Lani Guinier, in the excerpt from The Tyranny of the Majority, illustrates the "central theme of [her] academic writing" -- "not all rules lead to elemental fair play"(49). She discusses the importance of the consideration of the minority in a majority rules position and provides solid alternatives to the brutal approach of a "win/lose" situation.
             While taking her audience into careful consideration, Guinier opens her piece by stating her "lifelong ambition:" "I have always wanted to be a civil rights lawyer"(49). Her statement as the first sentence in this piece gives the reader a sense of who she is and her purpose. As the " first African-American woman tenured professor in the Harvard Law School"(48), she composes an entirely logical argument while holding to her initial passion: "voting rights, one of the long-standing initiatives of the civil rights movement"(48). She is a prominent author among law journals and written works concerning her purpose as a coalition builder and appeals to both audiences, as well as students. Guinier can uphold a strong position attractive to both fields while providing compelling personal evidence and documented quotes from a highly influential founding father: James Madison. Also, with the use of the rhetorical triangle, she can conquer many aspects and support many of her ideas and her position to a variety of audiences.
             The author uses the power of pathos to open her piece and lure her audience. She tells a childhood story of her experience as a Brownie and the rigged hatmaking contest that soiled her ideals as a proud wearer of her uniform, "which represented a commitment to good citizenship and good deeds"(49). The girl who "won" was awarded by her mother as Guinier quickly resigned from the organization. Although she was powerless to change the actions or values of those involved, she was able to make a stance by disassociating herself from them. She refused to be a part of s...