The Painted Veil
The music builds, the images fly by and a story unfolds in the viewers’ mind. “Sometimes the greatest journey is the distance between two people,” the one liner reads as boats float by in cool blue tones and just after the music dramatically comes to an end. The movie trailer for the film, The Painted Veil, uses appeals to logos through enthymemes, ethos through company logos and pathos through music and images to grab the attention of the audience, in this case the viewer, so that every person who watches this trailer feels like they want to watch the movie.
An enthymeme uses deductive reasoning to form a point. The rhetor moves from a generalization to one particular case. With The Painted Veil, the clips from the movie that were used start to create a story that is, however, not explicably stated. First, the viewer is presented with a woman in bed, beckoning someone to sit down on the bed next to her. It is her left hand, the ring signifying marriage clearly present, which is calling the other person. So already, the viewer thinks, “This woman is married and she is asking someone to come either lie or sit down next to her – clearly making sexual advances towards another person.” Second, footsteps are heard going up a flight of stairs and seen stopping at a door. Then flashes up the next image of two undressed people (a man and a woman, the same woman as seen beckoning before) with terrified expressions on their faces. “This is obviously an illicit affair, which her husband finds out. We know nothing about the man, but that doesn’t matter, the female is a more important character because she was seen before [and as the viewer finds out, will be seen later as well], “ the audience contemplates.
From that sequence of events and those two other reasonings, the viewer finally concludes, “She’s married, cheating on her husband and her husband knows. The person whom she was seen with is not her husband, but the footsteps on the stairs and stopping at the door are. Something bad is about to happen, some life altering experience, for the married couple.” This is a prime example of an enthymeme and a style that is used throughout the entire trailer. The rhetor presents clips that require deductive reasoning for the viewer to find out what the storyline is about. This is a very audience interactive method of rhetoric because it makes the audience think things through, put the pieces together, not just sit there and be told what’s going on.
About 20 seconds into the trailer, two film company logos appear. The first, Warner Independent Pictures presents the well-known white Warner “W”, but with a red streak suddenly shooting up the middle line of the letter and dotting it like an “I” contrasted with a black background. By doing this, the “W” provides credibility, or ethos, to those who may be skeptical about an independent film. At the same time, Warner is also presenting this film as an independent one, different than all the rest and perhaps a bit more dramatic than most. The next logo is from the Yari Film Group, words in the forefront, letters in the back; the “Y” being twice the size as the “F” stacked on the “G”. Clearly, the most important point to them was the “Yari” portion of the title. With hues of teal and blue as the background color, the viewer adjusts from the dramatic black, white and red of the last logo to a more serene scene – telling of the film as a dramatic, yet pleasant movie to watch. There is another catch to company logos: if people know them and love them, they may automatically assume it is a good movie without even watching the rest of the trailer. Conversely, when someone has had a bad experience with these companies, in order to dispel harsh feelings, a good trailer is necessary to grasp the viewer’s attention.
The last technique is pathos, an appeal to the viewers’ emotions. This method is heavily used in The Painted Veil trailer, as is usual with most movie trailers, movies and other artistic renditions of life. The first, and most notable use of pathos is the music. Heavy use of Asian drums as one scene transitions from another makes the scenes dramatic and emphatic. Along with drumbeats, the way a scene transitions to another makes all the difference. The more dramatic scenes, especially in the beginning, use a fade to black technique, making those scenes choppy and thus emphasized. To contrast these dramatic scenes and to show a change in the storyline, both the music and the scene transitions are altered. An Asian-type piano is used to make the music higher pitched and faster, yet more elegant while the scenes cross fade into each other. As the storyline progresses even further, violins are added to the drums and the piano to draw upon the viewer’s own heartstrings. Violins, if used properly, almost always instantaneously make the listener feel sympathetic to whatever scene is occurring.
Another use of ethos in this trailer is the images or clips of the movie portrayed. In the beginning, the trailer focuses on passions of a sexual nature and of hatred, or of one who has been spurned, seen with the two main characters who are married yet are not happily married. Then fear, as well as the need to grow and change, appears about mid-way through when they head to a cholera-infested city in China. Happiness and joy with life as sickness is evaded and sadness and misery when it is not. As love is rekindled between the husband and wife near the end, ecstasy occurs. But as soon as that emotion is felt, it is immediately replaced with sorrow when the wife’s eyes are seen crying. Such a wide range of emotions in one trailer! The audience is quickly sucked into the power of this rainbow-effect of emotions that most viewers then think, “If this is how the trailer makes me feel, imagine what the movie will be like!”
The overarching theme associated with this trailer is the contrast of emotions, colors and music that make the film seem like it has two very different sides to it, and thus more appealing to a wider range of viewers. When the drums suddenly stop, the name of the title appears in a pale yellow and thin serif font. The color of the letters matches the scene in the background, which is a calming scene of dark mountains and water with a setting orange-yellow sun. The contrast between black and pale yellow make the letters not only easier to see, but this contrast focuses the title, which is the most important part of the trailer. However, not only are the letters contrasted with the background, that scene is immediately contrasted with the next and last scene, which is the one-liner with the boats and the blue. To end on such a contrasting note harkens the viewer back to the theme of this trailer and ultimately the movie.
When all of these elements, logos, ethos, and pathos, are used well in conjunction to form a movie trailer, a very unique thing is created. Most importantly, the audience ends up doing what the rhetor set out to accomplish: persuade the audience to be moved enough emotionally by this trailer to make them want to go see it in theaters.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
President Bush Reassuring America
September 11, 2001, America woke up to realize we were the victims of terrorists’ attacks against our country. That evening President George W. Bush gave a speech to give courage, reassure, and gain support of the American citizens. President Bush tells us how America is strong and will continue to move forward to fixing the problem. The purpose behind giving this speech is to pull us as Americans together and to reassure America that the government is taking the necessary steps to amending the problem.
