Rhetorical Analysis

1. Rhetorical Analysis A close reading of the text to find out how and whether it works to persuade. How does King do it, and did it work?

2. Purpose • What does the author hope to achieve? • What does King hope to achieve by writing this article for Playboy magazine in 1982? • Money • Fame • More readers • Self discovery • Enlighten readers • Join a cause • What does MLK hope to achieve?

3. Audience • Who is the audience for this argument? • Who are the readers of Playboy in 1982? • Gender • Age • Nationality/culture • Education • Why are they reading this? • Who’s MLK’s audience?

4. Appeals • What appeals does the argument use? • Emotional • Ethical • Logical • Which rhetorical appeals in King’s essay will influence readers most? • Which rhetorical appeals in MLK’s letter will influence readers most?

5. Emotional Appeals • Judge whether the emotions raised—anger, sympathy, fear, envy, joy, or love– advance the claims. • What emotions do these words evoke? • “ I think we’re all mentally ill; those of us outside the asylums only hide it a little better—and maybe not all that much better, after all.”

6. Ethical Appeals • Readers believe writers who seem honest, wise, trustworthy • Author’s experience • Claims qualified • Tone and word choice • Objections addressed (balance) • Documented evidence

7. How credible is Stephen King? • External Creds • An enormously popular writer of horror fiction for the past 35 years, critical attention (awards),written over 45 novels, some of which inspired a number of horror films • Internal Creds • Humor, Logic

8. Logical Appeals • Plausible claim (statement) • Good reasons and reliable evidence (proof) • What is King’s main point? • We all have an irrational side to our nature, and horror movies help provide catharsis (relief/emotional expression for those emotions). • How does he support this idea? • Analogies, examples, humor, no clinical evidence

9. Style • The way ideas are stated • Techniques- blunt sentences, repetition, formal (technical or impersonal) or informal language (colloquialisms, contractions), humor or irony, confident or unsure voice • Possible effects of style: readers pay attention, sympathize • What effect does humor have on King’s audience?

10. Organization • Assess the merits of the organization and what may be missing. • Deductive (lay your cards on the table) • Inductive (treasure hunt) • Interruptions: background, refute or affirm opposition, context, stories anecdotes to illustrate, qualify arguments • Does the length and structure fit King’s venue? (Did I put on the right dress?)

11. Writing a Rhetorical Analysis • Opening (article title, author, date, relevance) • Overview of King’s argument, especially his central idea • Consider his audience and purpose. • Your thesis about King’s argument. How did it work? Was it effective? • Appeals: Emotional, Ethical (King’s credibility), Logical • Style and Structure • Offer direct support for your assertions by quoting or paraphrasing from King’s article. • Return to your thesis (What does King’s argument achieve, and how?)

12. Sample Thesis Statements for Rhetorical Analysis • Many people today who admire the inspiring language and elevated style of John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address might be uneasy with the claims he actually makes. • Today’s editorial in the Daily Collegian about campus crimes may scare first-year students, but its anecdotal reporting doesn’t get down to hard numbers—and for a good reason. Those statistics don’t back the position taken by the editors.

13. Vocabulary for analysis • achieves, accomplish, have a clear purpose, work/ not work, influence readers, rhetorical elements interact, show, demonstrate, appeal, make a strong argument, compelling, emphasize, effective

14. Let’s Try It Out • Underline all informal (colloquial expressions) • Circle all attempts at humor • Put a star by main points • Put an arrow by all analogies or comparisons