Rhetorical Anaylsis

Fatima Al-Saedy
English 1010
Rhetorical Analysis of the “Marie Kondo and the Privilege of Clutter”
The privilege of being able to assess your belongings, categorizing them into things you
want, need, or love is something Arielle Bernstein deliberates on in her article that appeared in
The Atlantic, “Marie Kondo and the Privilege of Clutter”. The inspiration for the article is due to
the book “Tidying Up” by Marie Kondo which goes into detail about how to live a life of being
minimalistic and causing a successful lifestyle. One way to achieve this is to let go of
materialistic things you no longer need or have use for. Bernstein sheds light on a side that is not
very talked about which involves her own family lineage that has experienced traumatic life
experiences. Bernstein’s grandparents lived through the holocaust and migrated to Cuba only to
have to leave due to the political climate arising and ended up moving to the United States.
Throughout her article, Bernstein counterargues the side of children of immigrants and refugees,
their perspective of a side of hoarding resulting from a traumatic response their parents and
grandparents went through. I am going to examine Bernstein’s uses of pathos, ethos, and logos to
convince her audience of the trouble of letting go for the families that have the need to wield due
to their life experiences.
Bernstein uses the backstory of her family to gain sympathy from her target audience
resulting in a somewhat understanding of why immigrant and refugee families hoard. One
example she sets early on of pathos in her writing is, “As a child, I used to cry when looking at
those photos and mementos...” (Bernstein 2016) Growing up Bernstein throughout her life saw
these beautiful photos at weddings that have been collected for generations, yet she sets up the
reader to understand most families who running from persecution, war, and more don’t have time
to pack away such beautiful memories and belongings. “Embracing a minimalist lifestyle is an
act of trust. For a refugee, that trust has not yet been earned.” (Bernstein 2016) Most refugees
who have experienced life traumatic events are likely to have mental health issues such as
anxiety and PTSD. Bernstein’s use of pathos throughout her article not only shows the feelings
of anxiety yet sets the tone that these people have the anxiety to survive. They fear that just like
once before everything they have loved and cherished will be taken away within a span of one
dark night. Furthermore, to keep the reader persuaded by the writer, Bernstein also uses ethos to
carry out her argument.
The strongest points Bernstein makes is when she uses ethos reasoning to structure her
argument. “Each item looks lonely and lost: like evidence of a life left behind” (Bernstein 2016)
Bernstein uses the Vice article, “All the Stuff Syrian Refugees Leave Behind During Their
Journey to Europe” to show the audience that when there is war sometimes the thing you love
the most have no choice but to stay behind. It shows the reader the credibility of Bernstein’s
argument that habits that form from immigrants and refugee families are a way of rebuilding
what they have lost. New memories, a new home, and a whole new life they have to build from
scratch. Bernstein also establishes credibility with personal life experiences she has had with her
parents and grandparents. “Kondo says that we can appreciate the objects we used to love by
saying goodbye to them. But for families that have experienced giving their dearest possessions
up unwillingly... it is never going to be as simple…” (Bernstein 2016) Living with parents who
have experienced refugee life she can deeply relate to those who have parents with the same
complex emotions and issues. Bernstein also can explain to those who have never had to worry if
they will not have their favorite music album that they have since 2009 when they wake up the
next morning. While Bernstein uses her creditable upbringing and other resources, she also uses
the power of logic to aid in her argument.
Bernstein also uses the power of logos to establish her argument. “In order to feel
comfortable throwing out all your old socks and handbags, you have to feel pretty confident that
you can easily get new ones.” (Bernstein 2016) The logical approach she uses throughout her
article can be depicted in Maslow’s pyramid of needs. People who have experienced the need to
seek refuge and migrate to different countries prioritize their physiological and safety needs
because they know what it is like to not have those essentials. When they come to countries like
the United States the fear is still there. “To my mother, the KonMari method isn’t joyful; it’s
cold.” (Bernstein 2016) Happiness folds to the one who beholds it and Bernstein shows this
using logos. The things we enjoy and love all depend on our environment, personality, and so
much more. There is no logic in stripping away the things you love the most causing you to have
a minimalist lifestyle with sadness and regret. That is anything but a successful lifestyle.
In the end, Arielle Bernstein's argument developed through the complex emotions and
anxiety a refugee and immigrant faces when coming to a new country, the credibility she has
from telling her parents and grandparents stories while also using a Vice article about the refugee
crisis that is happening all over the world, and the power of logic when it comes being able to
afford something again. Her audience can start to see the other side Marie Kondo doesn’t
mention in her own book “Tidying Up” when it comes to the clutter that can no meaning. It
opens the eyes of those who never have to experience the violence and pain of war. That clutter
can really be a privilege to those who had everything they knew and loved to be taken away.
Work Cited
Bernstein, A. (2016, March 25). Marie Kondo and the Privilege of Clutter. The Atlantic.
Retrieved November 10, 2022, from
https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2016/03/marie-kondo-and-the-
privilege-of-clutter/475266/

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Fatima Al-Saedy

Rhetorical Analysis of the “Marie Kondo and the Privilege of Clutter”

to their life experiences.

carry out her argument.

the power of logic to aid in her argument.

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