Capital Punishment

Kroll's narrative about the execution of his friend was much more effective than Mencken's article advocating for the death penalty. Mencken opted for the "logos" approach to persuasion, but he failed to provide convincing logic. Furthermore, he began his piece by alienating a great deal of his audience. His argument centered around the idea of catharsis which is hardly enough justification for execution, but he seems convinced that everyone will agree that his point is right. Kroll, on the other hand, chose to convince his audience subtly with strong "pathos". By creating a vivid narrative of the execution of his friend Robert Harris, he makes the reader sympathetic of his situation. He describes the excruciating death of Harris, and that puts the reader in a tough position to disagree with him. At the end, he slips in a small paragraph about his feeling for the death penalty, but for the most part he avoids directly stating his point. By executing his persuasive technique well, Kroll creates a much more effective piece than Mencken.