C.E.R.+ Writing Example - Adding Counter Claim, Counter Reasoning, and Rebuttle

EXAMPLE 1:

CLAIM:  Ponyboy did not change.

EVIDENCE:  “’Stay gold, Ponyboy,  Stay gold…” (148).

REASONING:  This line of dialogue is particularly important because it’s the last thing that Johnny says to Ponyboy before he dies.  When Ponyboy and Johnny are hiding out in the church, they watch a sunrise.  Pony quotes the poem, “Nothing Gold Can Stay” by Robert Frost.  It is explained that as people get older, they change and lose the brightness that makes them special.  Later, when Johnny lays dying, he tells Ponyboy to stay the same person he always was:  someone who digs sunsets and poetry.  In other words, staying gold means keeping a part of your innocence by having a sense of wonder and beauty.  Logically, the word “stay” means to not change.  Ponyboy does “stay” gold from the beginning to the end because he respects Johnny’s dying wish and still loves poetry and sunsets.  Therefore, Ponyboy most definitely did not change.

COUNTER CLAIM:  Some might argue that Ponyboy did change.  They might point out the moment near the end of the book when Ponyboy breaks a bottle and fends off several Socs who are going to beat him up.

COUNTER REASONING:  They would point out that at the beginning of the book Ponyboy was unable to fend for himself and got beat up by Socs.  This gives a clear “before” and “after” demonstrating how his behavior–in this case his ability to keep himself safe–reflected his internal change.  He is more weary of threats and mentally tougher.  That’s clearly change–or is it?

REBUTTLE:   What this position conveniently leaves out is that it states on chapter one that Ponyboy remembered how Steve Randal had used a broken bottle to fend off Socs, and that before he got jumped, Ponyboy was looking for a bottle on the ground but couldn’t find one.  Those making this argument are cherry-picking some facts and ignoring others.  If their argument hinges upon Ponyboy using a broken bottle to defend himself in order to show change, there was no change.  Ponyboy looked for the bottle the first time just like he did the last time.  He acted the same.


EXAMPLE 2: 

CLAIM:  Ponyboy did change.

EVIDENCE:  “’You really would have used that bottle, wouldn’t you?… Steve and me were backing you, but I guess we didn’t need to.  You’d have really cut them up, huh?’” (171).

REASONING:  This is what Two-Bit says to Ponyboy at the end of the book regarding using a broken bottle to fend off Socs.  Ponyboy was about to be jumped like he was at the beginning, but this time instead of being beaten up and saved by his gang, he used a broken bottle all alone to scare the Socs away.  The first chapter of the book showed how Ponyboy didn’t know how to defend himself, or was unwilling to.  Therefore, Ponyboy most definitely changed in that he is more aware of the threats around him and now knows how to protect himself.  The difference between being a victim and being safe is the very definition of change.

COUNTER CLAIM:  Others might argue that Ponyboy remained the same by bringing up the whole “Stay Gold” parting words of Johnny before he died. 

COUNTER REASONING:  They would show the connection between Johnny and the poem by Robert Frost about how it’s important to like sunsets and have a sense of wonder.  Ponyboy begins the story digging sunsets and ends digging sunsets, so no change.  They’d say that even if he went through some bad stuff, his heart is still pure because he has stayed gold.

REBUTTLE:   So… what if Ponyboy had started the story liking chocolate cake and ended the story still liking chocolate cake? That has nothing to do with who he is inside.  Who cares if still likes sunsets?  The trauma of being beat up, almost drowned, witnessing a murder, being wanted by the law, getting burned in a fire, having your best friend die in agonizing pain, having a concussion from taking a beating at a rumble, and watching someone who is like a brother to you being shot by the cops… if that kind of stress, trauma, and PTSD doesn’t change someone, nothing will.  It’s preposterous to argue that digging sunsets even matters.  Surely Gulf War vets came back who were suicidal, but most of them probably still liked their favorite foods and tv shows.  What one likes, and who someone is inside are two completely separate things.  For that reason this argument is ludicrous.