Cause+&+Effect

Definition: A method of writing development in which a writer analyzes the reasons for, and/or the consequences of, an action, event, or decision. Ex. "If you prove the cause, you at once prove the effect; and conversely nothing can exist without its cause." //(Aristotle, Rhetoric)//
 * Example 1 (CJ):**

//Tragic Embrace-// Monday, August 25, 2008 (Time.com)

This photograph depcits two women in the aftermath of a Russian bombing of Georgia during this past August. The photographer relies on an excellent example of cause and effect, referring to an event/cause (Russian bombing), and then proceeds to show the effects (destruction of property, loss of family, etc.). It is in this way a strong appeal to emotion (pathos) is presented to the viewer in showing the terrible consequences of war, specifically the recent conflict between Russia and Georgia. Cause and Effect analysis is particularly useful in visual media due to the strong relationship between action and re-action, and the connections a viewer easily makes to the imagery. Once a relationship is shown between two events (a cause and a effect), the direct correlation present makes for a very persuasive and argumentative stance since it becomes difficult to separate the associations made with each.


 * Example 2 (Shannon)**

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Cause and effect is arguably the primary layout for this documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth". The film is a collaberation of the damage that we, as humans, have done to our planet, the effects that we have already experienced, and the far-more extreme consequences that will result from the damage that has been done. Rather than listing all of the causes and then all of the effects, this film basically lays out convenient pairs of causes and effects that lend themselves to each other nicely, creating a coherent and persuasive documentary. Contrary to the beliefs of some, a cause-and-effect method of organization can be full of emotion, rather than facts and figures that appeal only to logos. That is exactly the case in this film. The causes described are designed to make us, the viewers, feel guilty for failing as a species to preserve our planet for future generations to enjoy. After absorbing the guilt, the viewers are in a vulnerable state of mind, which allows the list of effects to instill fear in each one of us. The cause-and-effect layout lends itself willingly to this type of documentary, causing the average viewer to feel guilty and afraid; a double threat.=====