Rhetorical Analysis of “Sweatshops are Good”
In his essay, “Sweatshops are Good,” Bobby Zitzmann adopts an unconventional position by arguing in favor of sweatshops. Zitzmann utilizes a combination of emotional appeals, logical evidence, and persuasive techniques to assert that sweatshops play a necessary and crucial role in economic development. While Zitzmann demonstrates passion for his subject and presents some logical evidence, his argument is weakened by the presence of logical fallacies that remain unaddressed throughout the article, making it difficult to fully agree with his conclusion.
Zitzmann initiates his argument by addressing the guilt associated with purchasing goods produced in sweatshops. In an attempt to alleviate this guilt, he suggests that these factories offer a safer and more financially stable alternative to the hazardous and low-paying jobs that many workers would otherwise have, such as agricultural work or involvement in the sex trade. By presenting this perspective, Zitzmann employs pathos to encourage readers to reassess their views on sweatshops. However, as a reader and an individual who has traveled to countries with sweatshops, dangerous agricultural work, and a prevalent sex trade, I find this argument to be fundamentally flawed.
