My definition of rhetoric before the readings was simply: successful written or oral communication with a clear purpose & audience in mind. After completing the readings, I have decided that is not specific enough and does not encompass what rhetoric really is. The readings by Crusus, Channell, and Drucker helped establish a clear relationship between argument, “mature reasoning”, and communication as a mode used to communicate. Both of the readings provided a clearer understanding of argument and communication, key components to rhetoric, but did not change my definition until I read “The Rhetorical Situation” by Bitzer. The idea of a rhetorical situation, provided a clear application of the question: “What is rhetoric?”
Work is required to earn the money to provide the necessities of life, but this duty should never be given to children. In her speech, Florence Kelley uses logos, pathos, and a shift to voting rights to build her argument of why child labor laws need to be enforced nationwide. The first way the author builds her argument is through logos, a logical appeal. Kelley utilizes an assailment of facts and statistics to lead her assertion. This is effective because of the shockingly large number of children working absurd and miserable hours.
The editorial also appeals to the audience’s basic value of life, equality, and justice. In the editorial the police commissioner for the city, states that, “police owned tonight.” This was after a protest in Ferguson, where police where caught using excessive force that was completely unnecessary. This appeals to unlawful justice because it was a peaceful protest that turned bad because of how the police handled the situation and treated the protesters.
Landon Bolotte In”Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury uses the literacy of irony to shape the theme that books are controversial and are an important part of our society and our lives. First, the "concept that books are controversial and are a very important part of our culture and our lives' ' relates to the people in the novel and their interactions with society. According to the text it states“You know, I’m not afraid of you at all ... So many people are. Afraid of firemen, I mean.
On July 22, 1905, Florence Kelley, a supporter of child labor laws and improved conditions for working women, delivered a powerful speech before the convention of the National American Woman Suffrage Association in Philadelphia. Through uses of rhetoric strategies, such as, evidence, diction, and imagery, Kelley illustrates her argument that working conditions and laws must be changed. Kelley begins her speech by presenting a list of statistics. As many as “two million children under the age of sixteen years” earn their bread (lines 1-2). No other group of workers increased as rapidly as young girls from fourteen to twenty (lines 8-10).
Speeches are used to commemorate points of history, and inform the general public of the product of their history but what makes a speech so impacting on it’s audience? Rhetorical devices give speeches and works of literature a way that can convey feelings or ideas to a viewer. When addressing during times of war or chaos, people such as Ronald Reagan, Abraham Lincoln, and Winston Churchill used these terms to better connect with their audience. Without these tools of the english language, dialogue and literature would be all the more dull and unappealing. However, with these useful instruments, writers and speakers can better communicate through some of the many rhetorical devices.
In a future totalitarian society, all books have been outlawed by the government, fearing an independent-thinking public. Fahrenheit 451 is a futuristic novel, telling the story of a time where books and independent thinking are outlawed. In a time so unenlightened, where those who want to better themselves by thinking, are outlawed and killed. Guy Montag is a senior firefighter who is much respected by his superiors and is in line for a promotion. He does not question what he does or why he does it until he meets Clarisse.
The United States is made up of some of the most diverse and interesting cultures in the world. Jamila Lyiscott proves this by showing her different dialects and how they are all equally important. Lyiscott believes that the way she speaks towards her parents, towards her friends, and towards her colleagues are all one in the same. Throughout the entirety of her speech, Lyiscott changes up her vocal patterns and dialects so that the audience can understand first hand what each of these dialects are. When she talks about her father, Lyiscott uses her native tongue, when she talks to her fellow neighbors and close friends she switches it up to a more urbanized dialect, and when she is in school she masks the other two dialects with a professional sounding language.
In the article, “Why Literature Matters” by Dana Gioia, he states that the decline of interest in literature—especially from young teens—will have a negative outcome in society. Notably, he informs the readers by utilizing strong vocabulary, as well as rhetorical appeals to persuade his audience that the decline in reading will have a negative outcome. This allows readers to comprehend his views and join his side of the argument. Gioia’s word choice assists in showing the magnitude of the text by stressing the meaning and importance of his argument.
On October 15th, 2016 Austin Community College’s Department of History and the Diversion of Social and Behavioral Sciences created a history symposium. This symposium consisted of 2 speakers, Theresa Jach and Kemp Dixon, who spoke about convict leasing and the law east of the Pecos. Throughout Theresa’s speech she showed us the similarities between convict leasing and slavery in the early years of American history. She reminds us that while slavery has been abolished, the enslavement of individuals who have been convicted of a crime is still legal and allows the state to have the opportunity to make a profit off of keeping correction facilities full. As time progressed, Theresa informs us of the multitude of punishments that slaves had
In the early nineteenth century, child labor laws were a massive topic up for debate. Florence Kelley, both a United States social worker and reformer who fought for child labor laws and improved conditions for working women, expressed her opinion about child labor. Kelley introduced this concern through a speech she presented in 1905 before the convention of the National American Woman Suffrage Association. In this speech, she discussed young children working inhumane hours each night with minimal sleep while adults allowed it to transpire. Kelley wanted to put an end to this cruelty.
Public libraries and the greater good of society are more connected than one may think. For Hamill, New York’s libraries are intertwined with the idea of the United States as a land of opportunity made possible by hard work. Throughout his essay, Hamill relates a basic public library to the society. He presents information that affect the reader’s feelings and make the reader determined to act to save the libraries by explaining his personal past with public libraries, the significance of them and how they relate to the future. Hamill begins his essay with a personal backstory.
Peter S. Goodman builds an argument to persuade his audience that news organizations should increase the amount of professional foreign news coverage by giving solutions to the problem he claims that news stations currently has. Goodman states that news agencies do not report nor have reporting about foreign news. Goodman than uses problem and solution to explain his points and to solve his points. He also uses the device appeal to logos to explain his points. And lastly, Goodman compares studies to support his views on this crisis.
Often known as the Father of American Literature to many educated individuals, Ralph Waldo Emerson in his oration “The American Scholar” brilliantly provides a sublime example of how Emerson earned his title through the appliance of diction, syntax, allusions, and many other rhetorical devices and strategies. Indicated towards his highly educated audience, the Phi Beta Kappa Society, Emerson introduces the idea that the common class and common concepts of everyday life are becoming the future of art and literature through purpose, credibility, and tone. As many great writers, Emerson does not simply tell about his idea, but instead uses rhetorical strategies to help show his central point, one such strategy being purpose. Being focused on informing his audience of the coming days, the use of purpose can be
Writing About Writing, A College Reader. Ed. Elizabeth Wardle and Doug Downs. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2011. 481-495.
