TOW #21: "Leaving and Cleaving" (Written)

                Cellphones, television, and internet are all examples of communications technology changing our lives. The services that each of these devices offer, as David Brooks, a writer for the New York Times, argues, can have a major effect on communication between people. Through exemplification and personification, Brooks is able to convince New York Times readers that heartfelt communication is eternal to any relationship.

                Exemplification was especially important to proving Brooks’s point, since it provided a solid grounds for his argument. Brooks used exemplification throughout his essay, in order to better explain the difficulties surrounding communication. Early in his essay, he used an example of Instagram to show how instant communication did not entirely benefit a relationship. He states that instant communication raises questions, such as, “How do you gracefully change your communication patterns when one person legitimately wants to step back or is entering another life phase?” (par. 6) This question that he raises more deeply analyzes his example of following exes on Instagram. The question shows that instant communication, as made popular by websites like Instagram, can increase the pain felt by a loss of communication because the casual interactions between people are nowhere near as impactful as deep conversation. Therefore, he encourages his audience to understand the value of deep communication in relationships, whether it be between parents, friends, or lovers.

                Brooks also includes personification, although in this case, he introduces hypotheticals to exemplify a real human connection. He first starts by discussing a child’s interactions with parents during early adolescence, stating that, “the parents don’t create a space where the child can establish independence” (par. 17). After this, he continues on to discuss the child’s later years, showing that the child and parents are, “heading for a life of miscommunication” (par. 19). These statements help put Brooks’s readers into the characters’ shoes and understand just how important communication can be. In this way, Brooks is able to achieve his purpose and convince readers to value effective communication and put it into practice often.

                Although some may argue that instant communication technologies can help by increasing the apparent time with someone, Brooks argues that good relationships require some restraint, and instant communication avoids that. As one final ground for his essay, Brooks refutes a common counterargument. This is very essential to his essay, and it is just one of many ways he goes about teaching about the importance of communication.