastes.
An anecdote can also serve to create empathy by showcasing the contrast between different individuals, such as the man from Jordan and Nye. Readers may empathize with the man's experiences, thus fulfilling the writer's intention of highlighting varying perspectives and eliciting an emotional response. This engagement through emotions helps the writer’s purpose resonate more deeply with the audience, fostering a connection that can influence the reader's thoughts or actions related to the subject matter.
In the case of writers like Desmond, the use of personal anecdotes to showcase the effects of poverty, such as the anguish of losing a child due to poor housing, not only arouses empathy but also challenges preconceptions about poverty. These stories transcend mere statistics and give a human face to issues, increasing the emotional impact and persuasiveness of the argument. Much like an emotional narrative, these personal experiences shared in the text can significantly shape readers' viewpoints and responses.