TED Talk Review

The relationship between any father and daughter is one to truly cherish. Angela Patton makes this clear in the TED talk she has filmed. Her understanding of what a true bond between a father and a daughter should be is evidence to her argument. The two main appeals used in her talk is ethos and pathos. She crafts her argument through a chronological set of events that compiles the whole talk to one.

She starts with the story that illuminated the light on the precise topic her entire argument is about. The small anecdote reminisces a time she had with her friends that helped her realize the need and pull she felt towards the idea that daughters need to have connections to their fathers--especially comparing it to the one her close friend does not have. What she shares with the audience exposes their minds and hearts to the privilege some people to do not have with their fathers. By juxtaposing the idea of her friend complaining about her dad always "being on her back" and "calling all the time"; to the idea of her other close friend not having contact with her dad in years, she builds the emotion in the audience and slaps the truth right onto them that some girls do not, in fact, have this.

Patton goes on to describe the next event and this further brings out the sympathy and caring nature human nature endows. She shares plenty of heart-tugging stories between little girls and their fathers that completely support her point. There are also visuals to associate with the story--allowing the audience to actually see the faces to the people in her story, making it even more real than they can imagine. Also, Patton mentions her very own father attending the event draws to the audience's understanding that she holds a bond with her father. It makes her knowledgeable about her argument seeing as she has no problems with her father.

One strong point she makes is the obstacle of jail being between a daughter and her father. Even through this tough problem, Patton fights through it and makes it possible. She even quotes the guard's advice about having the fathers having a bond with their daughter helps them. She describes it all as "beautiful."

I think Patton effectively delivers her argument in her TED talk. Personally, I do understand the personal bond between fathers and daughters, so this talk did affect me emotionally--I understood the love and admiration felt with the bond. Patton is able to effectively shape her argument by drawing out the emotions of the people through the anecdotes she gives.

http://www.ted.com/talks/angela_patton_a_father_daughter_dance_in_prison.html