Critique of Thank You for Smoking? Essay -- Critiques

Critique of â€Å"Thank You for Smoking†¦?† â€Å"Thank You for Smoking†¦?† is an article written by Peter Brimelow about the benefits of smoking. Brimelow provides some very clear points which are well addressed. Even though I do not agree with the subject that â€Å"smoking, in a way, is good for you,† (141) I think Peter Brimelow did a thorough job of making his opinions credible to the reader. Major Claim and Grounds This essay is a good example of a deductive essay because it moves from generalizations to specific instances (McFadden, 2003). It does this by stating the major claim that smoking, in some small ways, can be good for people. The major claim is a statement of fact, judgment, or policy (McFadden, 2003). It is what the author is trying to make the reader think. In the article, â€Å"Thank You for Smoking,† Brimelow attempts to prove that smoking may help the body counteract the effects of numerous diseases, including Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. This list of examples of diseases is known as the grounds. The grounds in a paper consist of evidence, facts, and logic used to support the claim (McFadden, 2003). The major claim is well supported by the grounds and makes Brimelow’s arguments sound believable. Brimelow’s evidence shows smoking may be beneficial through the use of percentages. These percentages show the amount of people who are helped with common diseases by smoking. The use of these grounds gives Brimelow’s arguments credibility through factual information. Rebuttal and Qualifier Brimelow does a complete job of keeping the reader interested by refuting his own statements. He quotes the Surgeon General’s warning that smoking is dangerous to a person’s health (p. 141). The preceding sentence is ... ...phs (143). By attacking a person or group, Brimelow is swaying from the issue and drawing the reader away from what they should be thinking about which is smoking, not lawyers. In this article, attack was not successful. This is the only part of the article where Brimelow lost credibility because he swayed from his issue. Conclusion The conclusion to Brimelow’s article is smoking does have benefits. His article has not swayed me to go buy a pack of Camels, but it has opened my eyes to the fact that there could be some benefits to smoking. Overall, Brimelow’s claims and evidence were strong and I gained more insight on the topic of smoking. References McFadden, J. (2003). Title of PPT. Buena Vista University. Storm Lake, IA. Wallace, V. (1998). Give Children the Vote. The Genre of Argument. Ed. Irene L. Clark. Boston: Thomson/Heinle. Pages.