#5

I think the predominant claim in the article “Bringing up Adultolescents” from Essentials of Argument argues that now increasingly college graduates are moving back into their childhood homes with their parents. The author of this article, Peg Tyre, remains focused on this argument throughout the entire text, supporting her claim by arguing that these adult children or adultolescents (a new word she defines) aren’t ashamed to rely on their parents, and also that getting a good job directly after college simply isn’t realistic anymore—“Most adultolescents no longer hope, or even desire, to hit the traditional benchmarks of independence—marriage, kids, owning a home, financial autonomy—in the years following college” (134). Tyre also uses facts to support this claim, from specific examples of college graduates who now live with their parents and also statistics from job search sites. Engaging the reader with a topic adults can relate to—the transition from our parents’ homes to our own independence—Tyre makes her claim both interesting and compelling. Lastly, Tyre seems to have fully researched her subject, judging by all of the adultolesents she interviewed. However, one question I would ask her—what about college graduates whose parents live in rural towns (all her examples of adultolescents are of people from large cities)? My parents live in a very small town, and the appeal to return there after I graduate is very small.

#4

A warrant is the common ground on which the author establishes understanding with the reader, often through the same values, assumptions, or constraints. Essentials of Argument further elaborates on this concept: "Warrants are assumptions, general principles, conventions of specific disciplines, widely held values, commonly accepted beliefs, and appeals to human motives that are an important part of any argument" (Wood 101). With this understanding, the author can communicate a claim better to the reader, especially if the reader understands from where (in perspective) an author is drawing from. For instance, political cartoon artists often draw from current or popular events, events that most people have heard basic news about. With this understanding, the cartoon artist can manipulate an already-seen-image (such as a drawn sketch image of George Bush), into a caricature that expresses how the artist feels about a particular subject. The artist may manipulate the sketched image of Bush in order to personify the President as monkey-like and stupid. Because most Americans can recognize the general features of George Bush such as his large, protruding ears, they will also be able to recognize George Bush in the artist’s depiction, and also be able to understand what the artist is trying to communicate, as a type of argument. In this example, using the common image of George Bush is the common ground, the warrant, on which the artist establishes understanding in order to argue for his particular point of view.