Slides: Rhetorical Analysis
Rhetorical Analysis
Rhetoric is a term that is broadly used, but its most classical definition is the art of persuasion.
It could be said that rhetoric is a body of techniques used to grab attention, manipulate emotions, and sneakily win arguments when you are backed into a corner.
Ultimately, rhetoric provides a means to magnify your cause. It can be used for good or evil.
We encourage students to use rhetoric for good.
A rhetorical analysis paper aims to identify the particular strategies that an author is using to appeal to or persuade a given audience. It has the purpose to give an evaluation of how the author or speaker did his/her job.
Three main components of the rhetorical situation are:
The writer/speaker, the audience, and the message.
A rhetorical analysis paper asks for an identification of these three elements and to determine how they are working together.
To analyze the rhetoric, we start asking:
The Writer or Speaker
• How does the author present himself or herself?
• Is the author familiar with the subject? How can you tell?
• How does the author show good judgment or a broad perspective?
• Is the author reasonable? How can you tell?
• How does the author treat those who disagree?
• How does the authors value others’ welfare?
• How does the author treat the reader?
• Does the author use stereotypes or show prejudice?
• Where is this published? What does that say about this work?
• What did you expect to see what was not on the page?
• How does the author distract your attention from this?
• What does this work look like? Is it neatly done? Does it use the page well?
• How does the font interact with the text? Is there white space on the page?
• Are there relations between parts
of text?
Slide 3
The Audience
• What are the characteristics of the audience? How can you tell? Consider:
*Race, age, sex, physical characteristics, habits
*Economic or educational level
*Religious or educational level
*Ethnicity, citizenship, location
• Is the reader/audience encouraged to have an emotional response to this writing? How can you tell?
• How should the audience use information about opposing views?
• Is the reader encouraged to examine or question the opposition’s motives?
• What reader needs, values, or beliefs are presented here? How can you tell?
• Is there a pattern to word choice or word order? Is the language simple or complex? Are terms defined?
• What is the style of this work? How is this style created? Does the style of this piece resemble that of other works?
• Consider imagery, coherence, emphasis, repetition, rhythm, analogy, metaphor, simile.
Slide 4
The Message (i.e. the text)
• How is this work organized? What are the indicators to this organization?
• Does the organization work?
*Process, narration
*Comparison/contrast
*Division/classification
*Cause/effect
*Definition, description
• What claims are made? Are these claims strong, obvious?
• What evidence is used to support the claims?
*Examples and illustrations
*Facts, statistics
*Precedents, laws
*Memories, records
*Expert or witness testimony or opinion
• How does the work look?
*Is it neat or sloppy? *Is the layout good? *Do font and font size seem appropriate?
• Do visual aid(s) add to the overall effect?