An Introduction to Rhetoric

Greek philosopher Aristotle defined rhetoric as “the faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasion.”

In other words:Using the available means of

persuasion to make an argument and appeal to an audience

When do we use rhetoric?

Where do we see rhetoric?

Click icon to add picture10MINUTE

FREE WRITE

You want a car. You NEED a car. Write a letter to your parents

convincing them to buy you your dream car.

RHETORIC IN PRINT

Analyze Gehrig’s farewell speech for three things: Occasion – the time and place the text was

written or spoken Context – the circumstances, atmosphere,

attitudes, and events surrounding the text Purpose – the goal the speaker wants to

achieve

LOU GEHRIG FAREWELL SPEECH

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jl8R_9pCaDE

Read the whole speech & discuss using next slide . . .

RHETORIC IN PRINT Why is this an EFFECTIVE speech?

Occasion– situational; the specific time and place the text was written or spoken

Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day, specifically his moment at home plate between games of a doubleheader

Context – the circumstances, atmosphere, attitudes, and events surrounding the text

Gehrig’s recent announcement of his illness and his subsequent retirement, etc

Purpose – the goal the speaker wants to achieve

To thank his fans and teammates; also to demonstrate that he remains positive; past luck and present optimism

RH

ETO

RIC

AL

TR

IAN

GLE

Shows the relationship among the speaker, audience, and subject

Illustrates how the elements are interrelated.

How a speaker perceives the relationships among these elements will go a long way toward determining what he or she says and how he or she says it.

RH

ETO

RIC

AL

TR

IAN

GLE

the person or group who creates a text; may be a “persona”

The listener, viewer, or reader of a text or performance; may be multiple

the topic, NOT the purpose

RHETORIC IN PRINT

Analyze Gehrig’s farewell speech for three things: Speaker – more than a name, is a

description of who the person is in the context of the text

Audience – the listener, viewer, or reader of a text or performance; could have multiple audiences

Subject – the topic (not the purpose)

Baseball player; team mate; friend;

hero; man; husband

fans, team mates, family, friends,

future generations (us)

Retirement; Positive attitude;

reassurance

spee

ch

speech

speech

Don’t worry about me; thanks to everyone; downplay disease

PARTNER PRACTICE

Analyze the article for Occasion, Context and Purpose & use the Rhetorical Triangle to analyze Subject, Speaker, and Audience.

APPLICATION

Analyze the following videos for Occasion, Context and Purpose & use the Rhetorical Triangle to analyze Subject, Speaker, and Audience:

http://www.dawn-dish.com/us/dawn/product/037000221999##demo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysTFRcBqFpE

SOAPS

One way to remember rhetorical situations surrounding a text is to use this mnemonic:S – Speaker O – Occasion A – AudienceP – Purpose S – SubjectThink of it as a checklist that helps you organize your ideas rhetorically.

SOAPS PRACTICE

Letter from Albert Einstein

Bush’s 9/11 Speech

Ethos Credibility, Appeal to Character

Pathos Appeal to Emotion

Logos Logical Flow, Make a Claim and Back it up,

Appeal to Reason

3 DEVICES USED IN RHETORIC

COMMERCIAL

https://www.youtube.com/user/Subaru

https://www.youtube.com/user/Subaru

ETHOS

An appeal to character and credibility; show that you are trustworthy  

Writers and speakers often have to build their ethos by explaining their credentials or background

to their readers, or by emphasizing shared values.

WHY?

ETHOS

ETHOS

Colin Firth, The King’s Speech

HOMEWORK

You will read an excerpt from The Myth of the Latin Woman:  I Just Met a Girl Named Maria by Judith Ortiz Cofer. While using evidence from the text, describe how the author uses ethos to write about her experiences.

10 Points-Due    

ETHOS REVIEW

An appeal to character and credibility.  

Writers and speakers often have to build their ethos by explaining their credentials or background to their readers, or by emphasizing shared

values.

WHY?

ETHOS PRACTICE

Go to the excerpt from The Myth of the Latin Woman:  I Just Met a Girl Named Maria by Judith Ortiz Cofer.

Hi-lite evidence from the text, showing how the author uses ethos to write about her experiences.

10MINUTE

FREE WRITEYou are going to present ideas on

ways to stop bullying:(1) to the School Board or a group of

parents and (2) to a group of middle school

students.Discuss how you would establish ETHOS in each situation. 

LOGOS

 

As you watch this video, write down how the Progressive Soup company uses logic and reason to sell their product. What claims are being made?

Progresso Commercial

LOGOS

“Embodied Thought”

Speakers appeal to LOGOS, or reason, by offering clear, rational ideas.

Appealing to LOGOS means thinking logically — having a clear main idea and using specific details, examples, facts,

statistics, or expert testimony to back it up.

LOGOS

Creating a logical argument often involves

Defining the terms of the argument Identifying connections such as cause and

effect. Considerable research. Evidence from expert sources and authorities,

facts, and quantitative data. writers and speakers will sometimes add charts

and graphs as a way to present such information, but often they weave this information into their argument.

