Rhetorical Analysis Of Ted Talk In How To Trick Your Brain Into Falling Asleep

Karma Hilbert Rhetorical Analysis Paper - TED Talk In How to Trick Your Brain Into Falling Asleep, Jim Donovan discusses the importance of sleep and how prevalent sleep deprivation is. He recalls his personal experience battling sleep deprivation and the consequences he would have to face if he did not act quickly. Faced with these jarring facts and risks, he looked for ways to combat sleep deprivation. He shares that 35% of adults in America suffer from sleep deprivation. As a means of hoping to lower this statistic, Donovan shares his advice and tips for falling asleep. In delivering his advice, Donovan utilizes ethos, pathos, and logos to engage with the audience and effectively deliver his message. In public speaking, ethos, or the speaker’s

It not only was an amusing way to ease into the topic of his speech, but it was also a means of displaying his ethos. Ethos has many dimensions to it. It is important to analyze all dimensions to determine if Donovan effectively communicated his ethos. These dimensions are his good sense, good moral character, and goodwill. Good sense refers to one’s perceived intellect. The speaker must indicate that they are well versed in the subject matter they are speaking about and must do so with confidence. When sharing his story at the hospital, he talks about speaking with medical professionals about what was happening and conducting further research. He then follows with shocking statistics he discovered to emphasize that he has researched and is knowledgeable. Before he explains his suggested techniques, he shares how they have derived from exercises and lessons he has taught himself. Furthermore, he had experimented before determining if these techniques worked and before bringing them to this talk. The next dimension is a moral one: good moral character. This revolves around the speaker’s honesty. The speaker should be unbiased and have good

Donovan allows for a period of reflection. This smoothly transitions into his conclusion, where he can use the audience’s experiences as proof the trick works. The structure of Donovan’s speech aids in its persuasive abilities as it lays down all of the facts and information and then proves it in real time. It allows the audience to make their own conclusions about the topic. Along with the structure, good logos also involve the verbal and nonverbal style of the speech. Donovan speaks clearly and with pause, enforcing his confidence in the topic. He incorporates both humor and shock factors to keep the audience engaged. In regards to nonverbal communication, his gestures exude confidence and contemplation. They are not excessive and aid in their delivery. Overall, I believe he effectively utilized structure and style of speech to convey his message better and keep the audience engaged. A well-structured speech will also contain a narrative that focuses on the audience and creates the opportunity for successful pathos. Successful pathos gets the audience to care about the speech and creates a connection between the speaker, the audience, and the