The Idea of an Essay, Volume 3

2016 Composition Contest Winnners 15 Specifically, Schor argues that increased prosperity in America has precipitated a lack of leisure time. She explicitly states her claim in the form of a question: “Why has leisure been such a conspicuous casualty of prosperity?” A lengthy introduction provides context by noting increased labor hours in America, which by implication have risen above a healthy level. In fact, the entire claim is based on the assumption that Americans are overworked. To back her warrant, Schor highlights the dramatic rise of working hours in the past twenty years. Additionally, she contrasts Americans’ labor hours and those of their European counterparts. Schor proves her claim by stating that, when productivity increases, employees aren’t offered a choice between more pay and more leisure time. Instead, employers automatically increase pay. She offers a second piece of data based on the American definition of “satisfaction.” According to Schor, Americans define “satisfaction” based on what they own in relation to others. Pay raises that accompany increased productivity fuel “shopping sprees” intended to outdo others. To keep up with the outflow of money and the increased demand to keep up with their neighbors, people work more, thus perpetuating the cycle of “work-and-spend.” These two arguments constitute the core of Schor’s data. The rest of the article argues the warrant instead of the claim. To validate her warrant, Schor argues that overwork, by causing high stress levels and detracting from needed family time, exacerbates social ills such as child neglect and marital problems. Ethos, logos and pathos all appear to some degree in Schor’s article. Although Schor doesn’t explicitly assert her authority, her credentials suggest that she is an expert in the field. Graduating from the prestigious Wesleyan University, she pursued her Ph.D. in economics at the University of Massachusetts. Previous to holding her current position as Professor of Sociology at Boston College, Schor taught at Harvard for 17 years. In addition, she has written several best-selling books on economics, work and spending. Because of Schor’s impressive teaching positions and publishing accomplishments, readers are likely to trust her as an authority on the subject. Her overall tone also enhances her credibility. In an engaging but professional manner, Schor methodically addresses the subject at hand.