Morphing Textbook ~ Rhetoric Tools

Rhetorical Analysis

Here are some questions you can answer when you’re trying to do this thing called “Rhetorical Analysis.” Remember: you’re doing this to help yourself understand what makes something an effective piece of writing, or to understand how other writers/speakers reach an audience. 1. Introduce the material and consider its context. Who is the author? What is his or her background (social class, nationality, etc.) and personal characteristics (life experience, age, occupation, gender, sexual orientation, political beliefs, religious beliefs, etc.)? How does this information affect your understanding of the text? Does the author tell you anything directly about him/herself? Does he/she imply some personal information that isn’t stated directly? Why might the author have done this? Where might the piece have come from? If it originally appeared in a magazine or journal, what are some specifics about that magazine or journal? How does that affect your reading of it? 2. Determine the piece’s intended audience. Who did the author write the piece for? To whom does the author seem to be speaking in the piece? Are you a member of this group? What beliefs does the author assume the audience shares with him or her? Where and how does the author make these assumptions explicit? Where does he/she imply them? 3. What are the piece’s main points? What is the piece about? What is the author trying to accomplish? What is the message he or she is trying to convey? 4. What are the piece’s strategies and structures? How does the author show us what he/she means? What sorts of examples, evidence, or details are given to show us the significance of what he/she is trying to say? Does the author present all sides of an issue or just a few? Why might he/she have chosen to just focus on those points (and not the hundred other ones he/she left out)? How does the author organize the material? Is it ordered in a way that makes the argument more effective than it would be otherwise? Does the introduction grab the reader’s attention? How? Do you know where the author is headed, or were there places where the piece takes you by surprise? Why might the author have done that? Is the main point in the first paragraph or somewhere else? Why? Does the conclusion leave you with the full significance of the author’s purpose? How? 5. What appeals does the author use? Pathos: Appeal to Emotion Does the author use examples or language that is designed to stir up feelings of compassion, fear, anger, etc. in the audience? Consider whether this type of persuasion is fair and also whether it’s effective. Logos: Appeal to Logic Does the author make use of facts and figures, the testimony of witnesses or experts, or some other logic-based argument? Ethos: Appeal to Ethics (Author’s Credibility) Is the author someone who knows his or her stuff? Does she/he associate herself/himself in some way with other authorities on the subject? Does the author have some authority in her/his own right? How does the author turn that authority into an advantage? You could also consider a fourth element sometimes added to the Rhetorical Triangle: Mythos: Appeal to Tradition Is the author trying to convince you that “that’s just the way we do it”? That violating tradition with new thinking or any departure in behavior is just not appropriate? Is that an effective strategy? 6. Determine the purpose: Is he/she trying to persuade? Inform? Entertain? (There are other choices, too: inspire, pay tribute to...) How can you tell? What specific strategies does the author use to accomplish this goal? Is this purpose achieved? Why or why not? Find and refer to specific elements of language:       7. Style                                    Is the language casual or formal? Does the author use “big words” or everyday language? Why? Does the author use facts and figures to make his/her point? What effect does that have? Does he/she use anecdote in the piece? Where? Why did he/she use it there? What about quotes or dialogue? Is there personal narrative? How does this writer convince you to listen to him–what strategies does he use to build credibility? How do these elements fit the author’s main purpose? Do they help the audience more clearly understand what the author is trying to convey? How?       8. Tone             What is the author’s tone? (Angry, bitter, passionate, annoyed, reverent, humorous, etc.) How does this tone fit the author’s purpose? How does the author’s choice of words convey the author’s main point? If there’s humor (in any form), where is it used? How does it help deliver, rather than undercut, the message? How does the author manage strong opinions (assuming there are strong opinions) without alienating the audience? How might people who agree with the author interpret her tone? How might people who disagree with the author interpret her tone?       ...and all those other goodies You learned ‘em in high school lit, and the teacher swore they’d come in handy: metaphor, simile, onomatopoeia, synecdoche, metonymy, anaphora, alliteration, selective repetition of words...if you know ‘em and love ‘em, and if you can tell us how they contribute to the writing, then knock yourself out.

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