Writing Methods and Techniques of Maureen Dwod

Author Study: Maureen Dowd
Student Name
Institutional Affiliation
Date
Author Study: Maureen Dowd
Maureen Dowd is one of the distinguished writers in the U.S. She started her career in 1974 as editorial assistance working for The Washington Star. Dowd later moved to the New York Times where she became a metropolitan reporter. She has also worked with The Time’s Washington bureau, GQ, Vanity Fair, and Rolling stones among others. The success of Dowd as a writer has been remarkable. This has seen her get various recognitions, including the 1999 Pulitzer Prize due to her distinguished commentary. Becoming a successful writer is challenging, especially at such a time when readers demand captivating pieces. It also becomes more difficult where a writer is a female in a male-dominated field. Dowd is a prolific writer who employs various writing methods and literary techniques and tools to capture the attention of her audience.
Dowd applies classical rhetorical strategies of ethos, pathos, and logos in her pieces. This approach is demonstrated in most of her articles. One of the articles, “Our Own Warrior Princes,” narrates the account of her niece Jennifer and her experience as an organ donor. An examination of the text brings vividly her use of ethos, pathos, and logos. Regarding ethos, Dowd establishes credibility with the audience to win their trust. She does this by narrating the story of Jenifer in such a way that the reader knows the author s aware of the story. Further, Dowd uses facts and statistics in the story to enhance her claims. The use of reliable sources makes the article credible. In pathos, Dowd appeals to the emotions of the audience by using appropriate words and phrases. For example, Dowd terms Jennifer’s scar as “beautiful.” One would expect that a scar due to donating an organ to be ugly. However, Dowd appeals to the emotions of the reader by indicating that such a scar is worth it. The reader can identify with the challenges Jennifer faces as a result of her decision to become an organ donor. Dowd uses the story of Jennifer to demonstrate the need for people to consider becoming organ donors. Down uses logos to make people think. While the account is emotional, Down wants the reader to move beyond emotions and think rationally about Jennifer’s decision.
In an attempt to pass her message across, Dowd sometimes uses a language that may be considered offensive. She views conservatives as lacking compassion and hence calls them out for their hypocrisy. For example, in 2003, the author mocked Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas for his decision regarding racial quotas. D...