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Quote: “In a lot of ways, I felt as if we students were treated like prisoners” (Arceneaux 2)

Context: The author was comparing his high school to a prison and then made a comparison between the treatment he experienced and the treatment of criminals in prison.

Appeal: Pathos

Device: Simile and Allusion

This section of the book was used to lay the foundation as to how the author found himself in his current financial situation. He places some of the blame on his high school because they put a lot of emphasis on seeking out a college education but failed to inform the students on the potential financial burden they may suffer with. He compares the appearance of the school with a prison, claiming it looks very industrial and beaten down. He then compares the treatment of himself and other minority teens in his school. He explains how the region that fed the school contained many minority students with “meager means”. Arceneaux claims that the administrative staff of his school was “stricter than it needed to be” (3), and this was an effort to assimilate and deculture minorities. Being part of a minority the author claims that this treatment during his time as a student influenced his eventual decision to go to college. Claiming that he didn’t just go to further his education, but to prove to everyone that he could go if he wanted to, and that he wouldn’t need to stay in state; he could go anywhere he wanted for school. However, this mentality resulted in a world of debt for essentially the rest of his life.

To further this point, the comparison to prisoners, specifically, adds a deeper meaning to the simile. Due to the current climate in the United States, particularly the South, the inclusion of only minority groups being treated as criminals by non-minority authority figures, the author alludes to racism and its impact on his education.

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Quote: “In these columns, Arthur often railed against the dangers of cigarettes, pointing out not just the health risks associated with smoking but the perils of addiction. Yet he seemed incapable of applying that same scrutiny to his own role as a lavishly compensated shill for an addictive and dangerous product” (Keefe 65).

Context:

This section focuses on Arthur Sackler’s heavy and direct involvement with the promotion of Valium and Librium among the American public. Keefe notes how Sackler was careful to cover up this aspect of his past and never take responsibility for it.

Appeal: Logos

Device: Deduction

Keefe begins here with the objective fact of Arthur’s distaste for cigarettes and the public statements he made decrying them. He follows immediately by contrasting that idea with the fact that Sackler heavily promoted addictive and harmful drugs. By placing these two statements together, Keefe makes it impossible for the reader to come to any conclusion but that Sackler was a hypocrite. It also contributes to Keefe’s overall claims of Sackler’s penchant for secrecy and ignorance of his harm.

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Quote: “In Syanon, children lived in barracks, miles away from their parents, and no one was allowed to go to work or go to school on the outside. Some members were forced to shave their heads; many married couples were separated and assigned new partners” (Montell 40).

Context:

Amanda recalls the stories her father told her of living in the Synanon cultish community in the 70’s. Her father has since broken free and become a neuroscientist, but he speaks freely about his experience of being forced into a cult by his absentee parents.

Appeal: Logos and Pathos

Device: Anecdotes

Montell recounts her own experiences growing up with a father who had once been part of Scientology. This personal connection immediately makes her argument more compelling, as it signals to the reader that she has firsthand insight into the subject. Rather than relying solely on academic sources, she grounds her claims in lived experience, making her evidence feel more personal and reliable to readers. Montell’s use of anecdotes reinforces the book’s central thesis: that language wields immense influence in shaping belief and behavior. By sharing narratives of people who have been drawn into fitness cults, or religious movements, she demonstrates

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Quote: “Years later, Thom and I would end up paying the predictable price for willfully chasing our dreams. Heartbroken and dazed, our scripts converged when both of our divorces were finalized in the same court hearing.” (Synnott 5)

Context: Recounting and describing his relationship with Thom.

Appeal: pathos

Device: anecdote

Commentary:

The appeal of pathos to the emotions of the audience through a personal anecdote is used by the author to describe his obsession and passion for climbing. This brings us closer to the author's purpose of showing, through his own life, how obsession of a topic or of your career can negatively impact your personal life and family.

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Quote: “I don’t question my mom’s choice to eventually give into something she said she wouldn’t, but I have wondered if she regrets it” (Arceneaux 17)

Context: After the stressors in Arceneaux’s mother’s life overcame her she ultimately committed suicide.

Appeal: Pathos

Device: Tone

The author uses tone to shift his message throughout the book in many instances. This shift in particular was very drastic. Arceneaux used a more confrontational and frustrated tone during this entire chapter, until the final paragraph. He even addressed a conversation he had with his mom before she passed and his tone was angry and rash; this shift in tone is used in many ways, though. For one, it is used to show that the author still cares for his mother and that any pent up emotions he had towards her are softened by love and care, he explains later in this paragraph that he hopes she forgave him for the stressors he added onto her life. This change also shows the the author has come to terms with the place he is at in his life, and how even though it isn’t ideal, he has to continue in honor of his mother and his own future.

