Textual Analysis of the article Killing Monsters
According to comic book author Gerard Jones, the Incredible Hulk undid muchof the psychological damage done to him by overprotective parents and arepressive culture. By awakening little Gerard to his alter-ego, the Hulkempowered him, helped him find an avenue for the repressed rage andpowerlessness that most children experience. Violent fantasies, what Jonescalls "creative violence," can be a psychological heal-all, of specialbenefit to young children who otherwise feel unable to properly channel orexpress uncomfortable or unacceptable emotions like rage. "KillingMonsters" is a well-written, artfully constructed article that employsthree of the Greek rhetorical techniques. Jones begins by pulling at thereader's heartstrings with pathos. His choice of diction and focus onchildren together form a skillful use of pathos to prove his point thatviolence can be healthy. However, Jones does not disappoint readers seekinga sounder, rational argument. The author segues from pathos into logoslogic with a one-line paragraph on page 451: "That's when I started theresearch." In addition to interviews with psychologists, Jones relaysanecdotes and offers concrete examples to back up his claims. The author
Moreover, we trust his sourcesof evidence: Diane Stern is a professional psychologist; therefore she mustknow the truth about the effects of "creative violence" on children. Joneshas written comics and video games for years and has witnessed theireffects on children, including his own son. Moreover, Jones evokes pathos by portraying himself as a victim,begging the reader to feel sorry for him and to take his side. The first page of "Killing Monsters" relies heavily on pathos; Joneslures his readers into supporting his arguments by stimulating emotionalresponse. For example,he characterizes his parents as being "well-meaning," implying that theirgood intentions paved the road to a psychic hell. He was "placed in asmall, experimental school that was wrong," (450). Jones' word choices evoke pathos throughout the articlebut especially on the first page. We trust him as a parentand as someone who has personally experienced what he speaks about. For example, when Jonesstates, "children will feel rage," he doesn't need any statistics; no onecould possibly refute that statement. On page 451, he prepares the reader for a shift in toneby stating, "That's when I started the research. Here Jones uses passivelanguage to emphasize his sense of powerlessness and passivity: littleGerard was "placed in a small, experimental school," rather than "myparents placed me in a small, experimental school. Whether a fan of Marvel Comics or not, the reader finds traces of him- orherself in the angry, powerless, juvenile self Jones describes. We have all foundsome kind of refuge in fantasy, whether in the pages of a comic book, onthe big or small screen, through books or video games. All adolescents, and all adults, feel the sameemotions that Jones describes and therefore the pathos in "KillingMonsters" is both poignant and rhetorically effective. The reader trustsJones on many levels: he is a son, he is a father.
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