Wikipedia Article (croissants!)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croissant One of the most important things I learned in my French class last semester was where in Fort Worth I could buy the best, most authentic croissants. This kind of specialized guidance might only come from a wise French teacher, but pretty much every other detail about croissants can be found on their designated Wikipedia page! The difference between the information I got from my French teacher and that on the Wikipedia page is a matter of opinion versus fact. I was inspired to choose this topic because I love French culture and I wanted to know more about this tasty dish. Wikipedia could be equally helpful for someone who knew nothing about French cuisine and the delightful taste of this pastry and sought to gain a general understanding. Wikipedia seeks to inform its curious audience using articles that are clear and comprehensible yet neutral and detailed enough to gain an intelligent reader’s trust. As a croissants connoisseur, the opening sentence pulls me right in. The author creates a yummy image by describing the croissant as a “buttery, flaky viennoiserie pastry”. This might be considered a use of pathos because the imagery appeals to your emotion...or at least to your appetite! This brief phrase is one of the few places I identified pathos. I believe the minimal use of this appeal is intentional. In this case, it is more effective for the author to prove their knowledge with facts and statistics rather than by manipulating emotions. This introductory section which defines and summarizes the subject is included on each wikipedia page. Despite the small appearance of pathos, this introduction contains mostly ethos. The author wants to quickly gain credibility so that the reader will feel intrigued to read the rest of the article and trust its content. The next subsection, “Origin”, includes examples of ethos in the form of quotations, source citations and evidence. The author describes that the dawn of this delicious pastry began with “the Kipferl, ancestor of the croissant”. If the author knows additional background information that varies slightly from the specific topic of the page, they come across as having a deeper understanding of the subject. Later in this section, the author refers to an outside source. The article says, “the earliest French reference to a croissant was among the “fantasy or luxury breads in Payen’s Des substances alimentaires, 1853” . By citing a text and giving a date and author, the writer of this article shows that they have researched their topic using a trustworthy source. After covering the most-likely origin of the croissant, the article includes a “Culinary Legends” subsection which includes alternative stories regarding the pastry’s creation. Wikipedia strives to maintain a neutral viewpoint, and I think the effort to present multiple ideas about the creation of croissants upholds that goal. Factoring in many different beliefs is another way wikipedia can establish credibility, because it shows a wide, unbiased understanding. Logos comes in strong throughout the “Overview of Manufacturing” subsection, where the writer uses details and numbers to prove their authenticity. The text specifically states that “the ideal temperature of the dough should be around 19 C to best hydrate the ingredients”. The author gives a precise number as well as the reasoning behind it. Another detailed line says, “croissant dough is typically laminated until 16-50 fat layers are obtained. The optimal number of layers can be determined by balancing certain crumb properties with specific volume,”. Knowing such a precise process for a particular desired outcome is something only an intelligent and experienced author would know. Another commonality of Wikipedia is the readability of the article. The opening summary paragraphs of the croissant entry are simple and straightforward. Throughout the entry, the language grows more complex. By the final subsection “Ingredient Functionality During Processing”, phrases like “viscoelastic properties” and “saccharomyces cerevisiae” are being tossed out. My understanding of this section was not as clear, but stating a more scientific perspective to this snack also adds credibility. It is useful that Wikipedia includes plenty of hyperlinks in this section to assist with unfamiliar terms. There is a lot more complex information about croissants than I ever expected. By covering so many aspects of a seemingly simple subject suggests that a lot of time and effort went in to composing this article. The purpose of this page is not to make you love croissants, but to tell you everything you could ever want to know about them. Yet...it is hard to read the entire article without feeling a little croissant-craving! The main intention is to educate and inform, which can only be done when the audience trusts what their reading. The author(s) rolls together layers of ethos, logos and a sprinkle of pathos and bakes it into a convincingly factual article that is easy for the reader to digest! <---- Couldn't even wait until after the picture to take a bite....
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April 2018
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