LOGOS

Read excerpt from book – she argues for acknowledgement of the full consequences of what she calls “our national diet”

LOGOS Another way to appeal to logos is to provide

a counterargument, anticipating objections or opposing views.

In acknowledging a counterargument, you agree (concede) that an opposing argument may be true or reasonable, but then you deny (refute) the validity of all or part of the argument.

appeals to logos by demonstrating that you understand a viewpoint other than your own, you’ve thought through other evidence, and you stand by your view

THINK-PAIR-SHARE STRATEGYPrompt or Question What I Thought What My Partner Thought What We Will Share

What makes Alice’s argument

for fresh food logical?

     

What logic does Michelle Obama use in support of the White House

garden?

     

How do Waters’ and Obama’s

logic differ? How is their logic the

same?

     

What logic does Waters use in the excerpt from her

book to refute the idea that healthy

food is elitist?

     

LOGOS

As a class we will read an excerpt from Alice

Waters’ Slow Food Nation.  We will focus on

Waters’ argument for readers to give careful consideration to the

availability, production and distribution (as they

relate to price) of the foods we eat.  

LOGOS

Now let’s look at Michelle Obama’s response to Waters’ challenge. What is

her logic for fresh foods?

White House Garden Tour

LOGOS REVIEW Defining the terms of the argument Identifying connections such as cause and

effect. Considerable research. Evidence from expert sources and authorities,

facts, and quantitative data. writers and speakers will sometimes add charts

and graphs as a way to present such information, but often they weave this information into their argument.

using specific details, examples, facts, statistics, or expert testimony to back it up.

ASSIGNMENT

“King Coal: Reigning in China” How does George Will* appeal to logos in this

article on “China’s ravenous appetite for coal.”

Discover and label the 3 types of logic he bases his argument on and hi-lite examples of each. Use 3 different colors of hi-liters or colored pens.

*columnist for the Washington Post and Newsweek

PATHOS

an appeal to emotions, values, desires, and hopes,

or fears and prejudices

An effective speaker or writer understands the power of evoking an audience’s

emotions by using such tools as:figurative language, personal anecdotes,

and vivid images.

PATHOS - PRACTICE

As a vice-presidential candidate, Richard Nixon gave a speech in 1952 defending himself against allegations of inappropriate use of campaign funds. In it, he related this anecdote, which is the reason that the speech will forever be known as “the Checkers speech”:

from THE CHECKERS SPEECH

One other thing I probably should tell you, because if I don’t

they’ll probably be saying this about me, too. We did get

something, a gift, after the election. A man down in Texas heard

Pat [his wife] on the radio mention the fact that our two

youngsters would like to have a dog. And believe it or not, the

day before we left on this campaign trip we got a message from

union Station in Baltimore, saying they had a package for us.

We went down to get it. You know what it was? It was a little

cocker spaniel dog in a crate that he’d sent all the way from

Texas, black and white, spotted. And our little girl Tricia, the six-

year-old, named it “Checkers.” And you know, the kids, like all

kids, love the dog, and I just want to say this, right now, that

regardless of what they say about it, we’re gonna keep it.

IMAGES AND PATHOS

An image can lend an emotional component that greatly strengthens an argument.

ACLU – mission statement: “To defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties that the Constitution and laws of the United States guarantee everyone in this country”

HEADLINE BELOW THE PICTURE

It happens every day on America’s highways. Police stop drivers based on their skin color rather than for the way they are driving. For example, in Florida 80% of those stopped and searched were black and Hispanic, while they constituted only 5% of all drivers. These humiliating and illegal searches are violations of the constitution and must be fought. Help us defend your rights. Support the ACLU.

HUMOR & PATHOS

Wraps a challenge to our beliefs in something that makes us feel good, thus more receptive to the new idea.

Also works for people presenting new ideas

Helps to make a point without seeming to “preach” or take too seriously Tongue-in-cheek Irony

CRACKBERRY CONGRESS structures her criticism as a letter teasing about “decorum,” yet she makes a

serious point about “connectivity” exaggerates her fear that “the House is poised

to be the world’s greatest tweeting [body].” establishing ethos: “I’m not one to throw

stones” and admits to checking her own BlackBerry during meetings.

point about the inappropriateness of elected officials interacting with their electronic devices while colleagues and others are debating important issues.

PARTNER ACTIVITY

General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe, distributed the following Order of the Day to the military troops right before the 1944 D-Day invasion of Normandy.

Discuss how General Eisenhower appeals to PATHOS.

COMBINING ETHOS, LOGOS, PATHOS

don’t rely on just a single type of appeal to persuade their audience; naturally bound together: Laying out argument logically builds ethos Logic to listen to an expert so ethos builds

foundation for logos Possible to build ethos based on pathos Possible to say things that are both

perfectly logical and completely hilarious at the same time

TONI MORRISON

only African-American writer to win the Nobel Prize for literature

published in the New York Times Letter to then-senator Barack Obama

endorsing him as Democratic presidential candidate in 2008

ASSIGNMENT refer back to the letter you wrote to your

parents convincing them to buy you a car Analyze your letter for Ethos, Logos, and

Pathos Hi-lite examples of each using 3 different colors.

