Rhetorical Analysis and Rhetorical Appeals

1. Rhetorical Analysis and Rhetorical Appeals Notes for class January 24th

2. Motives for WritingIntroduction: Writing for Your Life Introduction • Writing is a skill that can be learned with effort over time. • Successful writing has a definite purpose, or motive, aside from completing an assignment. • A successful writer will understand the motive for writing and how that motive can be fulfilled.

3. From Aristotle’s Rhetoric Definition of rhetoric as "the faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasion." Of the modes of persuasion some belong strictly to the art of rhetoric and some do not. The rhetorician finds the latter kind (viz. witnesses, contracts, and the like) ready to his hand. The former kind he must provide himself; and it has three divisions -- (1) the speaker's power of evincing a personal character which will make his speech credible (ethos); (2) his power of stirring the emotions of his hearers (pathos); (3) his power of proving a truth, or an apparent truth, by means of persuasive arguments (logos). Hence rhetoric may be regarded as an offshoot of dialectic, and also of ethical (or political) studies. The persuasive arguments are (a) the example, corresponding to induction in dialectic; (b) the enthymeme, corresponding to the syllogism; (c) the apparent enthymeme, corresponding to the apparent syllogism. The enthymeme is a rhetorical syllogism, and the example a rhetorical induction. Rhetoric has regard to classes of men, not to individual men; its subjects, and the premises from which it argues, are in the main such as present alternative possibilities in the sphere of human action; and it must adapt itself to an audience of untrained thinkers who cannot follow a long train of reasoning. The premises from which enthymemes are formed are "probabilities" and "signs"; and signs are either fallible or infallible.... The lines of argument, or topics, which enthymemes follow may be distinguished as common (or, general) and special (i.e. special to a single study, such as natural science or ethics). The special lines should be used discreetly, if the rhetorician is not to find himself deserting his own field for another.

4. The “Psychology of Form”:The 3 Rhetorical Appeals (WA, p. 216) • Ethos—the character of the speaker or writer is central in this form. • If the audience perceives the speaker/writer to be ethical and rational, it will be more likely to perceive his or her arguments as ethical and rational too. • Writers must pay attention to the persona they adopt—the personality conveyed by the words and the tone of the words. • In classical times, the opening of every essay or speech was dedicated to establishing the persona as one the audience would relate to.

5. The “Psychology of Form”:The 3 Rhetorical Appeals • Logos—relates to the character of the thinking itself. • In this form, the rational component of the argument is most important—the audience will be convinced by the logical reasoning. • This is gauged by the presence and development of ideas.

6. The “Psychology of Form”:The 3 Rhetorical Appeals • Pathos—this describes a message that appeals to the emotions of the audience. • A writer/speaker tailors the message depending on the predisposition of the audience. • Authority is important to the writer/speaker—the style of deliver must be chosen based on the likelihood that the audience will give it maximum attention and consideration.

7. The Rhetorical Situation5 Aspects of Successful Communication Audience Purpose Context Audience Topic Author Topic Audience Author Author Context Purpose

8. The Rhetorical Situation5 Aspects of Successful Communication 1. Author: Every writer is different, but they share some of common characteristics. • All writers are active readers. They are always acquiring new information, which will help them become people who have a lot to say. • All good writers are good critical readers of their own work. They are able to consider not only their own point of view when they revise, but the audience’s as well. • To become a good writer, you must be able to analyze the rhetorical situation and adjust to it.

9. The Rhetorical Situation5 Aspects of Successful Communication 2. Audience—You must write as if you expect your writing to be read by an individual or group of people. • Most importantly, do not be ethnocentric; the writer should not be at the center of the audience, assuming the audience has the same beliefs and characteristic. • The audience will most likely vary from the writer considerably. Some common differences are: gender, age, religious beliefs, ethnicity, political affiliation, sexual orientation, and regional background. • Not only should the writer be careful not to offend the audience, but also he or she must not use language that excludes. • A strategy to enfranchise the audience is to identify with them as much as possible. Try to imagine the ways the characteristics of the audience and identify with them.

10. The Rhetorical Situation5 Aspects of Successful Communication 3. Purpose—Essentially the same as the writer’s motive: this describes what the author hopes to accomplish. • If a writer has a clear sense of purpose, he or she is much more likely to accomplish it. • When reading, figure out the style used by the writer then analyze why the author would approach that particular topic with that particular style. • A writer may employ more than one purpose [e.g. to amuse, inform, persuade] but should be careful that one method does not interfere with the other. Generally, one method should be used primarily.

11. The Rhetorical Situation5 Aspects of Successful Communication 4. Topic—This is more specific than a subject. It is the exact part of a subject the writer wishes to address. • By narrowing a subject to a specific topic, the writer enables the audience to focus their attention there too. • A topic will enable the writer to write something original. Most subjects have been written about extensively, but many topics exist within those subjects. • Choosing a good topic is perhaps the most important part of the communication process—after the topic is chosen, the writer can make other important communication decisions.

12. The Rhetorical Situation5 Aspects of Successful Communication 5. Context—Every piece of writing occurs because of a particular event or circumstance. • No writing takes place without a context. Even if the context is beginning of the quarter vs. end of the quarter, the audience has expectations based on context. • The context often dictates the style of the writing, whether it is humorous or serious, etc. • The writer should consider the external “climate” that he or she is writing in. What are the current events that make this piece of writing relevant and interesting to an audience.

13. The Rhetorical Situation5 Aspects of Successful Communication Audience Purpose Context Audience Topic Author Topic Audience Author Author Context Purpose

14. Conclusions about Rhetoric A writer who is skilled at rhetoric will: • Be someone who is a critical thinker; • Analyze the audience; • Have a specific goal in mind; • Select an interesting and relevant topic; and, • Understand the context he or she is writing in.

15. Martin Luther King, Jr.: Perhaps the most skilled communicator in American history, who delivered both powerful speeches and wrote convincing letters. Not as famous as his “I Have a Dream Speech,” the “Letter from Birmingham Jail” was equally as powerful and showed he was not simply an amazing orator, but also a writer who mastered the art of rhetoric.

16. Henry David Thoreau: An incredible writer who crafted powerful arguments to reach an audience who may or may not have been predisposed to listen to him. Most famous for writing On Walden Pond, and On the Duty of Civil Disobedience, two pieces of writing which challenge the audience to think critically and individually.