One of psychology's principle arguments, to which the answer remains a mystery, is whether nature or nurture plays a larger role in developing one's identity. After thousands of studies and experiments on this issue, there is no disputable piece of evidence that gives one side an advantage over the other. When first looking at this situation, many may wonder how some people could ever be shaped into the savages they are today, and that is what Rollie Williams and a U.K. student address in the following articles. Through the use of kairos, exigency, and Aristotle's appeals of logos and pathos, these authors make an almost unbreakable argument that one's identity comes down to winning the "lottery of life".

In "Case Study on the nature vs. nurture debate," the student employs kairos and pathos to express how nurture is the most appropriate belief for some of the most recent events that have brought this topic to light. Within this essay, the writer describes a recent case involving the retrieval and recovery of a young abused girl named Genie ("Case Study"). In Genie's case, she spent most of her childhood in isolation and in the presence of her abusive father ("Case Study"). Many cognitive scientists like Noah Chomsky and Eric Lenneberg believed "the critical period in development happens before puberty and if a child has not learned how to speak by then, they will never achieve normal language abilities" (Hayes 1998).  In the following months after her discovery, Genie's mother reported, "she heard her saying words" (Pines, 1997). If this were the case, it would prove that she was on course to learn at a normal pace and there was no effect on her language due to the horrific environment in which she was raised up.

However, throughout her life Genie failed to learn grammar and structure that Chomsky believed separates the language of mankind from other species ("Case Study"). It is believed that part of her language issues may have been related to the fact that her oral muscles had not fully developed enough for her to make certain sounds ("Case Study"). Genie was sent to an occupational therapist who believed "that behavior is learned and that poor or non advantageous behavior can be replaced by lasting habits" (Turner et al). As months progressed, many breakthroughs occurred including one special event where Genie showed an emotional attachment to one of her doctors. Many well-known scientists theorize "that an infant's need to form attachments is innate" (Klaus and Kennel 1976). For Genie, it is assumed that her mother was never there for her after birth, and her cruel father never cared for her causing her to live years in abuse. David Rigler felt that is was important for Genie to develop strong emotional attachments as part of her development therapy and therefore he and his wife ended up fostering her (Case Study). After years of being cared for, many test were conducted to test her mental capabilities. A sleep test that was carried out showed Genie had patterns of mental retardation.(Case Study).  Genie's isolated childhood environment left her alone and without social interactions for many years causing her to miss her critical period that is usually formed through puberty.  With the many findings within this situation, what makes this significant is the time period in which these events unfolded. This was not a case that happened decades ago but rather within the last twenty years. The timing of this situation expresses to the reader that the belief that one's environment is the greatest influence can be drawn from this are best supported by the recentness and timing of this event. Also, the emotions felt by the reader for Genie are also a great technique the student employed to better their argument. The horrific life genie endured should never be put upon any individual and the sympathy for her is seen in every viewer. By bringing to the surface such strong emotions, the author is able to sway the opinions of all his/her readers.

Another rhetorical strategy the author of "Case study on nature vs. nurture debate" makes good use of in their article is Aristotle's appeal to logos. While the use of pathos is the most noticeable appeal within this essay, the facts behind the many studies mentioned adds to the credibility and reliability of their argument. When the author writes about one of the scientist discovering Genie expressed receptive language disorders due to her isolation (Case Study,) the author then supports this claim by incorporating the results from an experiment in which Genie "left food in her mouth until the enzymes in her saliva started to digest the food" (Pines, 1997). Based on this study one can conclude that Genie's lack of oral muscles may have resulted in her speech impediment and in her ability to break apart and digest food. Another experiment seen in a similar article " Do Neglected Children Suffer More Brain Damage than Abuse Victims," shows a MRI of a normal 3 year-old children's brain compared to 3-year old child who's suffered from extreme neglect. Both articles correctly prove that the effects of an isolated environment can cause permanent mental retardation as seen in Genie's case. Through the use of logos, the author is not only able to support their argument through emotions, but also through the use of reasoning and facts.

Similar to the author of "Case study on the nature vs. nurture debate," Rollie Williams picture gallery Lottery of Life uses kairos and pathos to strengthen their argument that the environment in which someone grows up in is the most influential factor in creating ones identity. Williams believes the way to win the lottery of life is to "Get born in the right country" (Williams). Within his picture gallery, he illustrates many actions like running from very different perspectives. For example, one of the pictures shows a group of people running after a recent bombing in the Middle East and beside it is a lady running by a beautiful cornfield (Williams). Similarly, another Lottery of Life picture shows a young African American boy holding and shooting a AK-47 in the same way a boy holds a fishing pole as he sits and waits for a fish to bite on a gorgeous lake (Williams). Within these few pictures, the photographer makes a strong point about the effects of the environment on one's identity and behavior. The boy with and AK was not born a savage, but instead he was raised up to kill. This appeals to the emotions of everyone who views these pictures because all they can do is imagine how this boy could have been like the kid fishing on the right if he would've been born into a more suitable environment. Similarly, the running picture shows this same belief and also adds kairos by using a picture of a recent bombing. It might have not been as appropriate if the author would have used a picture of a random catastrophe from centuries ago. By using a recent event, the writer is able to show how this topic is still affecting millions of people every day and the need for change is dire. By the use of kairos and pathos, both authors are able to create undisputable arguments for their belief that ones identity is not dominated by his/her gene makeup but rather by the way in which they are raised.

While the student of "Case Study on the Nature vs. Nurture Debate" uses logos as a device to better support their argument, Williams uses the device of exigency to express the urgency of these situations. As talked about in the paragraph above, the writer uses current tragedies to incorporate kairos within his pictures. Similarly, this also enables the author to stress the demand for change. If mankind allows people to continue to be shaped by the environment in which they grow up in, many kids might never have the opportunity to earn an education. Even worse, many might become the bloodthirsty killers depicted in Williams Lottery of Life gallery (Williams). Williams could have used an example of a kid being raised up in slums of a major city to illustrate the effects of poverty on individual's chances for success, but he instead exhibits extreme conditions to emphasize the call for immediate revision. While it may seem hard for Americans to fully grasp the necessity for change, one must just take a moment to see the world from Williams's perspective in his gallery Lottery of Life and how it works to shape the identity of many individual.


These sources give us great insight into how these authors utilize rhetorical strategies to better support their argument. By analyzing these two articles, one can see how the author incorporates each strategy in a unique way to sway the opinion of the readers. By the use of kairos and exigency, the authors were able to use modern examples to express the urgency of this situation and how it still lingers throughout the world we live in today. Similarly, through the use of pathos and logos, each author is able to appeal to the emotions of his or her reader while also providing logical evidence to show the impact of one's environment on his or her identity. By dissecting in great detail two of the ten sources, I will be more prepared in continuing my analysis for my final project. I have also been able to form a stance on the debate and I believe I have the sources and evidence necessary to support my claim.