Then type your letter, adding in arguments so that you use all 3 types of rhetoric.

Also correct any grammatical, structural, or spelling errors that you may have made.

ETHOS

disposition, character, or fundamental values

spirit which motivates the ideas and customs

moral competence expertise and knowledge overall moral character and history of the

speaker practical skills & wisdom virtue, goodness goodwill towards the audience

LOGOS

Defining the terms of the argument Identifying connections such as cause

and effect. Considerable research. Evidence from expert sources and

authorities, facts, and quantitative data.

charts and graphs to present information, but often woven into argument.

PATHOS

appeal to the audience's emotions use a metaphor or story telling deliver message with passion  induce audience to make the judgment

desired uses humor

As I show you a characteristic of the types of rhetoric, hold up the card for ETHOS, LOGOS, or PATHOS. The last one standing wins!

appeal to the audience's emotions expertise and knowledge evidence from expert sources and

authorities, facts, and quantitative data.

virtue, goodness defining the terms of the argument goodwill towards the audience deliver message with passion considerable research

charts and graphs induce audience to make the judgment desired use a metaphor or story telling disposition, character, or fundamental values overall moral character and history of the

speaker Identifying connections such as cause and

effect practical skills & wisdom moral competence

As I show you a characteristic of the types of rhetoric, hold up the card for ETHOS, LOGOS, or PATHOS. The last one standing wins!

ETHOS, LOGOS, PATHOS

Commercial examples

Number your paper from 1 to 13. Identify the type of Rhetoric each

commercial uses to sell their product. Some may use more than one type. Briefly explain your reasoning.

YOUR TURN! Find your own (school appropriate)

commercial examples of ETHOS, LOGOS, and PATHOS. You should have one commercial for each of the 3 types. 5 pts each

Create a YouTube channel titled ETHOS, LOGOS, PATHOS to share your videos. In the comment section, identify which rhetorical device each commercial uses, citing specific examples. 5 pts for each rhetorical device; 5 pts examples

RHETORIC QUICK QUIZ

Name the three types of rhetoric and give 2 characteristics of each.1. __________________ ___________________

___________________2. __________________ ___________________

___________________3. __________________ ___________________

___________________

RHETORICAL TRIANGLE

Watch this commercial and analyze it using the Rhetorical Triangle:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AGLFY9A_fo

RHETORICAL ANALYSIS OF VISUAL TEXTS Occasioned by a specific circumstance Have a purpose (comment on a current

event or urge you to buy something Make a claim and support it with

authority, emotion, and/or reason

PARTNER ACTIVITY

The following advertisement is from the World Wildlife fund (WWF), a conservation organization that “combines global reach with a foundation in science, involves action at every level from local to global, and ensures the delivery of innovative solutions that meet the needs of both people and nature.”

Ten million people in sub-Saharan Africa make a living fishing. In the past three decades the number of fish in their waters has declined by 50 percent. Around the world, oceans and the life they support are at risk. WWF is at work in more than 40 countries, developing responsible fishing practices and collaborating with governments and coastal communities on managing their fisheries while safeguarding livelihoods. We can protect marine populations from overfishing and still ensure a catch big enough to feed fishermen, their families and you.

Protecting the Future of Nature

Be Part of Our WorkWorldwilldlife.org

What rhetorical strategies does the WWF use to achieve its purpose in this advertisement? Pay particular attention to the interaction of the written text with the visual elements. How does the arrangement on the page affect your response? How does the WWF appeal to ethos, logos, and pathos? How effective do you think the advertisement is in reaching its intended audience? Explain.

PARTNER ACTIVITY

DETERMINING EFFECTIVE & INEFFECTIVE RHETORIC

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/06/23/jane-austen-unsentimental-writer-for-our-times.html

DETERMINING EFFECTIVE & INEFFECTIVE RHETORIC

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-13000663

http://www.peta.org/mediacenter/news-releases/PETA-to-Raise-Billboard-That-Warns---Feeding-Kids-Meat-Is-Child-Abuse-.aspx

DETERMINING EFFECTIVE & INEFFECTIVE RHETORIC

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/business/2011/03/arguments-and-against-nuclear-power/35830/#

CULMINATING ACTIVITY

By this point, you have analyzed what we mean by the rhetorical situation, and you have learned a number of key concepts and terms. It’s time to put all the ideas together to examine a series of texts on a single subject. Following are four texts related to the 1969 Apollo 11 mission that landed the first humans on the moon. The first is a news article from the Times of London reporting the event; the next is a speech by William Safire that President Nixon would have given had the mission not been successful; the third is a commentary by novelist Ayn Rand; the last is a political cartoon that appeared at the time. Discuss the purpose of each text and how the interaction among speaker, audience, and subject affects the text. How does each text appeal to ethos, pathos, and logos? Finally, how effective is each text in achieving its purpose?

WALKING ON THE MOON

View this classic footage of the USA moon landing to get you started.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMINSD7MmT4