Introduction: “My Son Wears Dresses”
The article “My Son Wears Dresses, and That’s Ok with Me” by Seth Menachem discusses the situation of his child in which his child, Asher wants to dress himself in his sister’s clothes. The father, Seth Menachem, who is a working psychologist and marriage therapist and writes for the Huffington Post. Written in 2014 after various of his article were published regarding children, children rearing and parental issues, Seth Menachem argues that children should be given freedom of choice even in dressing and if they want parents to dress or behave in a certain way that does not embarrass them, they parents can do that too to make the gladden their kids. Seth Menachem lets his son wear dress of his daughter Sydney that he first thinks would embarrass him before the other people for violating a social norm. However, when he reflected on it after his son made a fuss over it, he immediately let his son wear the dress of his choice, so that he could have freedom of choice. Although he faces public frown at the expense of his public image, he does not feel embarrassed in responding to the questions posed by the public about his son being gay or not gay. The major purpose of this article is to demonstrate that parents should not make the mess of the lives of their kids merely because they do not conform to the social mores. In this article, Seth Menachem has not only touched the heart of his audience by stating his own situation, but has also used classical rhetorical devices of pathos, ethos and logs along with other devices to make his argument of treating children at par with the adults effective.
Audience of “My Son Wears Dresses”
Regarding audience, Seth Menachem is very smart in using the stories and incidents of his own kids to teach the parents of kids how they should treat them. It means his audiences are parents having kids. He is trying to teach the parents a lesson through his own incident of dealing with the kids in aligning his choice with that of the children. His basic assumption about the parents is that they are fairly educated to read such articles, they have kids and that they often fight with kids over such issues that could make them feel embarrassed before the people. He has also assumed that there are social mores and conventions which if violated bring a volley of questions from the public that parents are to answer though “Plenty of parents are supportive” (2014, para. 9). It could be that most of the traditional and orthodox parents do not agree with him that the kids should be allowed to do according to their wishes and whim, but mostly educated parents will agree with him that stereotypes should be broken down to make kids happy and people comfortable. However, it is certain that the author has challenged certain social values such as of dressing of kids as well as dressing themselves which may cause discomfort to some as his friend’s mom said, “You wanted another daughter?” (2014, para. 04). It is because general parents hold it very dear that their kids should conform to the accepted social norms. However, Seth Menachem has also used classical rhetorical devices to convince his audience about his argument.
Pathos in “My Son Wears Dresses”
As far as pathos is concerned, the writer has used his own family incidents and treatment of kids to highlight that the issue is pressing and emotional. Parents are highly emotional about their kids. However, they want their kids to conform to the social mores and norms more than their own wishes and whims, but Seth Menachem has used pathos to exploit the parents. He has given example of his own kids, that he permitted his son to wear dress and that he would respond by he could not see his son in tantrums and “his nose was running into his mouth” that he felt love and “hugged and apologized” (2014, para. 06). He has made pathos more effective by stating that he only accepted his son’s choice after “he cried and protested” (2014, para. 06). As far as logos is concerned, he has said it rightly by comparing his behavior with his son that he was fighting with his son what he himself “didn’t believe in” (2014, para. 06). He also stated that he tried to answer the questions of the people in a rational manner by making them feel that it is not out of the way that his son is dressing, for even if he is gay, it does not matter to him (2014, para. 06). He told them clearly that there is “no correlation between kids cross-dressing and being gay” and if he is gay, “It’s because he’s gay” (2014, para. 8). As far as the use of ethos is concerned, the author has a major in psychology and is an intern in marriage and family therapist and also writes for the Huffington Post. Besides, the events and the incidents belong to his own family and his own kids. It means he has described his personal observation and personal experiment. It is also that he has mentioned his religion, his religious belief and a religious advice from the mom of his friend which further strengthens the credentials of the writer as a good consultant for raising kids. Moreover, the writer has not only relied on classical devices, he has also relied on comparison and contrast and dialogues. He has compared his son and his daughter to determine their gender and relevant behavior. He has also used dialogues at different places to make his point clear such as the comment of his friend’s mom “You wanted another daughter” (2014, para. 04). And at other place, he gives exact dialogues that he has had with the people about his son’s dressing. The use of diction also suits the time of the article which means he has used the device of kairos very effectively. To evaluate this effectiveness, it is easy to see how far Seth Menachem has achieved his purpose.
Clarity in “My Son Wears Dresses”
At certain points, it seems that he has been successful in making his point clear. For example, he is right to say that he should not fight for what he himself does not believe in. It is because now the time has changed and the author believes that there should be no stereotypes. As a professional psychologist, he does not believe in such categorization. That is why he demurs at first when making his son to see that he should not dress like a girl, but when he sees it in the lens of stereotypes, he immediately allows him to do what his son Asher wants. I think that the author has been very successful as he has not only used devices, but has also presented the firsthand account of dealing with such a situation where his own kids and he himself is involved. He tells in detail how he faces the situation and how it dawns up him that he is forcing his child to do what he does not believe in. As the writer has already written for kids and parents and that he has narrated his personal experience, this is enough to make his audience convinced that his argument is sound and that the kids should not be forced what they do not want to do. In this connection, it seems that the author has achieved his purpose of making parents convinced that they should not force their kids and should not throw them into tantrums over what they do not personally believe and trust.
Conclusion: “My Son Wears Dresses”
In concluding the analysis, it is fair to say that though it is a very short personal narrative that Seth Menachem has used almost all the rhetorical devices and strategies besides conforming to the writing conventions to persuade his audiences who are parents that they should not treat the kids lightly and that they should take more care of their personal choices instead of their own reputation. He has used ethos as he himself is an authority on the child psychology and is an internet for marriage therapy. He has used pathos by showing his son how he cries and protests after which Seth Menachem comes to his senses about his choice. He also uses logos by comparing and contrasting different behaviors, social norms and mores and by presenting his own logical conclusion about correlation between two different arguments. He has also used appropriate diction, the time and situation of writing this article, and other rhetorical devices. Although a first-person narrative is hardly capable of winning rhetorical purposes, the author’s credentials have supported him to convince his audience that he is a trust worthy and that the parents should not treat their kids lightly.
References: “My Son Wears Dresses”
- Menachem, S. (2014, July 14). My Son Wears Dresses, and That’s OK With Me. The Huffington Post. Retrieved on April 11, 2023 from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/seth-menachem/my-son-wears-dresses-and-thats-ok-with-me_b_5578709.html.
Relevant Questions: “My Son Wears Dresses”
- How does Seth Menachem strategically employ rhetorical appeals like ethos, pathos, and logos in his Huffington Post article, “My Son Wears Dresses, and That’s OK With Me,” to effectively communicate his perspective on his son’s choice of clothing? Provide specific examples to illustrate the impact of these appeals on the persuasiveness of his argument.
- In “My Son Wears Dresses, and That’s OK With Me,” how does Seth Menachem establish and sustain his credibility as a narrator and parent discussing a non-traditional choice for his son? Analyze elements such as tone, language choices, and personal anecdotes to evaluate Menachem’s success in connecting with the audience.
- Explore the use of rhetorical devices, such as anecdotes, metaphors, or imagery, in Seth Menachem’s Huffington Post article. How do these devices contribute to the emotional impact and overall persuasive strategy employed in “My Son Wears Dresses, and That’s OK With Me”? Provide specific examples from the text to support your analysis.