He starts out the speech by using the word “our” which brings all of us as American citizens together regardless of who we are, where we live, or our social status. This attack didn’t just affect the people in New York, Washington D.C., or the airplanes, all America was attacked together. This speech is given at a time when Americans are feeling confused and worried about the future, so he knows that it is crucial that we are drawn together, because he knows, a house divided cannot stand.
President Bush then lists the victims, “The victims were in airplanes, or in their offices: secretaries, businessmen and women, military and federal workers; moms and dads, friends and neighbors. Thousands of lives were suddenly ended by evil, despicable acts of terror”, which reinforces the fact that the victims are people just like you and me. This provides us with the motivation and desire to do whatever it takes to remedy this problem and protect ourselves from further harm.
Then he talks about the images that have been playing over the television and internet all day, which he knows we have been watching and have had an effect on us. He knows these images have scared us and left us feeling unsure of what the future will hold. He tells us that the terrorist acts were meant to accomplish this very task, but reassures us that our country is strong and there is nothing to rely about. He makes use of several words that we associate with strength, power, and goodness.
The first word is foundation, he says, “Terrorist attacks can shake the foundation of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America.” The word foundation is definitely something that we associate with strength; a foundation is the thing that holds our house up and together. If we have a solid foundation, which President Bush says America has, then these attacks can’t shake us. This means we are going to be okay. He next uses the word steel which is something that everyone can relate to because America is made of steel. He says, “These acts shatter steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve.” American history is full of examples of how American resolve has helped us win wars, gain our freedom, and overcome
He then gives an analogy using the word light, he says, “America was targeted for attack because we’re the brightest beacon for freedom and opportunity in the world. And no one will keep that light from shining.” In the American culture, as well as many other cultures, light things are thought of as good while darkness is thought of as bad or evil. This plays on the fact that Americans are extremely proud of being Americans and do think that they are the best. Later in the speech he reinforces this by saying, “Today, our nation saw evil, the very worst of human nature, and we responded with the best of America, with the daring of our rescue workers, with the caring for strangers and neighbors who came to give blood and help in any way they could.” He focuses on the positive things that have come out of this day, in a city like New York where people are sometimes thought as being busy and the people not caring about others, they saws a tragedy and came together for good.
President Bush obviously wants us to know that even though we have just undergone a horrible attack, we are still strong. He does this by mentioning things like how the financial institutions, federal agencies, and the American economy would all be open for business the next day. He is saying that the enemy can give us a black eye, but can't stop us. He talks about the rescue workers who rose to the occasion and risked their own lives to search for survivors.
Bush definitely needs the support of the American people before he goes off to war, so in this speech he clearly states that our military is strong. He states that congress and many leaders from different countries are behind us in our task of finding those who committed this act of terrorism. This is interesting because later on we find out that even if the leaders of these countries said they were behind us, not many were willing to join us in the endeavor.
President Bush said, “Immediately following the first attack, I implemented our government’s emergency response plans.” He said this to let us know that the government is on top of things, and isn’t sitting back waiting to see what will happen. This is also the first time that he uses the pronoun I, this is to underscore the fact that he is in control of the country and its resources; this was in an attempt to gain the faith and confidence of the people in him. Shortly following September 11, President Bush’s approval ratings greatly improved showing the people were confident that President Bush was trying hard to protect the country and do what was in America’s best interests.
In the second to last paragraph of the speech, President Bush uses religion to help reassure us and request our prayers on behalf of the victims, the government’s leaders, and himself. The popular Bible scripture that he used is one that whether you go to church Sunday or never go to church, everyone would know. He asks us to pray for all those who have been affected. President Bush knows that America has a religious foundation, and that the majority of Americans have a religious history. We all saw on TV, following September 11, there were pictures and videos of people praying at ground zero and around the country. President Bush seems to realize that no matter how strong our country or our military is, we can’t succeed without the help of a higher power.
President Bush finishes off this speech powerfully, that day was one of the worst tragedies in American history and he tells us September 11 is a day that we will remember forever. President Bush wants us to always remember what has happened, but more importantly to move forward and continue living our lives; because if we stop then the terrorists have succeeded in their purpose. He also realizes that many citizens will be afraid as it dawns on them that we are embarking on a journey that can only lead to war, and so he reminds us, “America has stood down enemies before, and we will do so this time.” And so eight years later the closing statement, “we go forth to defend freedom and all that is good and just in our world,” is still an ongoing process that we have yet to complete.
September 11, 2001, America woke up to realize we were the victims of terrorists’ attacks against our country. That evening President George W. Bush gave a speech to give courage, reassure, and gain support of the American citizens. President Bush tells us how America is strong and will continue to move forward to fixing the problem. The purpose behind giving this speech is to pull us as Americans together and to reassure America that the government is taking the necessary steps to amending the problem.
He starts out the speech by using the word “our” which brings all of us as American citizens together regardless of who we are, where we live, or our social status. This attack didn’t just affect the people in New York, Washington D.C., or the airplanes, all America was attacked together. This speech is given at a time when Americans are feeling confused and worried about the future, so he knows that it is crucial that we are drawn together, because he knows, a house divided cannot stand.
President Bush then lists the victims, “The victims were in airplanes, or in their offices: secretaries, businessmen and women, military and federal workers; moms and dads, friends and neighbors. Thousands of lives were suddenly ended by evil, despicable acts of terror”, which reinforces the fact that the victims are people just like you and me. This provides us with the motivation and desire to do whatever it takes to remedy this problem and protect ourselves from further harm.
