Answer to Question #309476 in English for Kelsey Jand

Question

Complete the SOAPSTone for “In Pursuit of Unhappiness” by Darrin McMahon, originally published in the New York Times, December 29, 2005.

Context Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/29/opinion/in-pursuit-of-unhappiness.html

SPEAKER- Who are they? What do we know about them? What is their expertise or experience? Do they have a bias?

OCCASION- Why or for what did they write the piece? What motivated them or inspired them to write it?

AUDIENCE- Who is the piece targeted to? Be specific!

PURPOSE- What result or action do they want from the audience?

SUBJECT- What is the point or message the author is trying to convey? What is the topic?

TONE- What attitude does the author take towards the subject?

Answer 1

Darrin M. McMahon. (2005, December 29). In pursuit of unhappiness. The New York Times - Breaking News, US News, World News and Videos. https://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/29/opinion/in-pursuit-of-unhappiness.html

The speaker in Pursuit of Unhappiness is a college professor and asserts that in order to pursue your own happiness, you must be able to look beyond yourself and try to make others happy as well.

The author's ideas regarding the cause and effect link between self-help books and the fact that such publications are in great demand signal that they aren't operating are among the events that led to the composition of this essay.

It's safe to presume that the target audience is unhappy Americans.

The major purpose of the essay is to emphasize that unless someone seeks to help others achieve happiness, they will, paradoxically, constantly be seeking unhappiness.

The "Pursuit of Unhappiness" examines how individuals pursue happiness in ways they believe they should vs. how they should.

The author's tone is pessimistic. This may be demonstrated when the author claims that the fact that books on how to be happy are being sold demonstrates that people are unhappy.