“On compassion” “On compassion” is an essay written by Barbara Lazear Ascher. The main topic of Ascher's piece concerns acts of compassion, as well as the motivations behind them. Ascher uses a dark tone, being a third party observer. She recounts several moments in which she witnessed various moments in which someone was confronted with a possible, but unlikely threat, and reciprocated the threat with an act of kindness in order to question the true motives between these polite actions : fear or compassion. Say no to plagiarism. . Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The first example Ascher stated was a moment when he witnessed an interaction between a woman with her child and a homeless man in New York City. Ascher develops the story with the use of pathos, or emotional appeal to convey the scene of an encounter. She writes; "The child's mother waits for the light to change and her hands grip tighter on the handle of the stroller when she sees the man approaching." This is heartbreaking, as the reader begins to feel sympathy for the homeless man; before that, the man was simply walking the streets, thinking to himself. He stopped to admire the woman's son. In a hasty effort, the woman offers the man a dollar in hopes that he will go away; “…and passes a folded dollar over his son's head to the man who stands and stares even though the light has changed…” For further effect, Ascher mentions 5 bystanders who ignore the obvious and embarrassing tension , leaving the woman to fend for herself. itself. The reader is then provoked to feel pity for the homeless man or anxiety for the woman. Ascher leaves both sides open to connection for his audience to develop an emotional connection between the reader and the man or woman. In her next scenario, Ascher delves into another case where she was a bystander at an encounter involving a homeless man. This time the setting is in a bar; highlights the glitz of the café; the croissants are overpriced and deliciously buttery. Ascher uses imagery to convey the scene; “...an old man entered and stopped inside the entrance. He wears a stained blanket pulled up to his chin and a woolen hood pulled down to his bushy gray eyebrows. As he gets up, the smell of cigarettes and urine fills the small, overheated room.” The reader can visualize the man entering the room, can imagine his terrible smell, and suddenly feel compassion for this other homeless person too. Ascher's images bring to life the details of the man and how out of place he is in the French café, subtly suggesting the possible threat or the innocent, hungry man he could be. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay In many cases, people may react to different things in different ways. The above are great examples of various times when you have been faced with a possible, but unlikely, threat and responded with an act of kindness. In these cases, offering money or food in exchange for obedience, leaving the women alone. Ascher leaves the end of the women's ordeals open to the reader's interpretation, challenging the true motives behind these acts of kindness and letting the question resonate in the minds of his audience: whether the acts were out of fear or compassion??