Rhetorical Modes

1.       There are two aspects of Pride. It is the feeling of being proud, the satisfaction one receives when one accomplishes a feat. It is also the feeling of one’s own dignity or superiority, the feeling of self-worth, of pleasure in one’s current way of being. Pride can be happy and joyful, but it can also be snobbish and conceited. Without pride, one holds no emotional connection to successes, resulting in a less meaningful and satisfying life. With excessive pride, one becomes vain and arrogant.

2. The difference between pride and conceit is in the way in which each emotion is expressed. Pride is something that is felt, and conceit is the extreme expression of pride.  One can feel pride without showing it to others. If an employee gets a raise at work, he can celebrate this success with his family without boasting about it to others. Pride is an internal sense of satisfaction, conceit is an overwhelming sense of vanity and self-righteousness conveyed to others.

3. Have you ever met a person who only talks about their own successes, and always brags about their possessions? Too much pride makes one act as if they are above others. When we act conceited, it can cause others to look down on us and even isolate them us as friends. It is important to find pleasure in our lives and be thankful for our possessions, but humility is the key to good relationships with others. Feeling pride but acting with humility will draw others to us and will create for much more enjoyable conversation. 

4. I was a nail-biting and chatty fifth grader sitting on the gym floor at Stagecoach theatre camp. The director was slowly and alphabetically announcing the names of each camper and what role they would play in that year’s production of AnnieJr. My heart was racing. “Allie Rose: Miss Hannigan, Samantha Schmidt: Annie…” My jaw dropped. I felt like dancing and screaming and hugging my mom. I felt like I was on top of the world, floating on a cloud. The rest of that day I walked with my head held high and a little more bounce in my step. I was the lead, the main orphan, and the spotlights would be on me this year. I spent the whole afternoon singing “Tomorrow” into a hairbrush in my bedroom.

5. Pride is a satisfaction or connection one feels with one’s successes or one’s one life. It can be seen in a person who thinks highly of his of her own ability, such as an athlete who is confident in his team’s athletic skill after winning a big game. It can also be seen in someone who feels a strong connection to his or her family, such as the Capulets and Montagues in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.

6. The referee blows the whistle and the crowd cheers as the soccer cleats brush against the grass. One cheer is louder than the others. It is coming from a thirty-five year old, mini-van driving woman. Her blonde hair is in a ponytail, she has sneakers on her feet and her two year old daughter is tugging the bottom of her khaki shorts. She has her eyes locked on player number 12, her star striker. She can see the sweat building on his forehead as he races down the field. He has the ball now. She gasps and yells,“Go, Johnny, go!  As the ball flies into the net, the woman jumps two feet into the air, her eyes watering and her heart filled with pride.