In his essay Who Are You and What Are You Doing Here?, Mark Edmundson speaks about the greedy, power driven environment of America determining how education and career choice are perceived by individuals. Edmundson uses the appeal to pathos and the appeal to ethos to advance his writing. While an individual may have a passion for a certain field of study or activity, the stability and the salary of the potential career are seen as more crucial. To be poor in America is to be a failure. Students come to college with the goal of a diploma in mind-what happens in between is often of no deep interest and determining interest to them. Edmundson argues against such a mindset. Explaining further, he encourages society to shift from seeking out the
