In the 2009 documentary, A Girl's Life, Rachel Simmons gives us a glimpse into the difficulties that teenage girls face on a daily basis. The four girls we meet in the documentary face issues related to self-image, cyberbullying, street violence and a lack of educational opportunities. Throughout the documentary we see that Simmons believes in the resilience of these young girls. She emphasizes that teenage girls may find themselves in difficult situations, but with determination and courage they can overcome anything. Throughout the construction of her argument, her position remains clear: issues such as self-image, cyberbullying, street violence, and lack of educational opportunities have become inevitable for young women in recent years. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The film begins with the story of Analuz. She is preparing for her quinceanera, a cultural celebration of a girl's fifteenth birthday. Analuz goes shopping with her mother to find the perfect dress, but is disappointed and overwhelmed when she discovers that many dresses don't fit her size. Analuz's mother reminds her how beautiful she is, but Analuz can't help but feel the pressure to fit into society's definition of beauty. The next girl we meet is Libby. Middle school had been great for Libby; he was part of the popular group and had many friends. That is until one Saturday night, for no reason, all her best friends sent her a very mean text. This text was followed by many messages from each of his so-called best friends. This went on until Libby couldn't handle it anymore. She told her mother, and her mother decided she needed to make other parents aware of what their children were doing. The other girls' parents had no idea what was happening on the teenage girls' phones. Libby's best friend immediately regretted her actions and apologized. Libby also began to make new, healthier friendships. The next teenager, Karla, lived in a poor and dangerous area of Philadelphia. Karla's once harmless group of friends, who call themselves "The Crew", get into trouble when Karla's cousin is threatened and she and her friends rush to her side to defend her. The threats quickly turn into physical violence, seriously injuring some girls. Finally, Sonia is a high school student from New York preparing for college. Since she is not in an area with a good school system, Sonia attends the Young Women's Leadership School. Many of the girls who attend the school, including Sonia, rely on scholarships to be able to go to college. However, Sonia fears that she will not be eligible for scholarships since she recently obtained citizenship in the United States. Thanks to her hard work and confidence, Sonia is accepted into many of the schools she has applied to and is offered large scholarships, as well as graduating as Valedictorian. Each girl's situations, while very different, convey the idea that girls are confident and resilient and can overcome anything. While recounting each girl's situation, Simmons uses ethos and pathos to build his argument. At the beginning of each story, we meet each girl and learn details about their situation. This creates a personal connection between viewers and each girl, whether viewers relate to a girl's situation or simply empathize. This pathos, or emotional appeal, attracts the attention of.
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