In July of 1988, Dorothy Ann Willis Richards, the Texas State Treasurer at the time, gave a speech at the Democratic National Convention in Atlanta, Georgia. The room was filled with democratic supporters to whom Richards emphasizes the need to for American politics to "do better." Her speech was intended to persuade the audience to vote for the Democratic party in the upcoming election, rather than the Republican party. Richards attempts to persuade the audience through her use of humor, repetition, and personal anecdotes. Richards kicks off her speech with the humorous statement ,"After listening to George Bush all these years, I figured you needed to know what a real Texas accent sounds like.
The Stories Told by the Soldiers In the book The Things We Carried by Tim O'Brien, he tells the reader stories about his experience in the Vietnam war. He tells stories about before, during and after the war. O’Brien explains his feelings towards the war by hinting it in many of his stories. He uses juxtaposition, diction, irony, metafiction, and repetition.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning uses several rhetorical strategies throughout her letter to petition Napoleon III. Browning is really smart and it shows. She does her best to win Napoleon over. She does what it takes to earn his respect and get him to hear her out. I mean, when it comes down to it, you gotta do what it takes to win, right?
In the novel The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the protagonist is found guilty of adultery after spending time prison her only other punishment is to wear the letter A for the rest of her life and stand on a raised platform for three hours. Hester is out in the open, in front of society standing there on the platform. For that three hours many fingers were pointed and many whispers filled the air. In that time Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale delivers a sermon convincing Hester Prynne to speak the name of her lover. Dimmesdale uses rhetorical devices to help him get the name out of her such as rhetorical question, where he questions what good does keeping the name from the public get her; pathos, arousing her
In dealing with the structure of something, you must decide how the words must flow, and how much attention each part must receive. Analyzing words, the rhetor is drawn to what is highlighted as important, firstly, and what is deemed not as important secondly; however, in looking at the text as a whole, the analysis is key to this. This could be illustrated in listening to a political speech, as they put forth the most important pressing issues first, and subsequent smaller issues next; this pairs with the form, in how the words are put together for the audience to interpret. In all, the form and genre are productive to persuasion, and in what form the rhetor analyzes text. The type of the message, is also important to how analysis of rhetorical criticism takes place; more so, how the individuals writing, or speaking, and how they deliver the argument, is up for analysis; “whoever controls the shape of the discussion controls its consequences as well.
This allows the audience to know that she can relate to the situation. Most everyone texts and it can be easy to allow such language to bleed over into any type of formal writing. She, however, believes that people have enough common sense and control and that most people don't allow themselves to use such language in their final drafts of their formal writings. Despite establishing her credibility and strong use of logos, she does, however, lack in pathos. She fails at truly connecting with the reader on a more personal and emotional level.
On account of Queen Elizabeth’s prior knowledge that the Spanish was the favored side of the battle, she is lead to use rhetorical strategies. Upon reciting her speech, Queen Elizabeth used these strategies in order to provoke her audience’s favor. In addition, the queen ensures to utilize a persona of a common citizen so that the audience feels that she is being personal with them. This will result in a form of trust between the queen and the audience.
It is often only after a person’s death that their notebooks hold any significance for others. Notes to self, grocery and to-do lists, movie ticket stubs, all of these help for form a picture of an individual and a historical moment. But what is the value of these jottings to the individual that makes them, beyond knowing which groceries to buy? What can looking over past notebooks show and individual about themselves? In “On Keeping a Notebook,” Joan Didion uses immersive, conversational diction along with a self-deprecating tone to explore how writing shapes memory and by extension, identity.
Both Henry V and Joan of Arc overcame numerous difficulties to become respected figures in their respective nations of England and France. Despite being leaders in the same war, their paths to prominence were very different. Classism had a large impact on these varying routes. Joan faced adversity being from a poor, unknown family, but Henry also faced different types of hardships as king. Besides their class differences, the two heroes utilized differing rhetorical strategies that best fit their situation.
A person during their time of grievance can go through deep sorrow, anger, denial, depression, and many other symptoms. Joan Didion describes the toll her husband’s death took on her life in The Year of Magical Thinking. Joan also has to go through the pain of her daughter’s nearly fatal illness. During the time of Quintana’s recovery, Joan goes through a long and hard grieving process. Since John has a horrible heart condition, he passes in his living room.
Randi Taylor Professor Setina ENG 451B 9 November 2015 Cultivating Self-Respect What value does self-respect hold? How can an individual live their life to the full extent if subjected by self-respect? Joan Didion’s essay “On Self-Respect” enlightens readers on the true meaning of self-respect.
A particular phrase used constantly by Didion in her essay is I. The phrase I is the basis on which Didion develops her essay on. The title itself revolves around the subject I, negating all other opinions. Didion mentions that “writing is the act of saying I, of imposing oneself upon other people”. Similarly in writing, the phrase I is an unambiguous word that gives the authority to the writer so that the writer can share their story.
In America’s history, child labor was fiercely criticized. Many activists of child labor laws and women’s suffrage strived to introduce their own viewpoints to the country. Florence Kelley was a reformer who successfully changed the mindset of many Americans through her powerful and persuading arguments. Florence Kelley’s carefully crafted rhetoric strategies such as pathos, repetition, and sarcasm generates an effective and thought provoking tone that was in favor of women’s suffrage and child labor laws. Florence Kelley uses pathos continuously throughout her speech.
Although she does write about all the logistical facts that occur within the city while the winds are passing through, she conveys her ideas in an effective method. As she is speaking scientifically she makes it easy to realize that Didion’s voice is still in this part of her essay. Her tone is never lost and therefore when she ends her excerpt with “One cannot get much more mechanistic than that,” she is referring back to her idea that the winds cause something in human nature to change, and that is the most valid explanation there is to offer. Didion’s powerful use of negative diction, vivid imagery, and simple logical all helped her express her motives for writing about the Santa Ana Winds which is because she feels that they are essentially the reason for change not only around us but within
In her speech, written to persuade her audience to help put an end to child labor, Florence Kelley employs many rhetorical devices. America in 1905, we learned, was riddled with inadequate labor laws, as well as working conditions. In order to convey her message, that these unethical statues need to be amended, Kelley uses rhetorical strategies such as pathos, parallelism, and illustration. Pathos is found throughout the entire speech, particularly emphasizing the horrific jobs the children were performing under terrible conditions and for countless hours. The descriptions of these appeal to the readers emotions, as the facts that she shares depict scenes we consider unusual even for adults.
