A nondescript, fly-on-the-wall kind of
guy is nominated for a Grammy and becomes a huge success
in the glitzy music industry. One of the world’s largest
steel manufacturers closes its doors, leaving thousands unemployed.
How did these events happen? Were they brought about by accident
or fate, or were there complex, underlying causes that need
to be considered? The authors of the essays below suggest
a number of causes to help explain the effect of sudden fame
and equally sudden loss. You may find that the authors have
met the two conditions that prove causation; that is, the
causes are both sufficient and necessary. On the other hand,
your careful analysis may reveal that the authors have not
considered all of the possibilities, or that some of the
causes are not correlated. A successful cause-and-effect
essay can give the reader a model of success to follow or
a lesson in avoiding failure.
Pop star Moby is the subject of this article for Wired
magazine online. Author Ethan Smith uses a cause-and-effect strategy
to explore the secrets to Moby’s success.
4http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/10.05/moby.html?pg=1&topic=&topic_set=
1. What does Smith posit as the immediate and ultimate causes
of Moby’s success as a musician? List these causes
and, in a short paragraph, see if you can describe the complex
cause.
2. On page 2 of this article Smith introduces a concept
put forth by the sociologist William Whyte. Why does Smith
include this particular idea, which may seem, on the surface,
to be completely unrelated to music? How does Smith elaborate
upon the effects of this specific cause?
One of the largest and most well-known steel manufacturers,
Bethlehem Steel, closed its massive doors
in 1995. Writing for Wired magazine, Richard Martin explores
the how
and why of Bethlehem’s closing, attributing its
demise at least in part to its resistance to globalization.
4http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/10.02/steel.html
3. What are the issues that contributed to Bethlehem
Steele’s closing? Do you find the causes Martin
offers to be both sufficient and necessary?
4. Martin’s article is rather brief. Are there
points in this essay that deserve further clarification
or elaboration in order for you to be persuaded that
Martin’s analysis of the situation is correct?
Describe the characteristics of the audience that would
find Martin’s argument most persuasive.
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