Race To Nowhere Rhetorical Analysis

Rhetorical Analysis on Race to Nowhere The text being analyzed is a film called “Race to Nowhere” by Jessica Congdon and Vicki Abeles. In this film, the directors talk about the stress and pressure placed on students to do well and to succeed in today’s educational system. There are multiple speakers in this film including students, teachers, and parents. This film is mainly intended towards the three previously mentioned groups;students, teachers, and parents. The intended message of this film is that improving the educational system will better the lives of children and young adults. The thesis statement for this film is that the documentary Race to Nowhere, directed by Jessica Congdon and Vicki Abeles effectively argues about the flawed educational system by providing real life examples, statistics and credible sources to convey how students are negatively affected mentally and physically by the educational system. Throughout the film the directors are trying to persuade parents and teachers not to put so much stress on students and to understand that they are just kids and they can only take so much before it starts to

Dr. Deborah Stipek,dean of the school of education at Stanford university said that she had visited a school with a drug problem where children were uses stimulants to stay awake and tranquilizers to go down after taking too many stimulants. This supports the sleeping issue that was addressed earlier in the film. Another professional Denise Pope, a Doctorate of Philosophy at Stanford University, stated at a college success conference that “When success is defined by high grades, test scores, and trophies, we know that we end up with unprepared, disengaged, exhausted and ultimately unhealthy kids.” This quote is self explanatory, was she’s trying to say that kids are just focused on “the prize”. You have to be the best in order to succeed which can be