In the essay, The Colonel, Michael Hogan illustrates the importance of the influential sport of tennis. Hogan writes about how tennis changed his life from an early age. When he was younger he saw tennis as a rich mans sport in which he had no interest. One of his much-respected neighbors, the colonel, approached Hogan’s father with the idea that his son might like to learn how to play tennis. After pondering the thought with his father, Hogan decided to take the offer. The Colonel became his mentor as they spent tireless days perfecting his swing, improving his serve, and practicing against each other. His main competitor though was a boy named Tommy Gallagher. Often, the two boys would compete with the victor being Gallagher. Yet, Hogan
Throughout the essay, Hogan builds his ethos through his claims and life experiences. Consistently, his claims reflect his credibility while also effortlessly transitioning between personal and universal assertions. For instance, in trying to explain the difference between a “show player” and a “club player,” he compares the way he plays versus the way that he noticed that Gallagher played. He has the authority to make claims about his own style of playing as well as his observances about Tommy’s style and therefore supports his claim about the differences between the two. In addition, Hogan relays his thesis in a way that presents itself as a universal claim. As previously stated, he includes his thesis towards the end of the essay. By doing so, he is able to build his credibility throughout the essay with his personal examples so that by the conclusion, he is able to make such a statement.
In terms of pathos, Hogan is able to jump right in. He uses examples, such as that on page 109 where he states:
"I would play through days of political unrest and assassination in my twenties, through the bitter, rancorous divorce in my thirties, through the crushing death of a beloved child in my forties, then through uncertain days of financial disasters and over seas currency devaluation in my fifties." (Hogan, 109)
Here he