Here’s an argument made on Twitter:
Difference between cakes and biscuits? When stale, cakes go hard, biscuits go soft. Hence Jaffa Cakes are cakes. (Was official EU ruling).
I just love this example:
- First, you can find it with “hence” (see cue phrases from an appendix to Marcu‘s thesis).
- Second, the notion of this EU (tax) ruling amuses me.
- Third, it shows that 140 characters is enough for a complex argumentative structure. This has three main claims: When stale, cakes go hard, biscuits go soft; Jaffa Cakes are cakes; and [Jaffa Cakes are cakes due to] official EU ruling.
- Enthymemes anyone?
It’s hard, though, to draw the line between an argument and an explanation in this context.
Jaffa Cakes, for you North American readers, are a common dessert-y snack in Ireland and the UK. Vaguely like Kandy Kakes found in the Philadelphia area/East Coast, but usually have an orange filling.
November 19th, 2011 at 3:00 pm
I wish I’d had this example when I used to teach argument in my freshman writing classes! The Jaffa cake wouldn’t have been familiar to the students, but I could have rectified that by bringing some in. :) Mmmmm, Jaffa cakes.
(Incidentally, there’s a brand of Jaffa cakes available in US markets called “Pim’s,” which were favorites of mine long before I learned that “Jaffa cakes” is the generic term for that kind of cake/orange jam/chocolate snack.)
November 19th, 2011 at 3:53 pm
Cool! What do you like about this example,, by the way? I didn’t know about Pim’s, just added a comment about that on the Wikipedia Talk page.
November 21st, 2011 at 8:25 pm
I like its sensory vividness and specificity. I also like its offbeatness: so many examples of arguments that you see in texts geared toward college writing are kind of…well, dry. Or at least overfamiliar. (Stale, even!) There’s something delightfully silly and unexpected — and hence memorable — about making a serious argument about what constitutes cake. Especially when it’s the EU making the argument!
And I also like the fact that one can demonstrate it with cookies. Or, rather, cakes. :)
May 7th, 2012 at 10:45 am
[...] See also: my favorite example argument on Twitter. [...]