The Little Things Matter Analysis

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Often enough people lose sight of what’s important. Why they began in the first place or where they’re headed may have become distorted in trying to get where they want to go. These ideas are addressed in Huffington Post’s September 2nd issue. Whitney Koenig’s article, "Reflections of a Nurse: The Little Things Matter,” utilizes ethos, pathos, and repetition to drive home the significance in seemingly trivial tasks. Her argument is directed at a fellow nurse, whom she hears decry passing out trays after her tedious time spent in nursing school. Koenig establishes her credibility immediately, insisting she would have scolded her coworker’s attitude if it weren’t for the myriad of things for her to do as a nurse too. Going off her ethos she declares,…show more content…
Here, her repetition comes into play, as she weaves together a long string of mediocre tasks they typically perform for every patient. Sometimes feeding them bite by bite, repositioning them an excessive amount, not only bathing them but applying lotion and deodorant, combing their hair, and yes, “pass trays with a smile.” As if laying down instructions for her coworker, she asserts “you” into every scenario. This repetition asserts the responsibility the nurse has to do all these things genuinely. The reason they do these things are to humanize and comfort the people who can really use it. Their duty extends to more serious matters as well, though. Koenig’s repetition persists to explain thoroughly that their job is to carry that comfort through to even more serious, “exciting,” scenarios. Having to check vitals in critical patients or consort with families under enormous stress, change (and by extension see and smell) infected or revolting wounds. By seamlessly weaving together an idea of a nurse’s extensive role, she is very successful in conveying her point. While her fellow nurse denounces the simplicity in passing out trays, she missed the enormity of significance behind it and fellow ‘trivial’
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