Horse Power Analytical Essay

"Horse Power" Analytical Essay

In the article "Horse Power," David Courteau explicates why horse power should still be used today instead of fuel-powered machinery. Throughout the article Courteau states many reasons as to why he believes horse power would better benefit society. Corteau contends that horses are cheaper for farmers. Machines require oil to run and require frequent updates. Horses might die, but they reproduce. Once a machine dies, a farmer is required to purchase a new one, and all of the expenses add up to more than the cost of a horse. Corteau uses certain techniques in his article to persuade the reader to believe the same ideas as he does. By the end of the article, one could certainly accept that horse power should still be in use today. Coureau does such a thorough job of explaining his reasons that even a person who might not have any knowledge of farms would agree with him. Also, he is so accurate and convincing that farmers might even begin to ascribe to his philosophy. In the article "Horse Power," Dick Courteau uses rhetorical devices to relate to his audience, intellectual facts to prove his point, and skillful organization to communicate effectively that horse power should still be used in modern times.

One of the main reasons why Courteau believes we should still use horse power is because horses give back to the environment. Courteau states, "Horses return to their surroundings raw materials for future energy" (3). Machines are not capable of yielding beneficial products to the environment. The horse's manure helps maintain soil richness and, according to Courtaeu, that is the reason that the Amish have refused to give up their use of horse power for so long. Horses also reproduce and provide us with new horses that would be just as beneficial as the previous ones. Once a machine no longer works, there is no way a new one can be purchased without spending money. Corteau delivers this idea through using a logos appeal to his reader. He presents the information in a factual form that helps the reader agree with him and his ideas. Another reason the Corteau likes the idea of using horse power is that maintaining machines is a great deal of work. They require a variety of supplies such as oil. Corteau does concede that horses also require some supplies as well, such as an anvil. According to Corteau, "the anvil I bought secondhand when I was seventeen and have used to shoe horses this half century and more has the date 1875 stamped on its side..." (3). He makes the point that much of the horse equipment can be passed on to other family members friends and that everyone can recycle wagons and harnesses and other horse supplies. Corteau approaches this point by using a pathos appeal. He provides a personal story for the reader to explain how horses use supplies, but they can be recycled through time, while machines require more daily upkeep that takes up much of someone's time. Corteau uses the rhetorical appeals to help his readers relate to his points.

All throughout the article Corteau provides many facts to prove his point that horse power is better than machinery. Providing factual information helps to express that he knows what he is knowledgeable about the subject and that his information is reliable. One example of Corteau using facts to prove is point is "the farms using two teams of no more than three horses cultivated an average of 137 acres of cropland, those using a tractor and four horses farmed 196 acres, but those using only horses- eleven horses in big hitches of four