The article “Inventing the University” by David Bartholomae in the Journal of Basic Writing, Vol. 5, No. 1, 1986, writes about the compilation of essays written by college students and high school students and critiques of their writing techniques. Bartholomae explains when a student “sits down to write they must invent the university” (Bartholomae 9 ). What he means is the students must communicate in a language where the audience can understand them also, they must discourse of the academic community that they are addressing. Bartholomae also explains the struggle between basic writers, and expert writers, and the difference between the two types.
There are three essays in which Bartholomae explains where former students are using the different technique of “Inventing the University”. The first essay was written by a college freshman, a basic writer who explains creating a sculpture of the earth. Bartholomae explains how the student “defines himself as a researcher “ by the faculty of the university. He breaks down the key concepts by gathering ideas, examples, and information. With this being said he becomes the teacher, while they are the students. The second essay was written by Linda Flower, an expert writer who explains an experience from “Lesson on Life”. This essay shows an acceptable explanation of “lack of pride” by providing a conclusion, examples, and phrases to know how to write out more of a specific argument. The third essay was written by another basic writer, explaining creativity. A student who plays football describes his creativity as changing a uniform.
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However, writers have two ways of speaking according to Bartholomae, one is as a person of status (a privileged language of the university) or two, as a child ( a wisdom lesson). An individual must be taught to manipulate to connect with their audience and also to produce a well-written piece.
Bartholomae's journal “Inventing of University” purpose is for students and professors to use better writing habits, writing styles, strengths, and weaknesses. Bartholomae persuades his audience to learn and teach writers a specific way to write to be understood. He addresses his problems with the audience by explaining a writer becomes a novice by having little knowledge of the language, authority, and techniques.
The author’s tone is calm and educational. Bartholomae uses appeals to write his text to persuade his audience. Throughout the whole text, he uses a great amount of ethos. He uses his method of “inventing the university” to connect with his audience, the professors. He also relates to his other audience, the students by providing resources such as student essays and reviewing them on proper language use, to add to his credibility he uses logos. Bartholomae uses authors and different resources to provide facts and details to explain his claim. Some of these detailed examples are student essays written by different writers using “inventing the University”. The pathos appeal uses a critical tone, to connect more with his audience. I believe that using pathos helps Bartholomae persuade his audience by having harsh emotions toward the matter. With all this being said, the pathos appeal serves the purpose of this whole text.
In conclusion, I would agree that Bartholomae did an excellent job in presenting his text. He does an excellent job of presenting his purpose and reaching his goal of having more basic writers become expert writers. Bartholomae presents to whom the text can persuade, students and teachers. He displays a great amount of ethos, logos, and pathos to gather more attention from his audience and to persuade them to understand his purpose. His arguments are written in an organized matter of evidence, and ideas, and using students' essays for the audience to have a better understanding of how important using “inventing the university” and the technique behind it, is to use in student writings.
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