Then he talks about the images that have been playing over the television and internet all day, which he knows we have been watching and have had an effect on us. He knows these images have scared us and left us feeling unsure of what the future will hold. He tells us that the terrorist acts were meant to accomplish this very task, but reassures us that our country is strong and there is nothing to rely about. He makes use of several words that we associate with strength, power, and goodness.
The first word is foundation, he says, “Terrorist attacks can shake the foundation of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America.” The word foundation is definitely something that we associate with strength; a foundation is the thing that holds our house up and together. If we have a solid foundation, which President Bush says America has, then these attacks can’t shake us. This means we are going to be okay. He next uses the word steel which is something that everyone can relate to because America is made of steel. He says, “These acts shatter steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve.” American history is full of examples of how American resolve has helped us win wars, gain our freedom, and overcome
He then gives an analogy using the word light, he says, “America was targeted for attack because we’re the brightest beacon for freedom and opportunity in the world. And no one will keep that light from shining.” In the American culture, as well as many other cultures, light things are thought of as good while darkness is thought of as bad or evil. This plays on the fact that Americans are extremely proud of being Americans and do think that they are the best. Later in the speech he reinforces this by saying, “Today, our nation saw evil, the very worst of human nature, and we responded with the best of America, with the daring of our rescue workers, with the caring for strangers and neighbors who came to give blood and help in any way they could.” He focuses on the positive things that have come out of this day, in a city like New York where people are sometimes thought as being busy and the people not caring about others, they saws a tragedy and came together for good.
President Bush obviously wants us to know that even though we have just undergone a horrible attack, we are still strong. He does this by mentioning things like how the financial institutions, federal agencies, and the American economy would all be open for business the next day. He is saying that the enemy can give us a black eye, but can't stop us. He talks about the rescue workers who rose to the occasion and risked their own lives to search for survivors.
Bush definitely needs the support of the American people before he goes off to war, so in this speech he clearly states that our military is strong. He states that congress and many leaders from different countries are behind us in our task of finding those who committed this act of terrorism. This is interesting because later on we find out that even if the leaders of these countries said they were behind us, not many were willing to join us in the endeavor.
President Bush said, “Immediately following the first attack, I implemented our government’s emergency response plans.” He said this to let us know that the government is on top of things, and isn’t sitting back waiting to see what will happen. This is also the first time that he uses the pronoun I, this is to underscore the fact that he is in control of the country and its resources; this was in an attempt to gain the faith and confidence of the people in him. Shortly following September 11, President Bush’s approval ratings greatly improved showing the people were confident that President Bush was trying hard to protect the country and do what was in America’s best interests.
In the second to last paragraph of the speech, President Bush uses religion to help reassure us and request our prayers on behalf of the victims, the government’s leaders, and himself. The popular Bible scripture that he used is one that whether you go to church Sunday or never go to church, everyone would know. He asks us to pray for all those who have been affected. President Bush knows that America has a religious foundation, and that the majority of Americans have a religious history. We all saw on TV, following September 11, there were pictures and videos of people praying at ground zero and around the country. President Bush seems to realize that no matter how strong our country or our military is, we can’t succeed without the help of a higher power.
President Bush finishes off this speech powerfully, that day was one of the worst tragedies in American history and he tells us September 11 is a day that we will remember forever. President Bush wants us to always remember what has happened, but more importantly to move forward and continue living our lives; because if we stop then the terrorists have succeeded in their purpose. He also realizes that many citizens will be afraid as it dawns on them that we are embarking on a journey that can only lead to war, and so he reminds us, “America has stood down enemies before, and we will do so this time.” And so eight years later the closing statement, “we go forth to defend freedom and all that is good and just in our world,” is still an ongoing process that we have yet to complete.
gettysburg address
Austin Pliler
October 14, 2009
English 150
Rhetorical Analysis
Gettysberg Address
The Gettysburg Address was given on November 19, 1863. It was on that Thursday afternoon that President Lincoln gave one of the most famous speeches of all time. Lincolns’ natural physical appearance, presentation, as well as the fact that the speech itself would have fit neatly on a post-it-note may have been reasons that it is so remembered or revered. Or perhaps it was the important timing of the speech in the nation’s history. Whatever the case may be to use the words of Senator Charles Sumner "The world noted at once what he said, and will never cease to remember it”.(showcase.net, pg 1)
In seeing the President Lincoln you may think him intimidating at first. Standing at 6’3½”, and having the added height from his famous top hat, this giant man made it easy to follow him by his physical appearance alone. I think that whenever he gave a speech or went anywhere his rhetorical value would automatically be higher than a less height-gifted man. In modern society a good presentation. Presentation can make or break a deal, get you a job, and even allow you to date someone’s daughter. The ability to speak fluently and motivationally while knowing , or atleast pretending to know, what you are talking about about is a huge part of your ethos and credibility in giving a speech. Lincoln I think did this stupendously. He was able to inspire and convince a nation of a cause in less words than you can find on a cereal box. I believe that this is accomplished by the pathos in which he spoke of the cause. Lincoln was president during the bloodiest time in the nation’s history, and I believe that he couldn’t help feel responsible for it. I am sure that his emotions were high standing before that great battleground and looking out across the field.
The shortness of the speech is considered by some that it was so important. It showed that there was not much he could say about what went down during that battle. The guy previous talked for two plus hours while Lincoln spent mere minutes on his speech. I do not think that it would have the same affect if his speech took hours as well. Whether or not it was done intentionally I don’t know, but it sure had a lasting affect on lots of people.
