Tears and Rage as Hope Fades in Bangladesh

Jim Yardley of the New York Times covers the tragic collapse of a garment factory in Bangladesh and the surrounding circumstances and overall impact. Yardley begins by describing a heart wrenching scene of a mother hopelessly searching for both of her children through the chaos and panic of the situation. He transitions from this specific example into the reaction as a whole when he writes, "Thousands of people surrounded the site on Sunday, watching the huge rescue operation, even as hopes faded that many more victims would be found alive."  Yardley focuses on this specific mother and the desperate reaction of the entire crowd in his first paragraph to open with a strong emphasis on pathos. Although the tragedy has political and economical ramifications, the emotional impact of the event draws the most attention and feelings. Therefore, his first two paragraphs are centered around the emotions and efforts directly following the catastrophe.  Yardley then transitions to the facts of the event when he states, "With national outrage boiling over, Bangladeshi paramilitary officers tracked down and arrested Sohel Rana, the owner of the building, who was hiding near the Indian border, and returned him by helicopter to Dhaka."  He immediately acknowledges that this event has caused national tension.  In addition, he introduces the efforts being made to reach the origin of the event. Yardley continues on to include further details, while also playing on pathos.  For example, he explains that this is the worst accident ever to occur in the garment industry as a result of the 377 deaths and countless injuries. Although these are facts of the event, they also have an emotional side as they depict the true extent of the tragedy.  Furthermore, Yardley includes another perspective as he uses quotations from firemen that are dedicated toward saving as many lives as possible in the aftermath of the accident. He begins to conclude the article as he returns to a strong use of pathos by quoting another mother observing the scene: "It would be better if you killed me than if you asked me to go away.” Yardley successfully balances his use of pathos and logos in order to form an accurate picture of the event while also demonstrating the emotional toll.  Also, he gives a summary of the national impact of the event, while also including more specific examples of the direct effects of the tragedy.