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Quote: “My bookshelf included the stories of James Cook, Ernest Shackleton, Roald Amundsen, and many other great explorers like them. But I had overlooked Mallory and Irvine. I suppose I just hadn;t taken much interest in the history of Everest due to the mountain’s modern stigma.

Context: He is describing the books and people that influenced his passion.

Appeal: ethos

Device: exemplification

Commentary:

The appeal of ethos to the audience’s credibility through exemplification is to make the claim that the modern exploration of Everst is highly stigmatized. Additionally, it goes on to show how Synnott ignored two explorers, which he later would become interested in and try to find the body’s of. This goes on to support the ideas of passion and obsessions, as well as how there is so much more to learn and discover that people may miss due to stigma or societal norms.

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Quote: “For most of America’s history, there were comparatively few directions a person’s career, hobbies, place of residence, romantic relationships, diet, aesthetic—everything—could easily go in. But the twenty-first century presents folks (those of some privilege, that is) with a Cheesecake Factory–size menu of decisions to make. The sheer quantity can be paralyzing, especially in an era of radical self-creation, when there’s such pressure to craft a strong “personal brand” simultaneously that morale and basic survival feel more precarious for young people than they have in a long time. As our generational lore goes, millennials’ parents told them they could grow up to be whatever they wanted, but then that cereal aisle of endless “what ifs” and “could bes” turned out to be so crushing, all they wanted was a guru to tell them which to pick” (24-25).

Context:

Montell describes why some people are so susceptible to joining cultish groups, and it’s because it fosters an environment where you don’t have to think about tough life choices, and can just be told what to do based on the way your group thinks.

Appeal: Pathos

Device: Tone

The tone of the book seems somewhat lighthearted for how dark of a topic it is discussing. The author does this to prevent the book from becoming too off-putting and scary, as talking about cults can be a touchy subject. Montell makes almost dark humor and lighthearted jokes about various things to keep readers interested and to make sure the atmosphere of the book stays engaging. She very well balances the darkness of the topic with a sense of humor. Along with being lighthearted, the tone is also very informative and incisive, as she seems well informed on the topic and has done extensive research to make readers clear of what she is trying to prove. It is hard to exactly pin-point what makes a cult a cult, but Montell does an exceptional job at explaining it and diving deep into the characteristics of cults.

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Quote: “Had Arthur allowed his own career ambition to blind him to the stakes at play? …Arthur had other lingering concerns. Would the life of a practicing physician be enough, on its own, to satisfy him?” (Keefe 19).

Context:

This chapter discusses Arthur Sackler’s early life, with this portion specifically discussing his residency following medical school. He neglects to speak out against an inept doctor who ends up killing his patients. Keefe then goes on to foreshadow his later actions in the last paragraph of the chapter.

Appeal: Pathos

Device: Question

The questions posed prompt the reader to consider the motivations of Arthur Sackler. They introduce the idea that he may not be as genuine as he portrays himself to be. Furthermore, the questions foreshadow Keefe’s position on Sackler’s actions. The question on whether being a physician would satisfy him also implies Keefe’s belief that Sackler was a man who was rarely satisfied with his lot in life, always trying to gain more.

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“He had a patrician accent, which he wielded on his interlocutors like a switchblade…All those detailed battle plans Kefauver’s staff had drawn up had officially gone out the window…He danced and danced, and none of them could land a blow” (Keefe 93-94).

This is an extended metaphor as it likens the action of the courtroom to a battlefield. Kefauver and Sackler are compared to soldiers, and Sackler's masterful avoidance of responsibility becomes a dance through which he avoids the prosecution's attacks.

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"But in the weeks following Thom's slideshow and our subsequent conversation, as the story of Mallory and Irvine percolated through my mind, I came to see these early Everest pioneers in a new light." (Synnott 29).

This quote is a concession because it shows how Synnott acknowledged the story and knowledge of the Mallory/Irvine exploration in his studies. While he had overlooked them in the past due to the stigma behind the modern exploration of Everest, he was able accept how there were benefits to learning about the Everest exploration.

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"What are you going to do? Talk about how you were afraid to have sex because you didn't want to die of AIDS for $1500 an episode? That's what you think is going to make your career?" (Arceneaux 27).

This excerpt shows voice because the author is very clear in his stance on a certain topic (reality television), he also uses a lot of sarcasm and comedy throughout the book to convey his opinions to the reader. This example uses a sarcastic attitude in order to explain his perception on this topic.

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" . . . the Quakers (just about the chillest religion ever" (Montell 36).

Amanda uses more informal and relaxed phrases and words at times to almost sugarcoat the darkness surrounding the topic of cults. She also does this to connect with a younger audience