As said before, the civil war was one of the most violent and bloody of all time. It depleted the countries recourses, ended hundreds of thousands of lives, and left most of the country destitute and hopeless. I think that in his speech, Lincoln was able to inspire and lift up, making extremely moving and full of remembrance. To quote from the address, “ We can not dedicate - we can not consecrate - we can not hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled, here, have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here, but can never forget what they did here.”
The Gettysburg address was an extremely moving and history changing speech. I think that through President Lincolns presentation, his physical height of persuasion, and the point at which the speech was given is the reason that it will be remembered for many years to come.
Obama’s Announcement Speech For President
“Change We Can Believe In.” This was the slogan during the for Barack Obama during the 2008 presidential election. Obama was known for his great slogan and his great speeches. Barack Obama gives a speech on February 10, 2007 when declaring his announcement to run for President. Despite the widespread controversy of his politics, no one can deny the brilliance of President Obama’s rhetoric--or at least the rhetoric of his speech writers. Obama’s speech uses a great amount of anaphora, pathos, and logos to make his speech effective to his audience.
Obama uses anaphora in his speech abundantly to show his passion for the people of America. He says, “I want to win that next battle - for justice and opportunity. I want to win that next battle - for better schools, and better jobs, and health care for all. I want us to take up the unfinished business of perfecting our union, and building a better America.” By Obama repeating “I want...”he’s persuading his audience that he wants the same things that every American would or should want. Barack is stating what he wants to do when he’s the president, and what he wants to change. Obama continues to say, “It was here, in Springfield...” over and over. Obama shows the
emotions he feels when he talks about growing up in Springfield. In his hometown was where he learned that he wanted to become the President of the United States. He looked out in the audience and saw past friends and teachers and realized he wanted the best for them. He realized he loves them and wants them to be as successful as they can be. Obama uses Anaphora to make his points of how he knows that he can change America, and makes an effect on the audience.
As Barack gives his speech one can see the he focuses on convincing the audience of how he should be the next president by using the element of pathos. Obama gives us examples of how he is just an average American citizen wanting the same things as us. He gives a specific experience when he lived in Chicago. He says, “My work took me to some of Chicago's poorest neighborhoods. I joined with pastors and lay-people to deal with communities that had been ravaged by plant closings. I saw that the problems people faced weren't simply local in nature - that the decision to close a steel mill was made by distant executives; that the lack of textbooks and computers in schools could be traced to the skewed priorities of politicians a thousand miles away; and that when a child turns to violence, there's a hole in his heart no government alone can fill.” By using this example of pathos Obama is able to relate with the average American and gives us hope that even though he’s only human he still has hope to make these changes that America needs. Obama first was a community worker, then was a civil rights lawyer and at this point was a US senator. It was easy to see that Obama was trying to prove that he has experienced all kinds of life styles and that he could relate to how everyone was feeling. The audience is able to feel Obama’s
emotions towards those people who lived in the Chicago and that’s what makes these specific experiences so effective to the audience.
President Obama wanted everyone to support him because he knew the one thing everyone wanted was to change to save America from becoming a sinking ship. Obama refers back to Abraham LIncoln to show how he just wants the same things as him. Obama says, “"That is why, in the shadow of the Old State Capitol, where Lincoln once called on a divided house to stand together, where common hopes and common dreams still live, I stand before you today to announce my candidacy for president of the United States." President Obama uses logos because it’s common sense that we want America to become a better place, but still people were worried if he still had enough experience to run a country. Obama exclaimed, “I recognize there is a certain presumptuousness - a certain audacity - to this announcement. I know I haven't spent a lot of time learning the ways of Washington. But I've been there long enough to know that the ways of Washington must change.” The audience knows that he has hopes the same as us, and even though he didn’t have the same experience as some of the other candidates he still had enough passion to makes those changes.
Listening to Obama’s speech, one can see that Obama is trying to persuade his voters by making them realize that they need change and he is the only one who can make it happen accurately. Even though the voters feel that he may not have the same experience as most of the other candidates, he makes them believe that he has more ambition to makes the changes everyone wants to happen. Obama effectively
influences the audience by using many rhetorical devices, and overall persuaded voters that he was the best option to be the President of the United States.
Jason Whitlock Hits the Mark with his Judgment of Racial Apologies
Whitlock begins his article by stating that he should be the vessel through which all public racial comments deemed inappropriate, should go through in order to be aired on television. Right off the bat, Whitlock reveals his stance on the subject, joking that following comments made by a MLB network newscaster, Matt Vasgersian, “provoked our lawmakers into creating a Racial Apology Czar” (Whitlock). The joking done by the rhetor ridicules the subject he is arguing about, and makes racial apologies for mild jokes seem utterly ridiculous. The reader gets the sense that the entire topic is simply a joke, and that it is not even worth getting worked up over.
Whitlock goes on to say that “Well, that brief moment of silence is all a few bloggers needed to justify turning Vasgersian's poorly-timed quip into a Vasgersian-believes-all-black-people-look-alike controversy” (Whitlock), juxtaposing his previous feelings that the topic is indeed a joke. The rhetor opens up his article with a bang, making an elaborate joke out of Vasgersian’s circumstance regarding his own racial joke on national television that no one lauged at. Since bloggers can make a lot out of a little, Whitlock argues, it is imperative that these apologies go through some higher authority that is able to make the decision on what to say following any seemingly inappropriate jokes or comments made about minorities.
A cynical view of the broadcasting and television world in general is then put forth. This sparks the readers’ interest further by making him or her think about just what they can about it. An example of another slip-up concerning inappropriate comments on television is then given. “Broadcasters and entertainers appear on television at their own risk, realizing they're an innocent slip of the tongue from having a publicity-seeking "citizen journalist" channel their inner Al Sharpton and frame a perfectly acceptable joke into an Al Campanis moment.” Whitlock uses words such as innocent and perfectly acceptable, heavily defending the wrongdoing broadcaster.
