TOW#10: "Chinese families still at mercy of officials despite announced easing of one-child policy"(Article) by Simon Denyer

When Will It End?

A woman named Lois, who lives in China, was excited to hear the news about how China was going to ease the "one child only" policy. So she decided to have another child. Little did she know, the policy was not actually at ease yet. If a child was born on a date before the policy was eased, it would be an illegal child and the parents could end up with a $50,000 fine.

Simon Denyer is credible because his profession is to write for foreign affairs in South Asia. He also uses statistics and quotes an actual person who has a dilemma dealing with this situation. He uses statistics by saying, "But China’s overall population level will not be affected much and will still peak below 1.5 billion in about 20 years, from about 1.3 billion now, officials said." (Denyer). This was used to theorize that even if the "one child policy" were at ease, the population wouldn't increase as dramatically as the Chinese government believes it would.

Denyer wrote this to show that this policy is still going on today and it has an impact on many people. As hard it as it may be to believe, many families are having a really hard time dealing with just having one child. Denyer is also trying to show that the fine for having another child is ridiculous. It is crazy to pay $50,000 just for having one extra child. But this also shows how serious the government is taking the policy. 

There was no specific intended audience. The article was to show the entire world the small things that are making life as difficult as they shouldn't. This article could also be used to cry out for help or notice so other countries may help get rid of this policy for good.

Denyer appeals to pathos because of his usage of quoting an actual "victim" of the situation. By quoting an actual person, it allows the audience to feel bad for the mother who is afraid to have another child because of the government's extreme consequences. 

Denyer was able to accomplish his purpose. He was able to use reliable statistics, first person accounts, and emotional attachments in order to show that the "one child policy" in China is ridiculous and it should be eased as soon as possible. 

("Simon Denyer/The Washington Post - Zhang Yufei, 42, left, his son Zhang Enlang, 13 months, his mother-in-law Li Zhihong and his wife Ma Yanyan, 30, pose for a photograph in their family home in Beijing, China on Nov. 20, 2013. After a relaxation in China's one-child policy, Zhang and his wife want a second child, but only after Beijing's heavily polluted air improves." (The Washington Post))