RHETORICAL ESSAY

Ravisankar begins his essay by addressing the reader and leads up to a problem that many of us may not even realize. The problem he identifies is the high human cost it takes to achieve lower and lower prices. This is specifically talking about sweatshop labor. He assumes his readers are familiar with the term sweatshop, but don't fully comprehend the awful conditions in which these people work and their grueling hours for little pay. His purpose is to open the eyes of the reader and bring attention to just how awful sweatshops are. In order to accomplish this purpose, he appeals mainly to consumers. He also appeals to companies and their buyers. In his essay, Ravisankar addresses the main argument against his thesis, the idea that companies such as Nike, Reebok, Gap, etc. are are to blame for perpetuating a system of exploitation which seeks to get as much out of each worker for the least possible price. He refutes this argument by saying that those companies striving for lower wages and lower input costs are taking part in a phenomenon described as "the race to the bottom." Finally, he concludes by making the point that universities purchase nearly $3 billion in T-shirts, sweatshirts, caps, sneakers, and sports uniforms adorned with their institutions' names and logos. This puts pressure on brands to provide living wages and reasonable conditions for workers because they do not want to lose that money. Overall, the argument Ravisankar makes is ineffective because he doesn't give a theory on how individuals can help with improving conditions of sweatshops. However, he does a wonderful job bringing attention to the topic and providing the reader with all the awful working conditions and effects sweatshops have on economy.