This cynicism is backed up by the rhetor’s own opinion on the controversy surrounding Vasgersian’s joke. He concludes that the person joked about as looking like star NFL quarterback Donovan McNabb did indeed look like him. Whitlock goes on to say “I know I'm not the only one who chuckled when Vasgersian pointed it out” (Whitlock). The rhetor states that since the evidence for punishment of the broadcaster, Vasgersian, if a public apology was not given, is simply not enough, that Vasgersian has the right to “scream Kiss My Ass during his next MLB Network appearance” (Whitlock).
The use of crude language further pushes the envelope that the entire topic is a big joke. Readers get the sense that the rhetor does not take seriously the power of the public in pushing controversial statements to the forefront and getting people fired on account of cancelled viewership or general complaints. Nevertheless, Whitlock does get serious and states that no racial joke is the same, that “there are no hard and fast rules” (Whitlock). He states that what may be a harmless joke to some may be very offensive to others. He then uses an example of famous basketball player and broadcaster Charles Barkley’s comments concerning Barkley’s “hatred” of white people. The statement was a joke, and Whitlock makes that clear by giving an example of what he used to say to people who “pretended to be upset by Barkley's quip, ‘Marry a black woman, have a kid and I won't get offended when you joke, 'I hate black people' ‘’ (Whitlock).
The rhetor, in conformity with the rest of his rant, does not do well here to reassure that he respects the opinions of the majority. He makes good points, in that people should indeed not be offended by a simple joke, but to say that those people he knew were pretending to be mad is a foolish statement to make in an article regarding the foolishness of the public getting angry after hearing mild racist jokes on TV. Whitlock should have instead simply stated that the racist jokes go both ways. Both black and white people experience them and both black and white people make them up on national television in front of millions of racially sensitive Americans.
In conclusion to his rant, the rhetor gives one last example where two white broadcasters made a bad judgment call concerning a statement about a black broadcaster texting a white woman late at night. Whitlock points out that the text was made during “booty-call hours” (Whitlock). This type of language suggests that the statement by the white broadcasters weren’t simply speaking out of context. The slang helps to accuse the black broadcaster of indeed committing some type of moral crime in attempting to hook up with a woman whom he may or may not have been in a relationship with. Nevertheless, Whitlock defends the black broadcaster, stating that his white accusers weren’t racist, but that they were simply “hating” (Whitlock).
Whitlock reveals a black man’s opinion on the very hot subject of racial comments and jokes in public, and what should be done to deal with such racism, whether one agrees it is negative or not. The use of slang and appeals to popular figures and emotions in his article really makes his audience think hard concerning the use of racially charged statements in public television, particularly in the sports world, where the most popular spectator sports are dominated by minority athletes. Whitlock concludes his article with an example of when two white people, in the rhetor’s own opinion, were simply “hating” on a black man and disregarding certain “man laws.” This slang also appeals to the common sports fan, helping him get his point across by allowing readers to relate to his thoughts concerning the issue of racism in the sports world.
Political Rhetoric: Very Rough Draft!
Political Rhetoric
The early 1960’s was a time of much uncertainty, and many questions. Many of the inherent human freedoms were threatened. President John F. Kennedy greatly desired to relieve some of the stress and pressure that many Americans were feeling and confronting. Throughout his Inaugural Speech in 1961, John F. Kennedy appeals heavily to fundamental principles of human freedom and happiness, directly acknowledges many different groups of individuals and appeals to their needs, shows awareness of several situations and struggles around the world, and makes commitments to many different groups and individuals, expecting a commitment from each in return. President Kennedy is not only able to recognize many different situations and needs, but he also offers some thoughts on how to act, and how change can be implemented. Through these tools, he is able to unite his audience and to refresh both his audience’s hope that they can actually create the world which they have all longed to live in and their desire to act.
1) Fundamental principles of human freedom and happiness…
Very early in his address, Kennedy establishes the fact that Americans and all people around the world hold to many of the same basic values and principles. This is very effective for him because it lets his audience know that his entire speech will be established on broadly applicable principles and morals, creating a sense of unity, even among very different individuals. He states clearly that, “the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans… unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this Nation has always been committed, and to which we are committed today at home and around the world.” Although he directly addresses his American audience, who is present at the speech, the principle is applied to the world as a whole, and to his audience abroad. He specifically states that not only are we committed to these values here in the United States, but that everyone “around the world” is committed to them as well. Through a simple statement, he was able to not only unite his national audience, but an international one as well. This unity not only had an effect on principle, but was also very influential in uniting everyone in how to act as well.
2) Different groups that he shows an awareness of and of their needs…
In addition to being able to unite his audience through establishing common interests, Kennedy is able to continue to build unity by acknowledging very specific groups within his broad audience. He is able to show the personal meaning and significance of his message to each of the different groups. He begins each new statement with one of the groups in mind, “To those old allies… To those new States… To those peoples in the huts and villages across the globe struggling to break the bonds of mass misery… To our sister republics south of our border… To that world assembly of sovereign states, the United Nations… Finally, to those nations who would make themselves our adversary…” This specific acknowledgement had a very powerful affect on those who were part of the audience. Two main effects can be noted. First, the specific acknowledgement helped the audience to be more attentive during the speech. Second, the acknowledgement helped the audience to feel a sense of individual responsibility that would remain with them long after the speech was delivered.
3) Situations he acknowledges from around the world…
At the time of President Kennedy’s election, there were many threats around the world to the peace that we would enjoy as a global civilization. Nuclear warfare was one of the great threats. Kennedy not only acknowledged this serious problem and issue that the nations were facing, but he also offered some suggestions of action that we should take. He stated, “both sides overburdened by the cost of modern weapons, both rightly alarmed by the steady spread of the deadly atom, yet both racing to alter that uncertain balance of terror that stays the hand of mankind's final war.”
4) Commitments and promises…
Another effective tool that Kennedy employed in his inaugural speech was that of making commitments to his audience. It was made even more powerful as he made very specific and individual commitments to specific sub-groups within his audience. For example, he promised, “those old allies” that America would “pledge the loyalty of faithful friends.” Here he not only drew upon friendship, a fundamental human value, but he also made a commitment to his audience that both he and America would hold to that. President Kennedy also established some commitments with his global audience, expanding the reaches of his message: “To our sister republics south of our border, we offer a special pledge—to convert our good words into good deeds—in a new alliance for progress—to assist free men and free governments in casting off the chains of poverty.” Another great promise the Kennedy makes embraces yet another strong value supported by many people. He commits to those “peoples in the huts and villages across the globe struggling to break the bonds of mass misery” to give his “best efforts to help them help themselves, for whatever period is required.” Again, drawing upon a principle that his general audience would embrace, and also making a long-term commitment, shows his willingness to do whatever it takes to make things right. As he instills his willingness to do so, it enables him to ask the same of others later on in his address.
5) Why was his speech so powerful in leading people to act?...
6) Conclusion
The early 1960’s was a time of much uncertainty, and many questions. Many of the inherent human freedoms were threatened. President John F. Kennedy greatly desired to relieve some of the stress and pressure that many Americans were feeling and confronting. Throughout his Inaugural Speech in 1961, John F. Kennedy appeals heavily to fundamental principles of human freedom and happiness, directly acknowledges many different groups of individuals and appeals to their needs, shows awareness of several situations and struggles around the world, and makes commitments to many different groups and individuals, expecting a commitment from each in return. President Kennedy is not only able to recognize many different situations and needs, but he also offers some thoughts on how to act, and how change can be implemented. Through these tools, he is able to unite his audience and to refresh both his audience’s hope that they can actually create the world which they have all longed to live in and their desire to act.
1) Fundamental principles of human freedom and happiness…
Very early in his address, Kennedy establishes the fact that Americans and all people around the world hold to many of the same basic values and principles. This is very effective for him because it lets his audience know that his entire speech will be established on broadly applicable principles and morals, creating a sense of unity, even among very different individuals. He states clearly that, “the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans… unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this Nation has always been committed, and to which we are committed today at home and around the world.” Although he directly addresses his American audience, who is present at the speech, the principle is applied to the world as a whole, and to his audience abroad. He specifically states that not only are we committed to these values here in the United States, but that everyone “around the world” is committed to them as well. Through a simple statement, he was able to not only unite his national audience, but an international one as well. This unity not only had an effect on principle, but was also very influential in uniting everyone in how to act as well.
2) Different groups that he shows an awareness of and of their needs…
In addition to being able to unite his audience through establishing common interests, Kennedy is able to continue to build unity by acknowledging very specific groups within his broad audience. He is able to show the personal meaning and significance of his message to each of the different groups. He begins each new statement with one of the groups in mind, “To those old allies… To those new States… To those peoples in the huts and villages across the globe struggling to break the bonds of mass misery… To our sister republics south of our border… To that world assembly of sovereign states, the United Nations… Finally, to those nations who would make themselves our adversary…” This specific acknowledgement had a very powerful affect on those who were part of the audience. Two main effects can be noted. First, the specific acknowledgement helped the audience to be more attentive during the speech. Second, the acknowledgement helped the audience to feel a sense of individual responsibility that would remain with them long after the speech was delivered.
3) Situations he acknowledges from around the world…
At the time of President Kennedy’s election, there were many threats around the world to the peace that we would enjoy as a global civilization. Nuclear warfare was one of the great threats. Kennedy not only acknowledged this serious problem and issue that the nations were facing, but he also offered some suggestions of action that we should take. He stated, “both sides overburdened by the cost of modern weapons, both rightly alarmed by the steady spread of the deadly atom, yet both racing to alter that uncertain balance of terror that stays the hand of mankind's final war.”
4) Commitments and promises…
Another effective tool that Kennedy employed in his inaugural speech was that of making commitments to his audience. It was made even more powerful as he made very specific and individual commitments to specific sub-groups within his audience. For example, he promised, “those old allies” that America would “pledge the loyalty of faithful friends.” Here he not only drew upon friendship, a fundamental human value, but he also made a commitment to his audience that both he and America would hold to that. President Kennedy also established some commitments with his global audience, expanding the reaches of his message: “To our sister republics south of our border, we offer a special pledge—to convert our good words into good deeds—in a new alliance for progress—to assist free men and free governments in casting off the chains of poverty.” Another great promise the Kennedy makes embraces yet another strong value supported by many people. He commits to those “peoples in the huts and villages across the globe struggling to break the bonds of mass misery” to give his “best efforts to help them help themselves, for whatever period is required.” Again, drawing upon a principle that his general audience would embrace, and also making a long-term commitment, shows his willingness to do whatever it takes to make things right. As he instills his willingness to do so, it enables him to ask the same of others later on in his address.
5) Why was his speech so powerful in leading people to act?...
6) Conclusion
Analysis of “Acupuncture for Low Back Pain in Pregnancy”
Western doctors admittedly know little about acupuncture and with that lack of understanding comes apprehension and concern. In a British Medical Journal Acupuncture in Medicine, Mike Cummings’ article “Acupuncture for Low Back Pain in Pregnancy” critically discusses the benefits of practicing acupuncture on pregnant women, despite increasing litigations and various concerns voiced by prevalent doctors claiming that such a practice causes spontaneous early pregnancy loss. Through his own case study, the author uses deep paraspinal and periosteal acupuncture throughout a patient’s pregnancy at her insistence to help control her lower back pain, and documents his results to convince his audience of the safety of acupuncture during pregnancy. Through his use of questions, examples, organization, style, and graphics, Cummings effectively defends his belief that acupunctural treatment on pregnant women is both safe and reliable.
The author first poses questions to his audience to convey his personal feelings and to help his audience better identify with him. He establishes his firm ethical stance in this way by engaging the reader and illustrating his integrity as a medical professional. As an existing acupuncture patient, the woman in this study had been receiving acupuncture treatment for weeks before she revealed to Cummings that she was in fact pregnant. He then explained how he halted treatment due to the apprehension in his field about using acupuncture on a pregnant woman, but resumed treatment after exhausting every other option and after the request of the patient. Is “it ethically defensible” Cummings asks, “to withhold treatment on purely medicolegal grounds (i.e. the concern about being blamed for a coincidental adverse event in the pregnancy), when the patient, who was aware of the material risks, had made the decision to continue treatment?” (44). Other professionals in the medical field have asked this same question, and this issue about acquiescing patients' requests has been particularly tense in the UK. By posing this question, then, Cummings supports the choice to begin treatment on a consenting patient and presents a background where readers with prior biases will more easily agree with the author's treatment and accept his study. Coupled with the author’s earlier inhibitions about administering the treatment, questions such as these establish his ethos and helps persuade the reader to accept acupuncture as a safe and legitimate option for pregnant women.
Second, through describing his personal study as well as referencing other research presented on this topic, Cummings gives more legitimacy to his results. He logically attests that due to the nonoccurrence of any complications resulting from the administration of acupuncture to the pregnant woman in his study, acupuncture is therefore safe. To prove that his study is not an isolated incident, he further refers the reader to case reports and studies conducted by other doctors on pregnant women who also found this treatment to be a safe and effective treatment. These references include Wedenberg’s “A prospective randomized study comparing acupuncture with physiotherapy for low-back and pelvic pain in pregnancy” and Thomas’s “Use of acupuncture for managing chronic pelvic pain in pregnancy.” Because the acupuncture Cummings prescribed did not cause any adverse effects on his patient, he concludes that this study, coupled with others’ research, provides conclusive evidence to dismiss the earlier claims that acupuncture begets abortions in pregnant women. With the evidence cleverly stacked in his favor, Cummings' audience is logically led to agree.
Furthermore, the article’s organization is deliberately chosen to accommodate quicker and more enjoyable reading. Cummings organizes his article chronologically, separating different ideas and events into paragraphs. This organizational style makes it easier for the reader to follow the study more naturally and provides more insight to the author’s feelings. The events are mostly grouped together by visitation, the first visit from the patient coming at the beginning, the second following that and so on, with a summary at the beginning of the article and a conclusion at the end. In this way, we learn as the author learns, and are more inclined to treat the presented case in its own light rather than applying any previous biases. Also, a notable foundation of trust is built as Cummings leads us through his mind and shares with us his experiences in a story-like manner. Readers feel like they are there with Cummings through every step of his study, hence drawing the audience closer to the text emotionally. Organizational arrangement is further apparent when Cummings introduces new topics. When presenting new information that he assumes the reader does not already know, Cummings laboriously elaborates on every fact that is applicable to the situation. These facts are then used as evidence to support his insights on the given subject in the following paragraphs. This format of new topic to description to explanation to supporting conclusion remains constant throughout his article. Presenting the facts before he gives his opinion helps to establish the author’s logos, as does his well-placed introduction of himself as a Medical Director at the beginning of the piece.
Although he refers to many other examples conducted in other hospitals throughout his paper, Mike Cummings uses just one first-hand example to describe his position. By using only one example in a story-like manner, the author appeals to our emotions by emphasizing the humanness of the patient. This kind of pathos used by Cummings helps us feel attached to the patient rather than citing many examples where each patient seems insignificant. Since the patient said she was experiencing severe pain, the audience begins to feel sorry for her. In this way, the author subtly persuades us to agree with the author to do something to help curb this horrible agony. Cummings expertly creates a singular, thoughtful story which presents an emotional aspect to his work that a statistical study could not have captured.
Most of the graphics Cummings uses in his article help illustrate the pain sites his patient describes and visually portray the severe nature of his patient’s condition. These visuals add a human element to make the article seem more genuine, and they serve to explain and supplement the text. He inserts them on the sides of the page forecast the topics soon to be explained. If a graphic appears on the left side of the page, for example, the audience can assume that topic will be discussed later on in that particular page. In this way, Cummings emphasizes important information not only by creating “landmarks” which make it easier to find particular topics, but also by illustrating concepts or ideas that might otherwise be hard to understand. The figure showing the areas of discomfort on the patient, for example, helps the audience know exactly where and to what extent the patient was experiencing her pain, and to emphasize the necessity of Cummings treatment to provide relief. The author utilized these visuals to present his information in a clear and systematic way, introducing his topic first, explaining it in words, then referring to the graphic in the text parenthetically so his audience would be able to understand and more fully internalize the text.
In his article, Mike Cummings uses a story about a pregnant woman who needed acupuncture in order to persuade his audience to question the predisposing suspicion that acupuncture causes abortions in pregnant women. By chronologically organizing his paper, including pictures, and referring to just one patient, the audience feels more emotionally attached to this case. The author offers emotional and logical evidence to support his belief that refusing treatment to a patient merely on unproven, superstitious beliefs is both unethical and archaic. Through effective use of questions, examples, organization, style, and graphics, this case study actively persuades its readers to disregard primitive and unfounded biases and acknowledge the research presented in this report.
Works Cited
Cummings, Mike. “Acupuncture for Low Back Pain in Pregnancy.” Acupuncture in Medicine 2003: 21;42-46. Print.
The author first poses questions to his audience to convey his personal feelings and to help his audience better identify with him. He establishes his firm ethical stance in this way by engaging the reader and illustrating his integrity as a medical professional. As an existing acupuncture patient, the woman in this study had been receiving acupuncture treatment for weeks before she revealed to Cummings that she was in fact pregnant. He then explained how he halted treatment due to the apprehension in his field about using acupuncture on a pregnant woman, but resumed treatment after exhausting every other option and after the request of the patient. Is “it ethically defensible” Cummings asks, “to withhold treatment on purely medicolegal grounds (i.e. the concern about being blamed for a coincidental adverse event in the pregnancy), when the patient, who was aware of the material risks, had made the decision to continue treatment?” (44). Other professionals in the medical field have asked this same question, and this issue about acquiescing patients' requests has been particularly tense in the UK. By posing this question, then, Cummings supports the choice to begin treatment on a consenting patient and presents a background where readers with prior biases will more easily agree with the author's treatment and accept his study. Coupled with the author’s earlier inhibitions about administering the treatment, questions such as these establish his ethos and helps persuade the reader to accept acupuncture as a safe and legitimate option for pregnant women.
Second, through describing his personal study as well as referencing other research presented on this topic, Cummings gives more legitimacy to his results. He logically attests that due to the nonoccurrence of any complications resulting from the administration of acupuncture to the pregnant woman in his study, acupuncture is therefore safe. To prove that his study is not an isolated incident, he further refers the reader to case reports and studies conducted by other doctors on pregnant women who also found this treatment to be a safe and effective treatment. These references include Wedenberg’s “A prospective randomized study comparing acupuncture with physiotherapy for low-back and pelvic pain in pregnancy” and Thomas’s “Use of acupuncture for managing chronic pelvic pain in pregnancy.” Because the acupuncture Cummings prescribed did not cause any adverse effects on his patient, he concludes that this study, coupled with others’ research, provides conclusive evidence to dismiss the earlier claims that acupuncture begets abortions in pregnant women. With the evidence cleverly stacked in his favor, Cummings' audience is logically led to agree.
Furthermore, the article’s organization is deliberately chosen to accommodate quicker and more enjoyable reading. Cummings organizes his article chronologically, separating different ideas and events into paragraphs. This organizational style makes it easier for the reader to follow the study more naturally and provides more insight to the author’s feelings. The events are mostly grouped together by visitation, the first visit from the patient coming at the beginning, the second following that and so on, with a summary at the beginning of the article and a conclusion at the end. In this way, we learn as the author learns, and are more inclined to treat the presented case in its own light rather than applying any previous biases. Also, a notable foundation of trust is built as Cummings leads us through his mind and shares with us his experiences in a story-like manner. Readers feel like they are there with Cummings through every step of his study, hence drawing the audience closer to the text emotionally. Organizational arrangement is further apparent when Cummings introduces new topics. When presenting new information that he assumes the reader does not already know, Cummings laboriously elaborates on every fact that is applicable to the situation. These facts are then used as evidence to support his insights on the given subject in the following paragraphs. This format of new topic to description to explanation to supporting conclusion remains constant throughout his article. Presenting the facts before he gives his opinion helps to establish the author’s logos, as does his well-placed introduction of himself as a Medical Director at the beginning of the piece.
Although he refers to many other examples conducted in other hospitals throughout his paper, Mike Cummings uses just one first-hand example to describe his position. By using only one example in a story-like manner, the author appeals to our emotions by emphasizing the humanness of the patient. This kind of pathos used by Cummings helps us feel attached to the patient rather than citing many examples where each patient seems insignificant. Since the patient said she was experiencing severe pain, the audience begins to feel sorry for her. In this way, the author subtly persuades us to agree with the author to do something to help curb this horrible agony. Cummings expertly creates a singular, thoughtful story which presents an emotional aspect to his work that a statistical study could not have captured.
Most of the graphics Cummings uses in his article help illustrate the pain sites his patient describes and visually portray the severe nature of his patient’s condition. These visuals add a human element to make the article seem more genuine, and they serve to explain and supplement the text. He inserts them on the sides of the page forecast the topics soon to be explained. If a graphic appears on the left side of the page, for example, the audience can assume that topic will be discussed later on in that particular page. In this way, Cummings emphasizes important information not only by creating “landmarks” which make it easier to find particular topics, but also by illustrating concepts or ideas that might otherwise be hard to understand. The figure showing the areas of discomfort on the patient, for example, helps the audience know exactly where and to what extent the patient was experiencing her pain, and to emphasize the necessity of Cummings treatment to provide relief. The author utilized these visuals to present his information in a clear and systematic way, introducing his topic first, explaining it in words, then referring to the graphic in the text parenthetically so his audience would be able to understand and more fully internalize the text.
In his article, Mike Cummings uses a story about a pregnant woman who needed acupuncture in order to persuade his audience to question the predisposing suspicion that acupuncture causes abortions in pregnant women. By chronologically organizing his paper, including pictures, and referring to just one patient, the audience feels more emotionally attached to this case. The author offers emotional and logical evidence to support his belief that refusing treatment to a patient merely on unproven, superstitious beliefs is both unethical and archaic. Through effective use of questions, examples, organization, style, and graphics, this case study actively persuades its readers to disregard primitive and unfounded biases and acknowledge the research presented in this report.
Works Cited
Cummings, Mike. “Acupuncture for Low Back Pain in Pregnancy.” Acupuncture in Medicine 2003: 21;42-46. Print.
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