the language of composition chapter 1: using the available means ap english language and composition

The Language of CompositionThe Language of Composition Chapter 1: Using the Available MeansChapter 1: Using the Available Means

AP English AP English

Language and CompositionLanguage and Composition

What is Rhetoric?

According to According to Aristotle, rhetoric Aristotle, rhetoric is the faculty of is the faculty of observing in observing in any any given casegiven case the the available means available means of persuasionof persuasion. .

Aristotle 332 BCAristotle 332 BC

What is Rhetoric?What is Rhetoric?

Rhetoric is Rhetoric is “situational”“situational”The key to understanding rhetoric The key to understanding rhetoric

is identifying the speaker’s is identifying the speaker’s context context andand purpose purpose..

Rhetorical Triangle Rhetorical Triangle

AristotelianAristotelianTriangleTriangle

SpeakerSpeaker

AudienceAudience SubjectSubject

Rhetorical Analysis Rhetorical Analysis

1.1. What is the What is the speaker’s goal? speaker’s goal? Intent? How Intent? How credible is the credible is the speakerspeaker??

SpeakerSpeaker




2.2. What is the What is the subject? How subject? How well does the well does the speaker speaker know know his/her materialhis/her material??

SpeakerSpeaker




3.3. How does the How does the audience feel audience feel about the subject? about the subject? Is it Is it controversialcontroversial? ? Is the audience Is the audience receptive or receptive or resistantresistant??

SpeakerSpeaker



Rhetorical AnalysisRhetorical Analysis

Aristotle taught that Aristotle taught that a speaker's ability to a speaker's ability to persuade is based persuade is based on how well the on how well the speaker speaker appeals to appeals to his or her audiencehis or her audience in three different in three different areas: areas: ethos, logos, ethos, logos, and pathosand pathos. .

Appeal to EthosAppeal to Ethos

An appeal to the An appeal to the speaker’s speaker’s character, character, reputationreputation, , and/or credibilityand/or credibility

How How believablebelievable is the speaker?is the speaker?

AudienceAudience

SpeakerSpeaker

SubjectSubject

EthosEthos


The speaker must: The speaker must: 1.1. prove that he/she prove that he/she

is is crediblecredible to to speak about the speak about the given subjectgiven subject

2.2. emphasize emphasize values/ideas values/ideas sharedshared with the with the audience – make audience – make a connectiona connection


Speaker’s ethos Speaker’s ethos can be established can be established through his/her through his/her expertise, expertise, knowledge, knowledge, experience, experience, training, and/or training, and/or sinceritysincerity..

Appeal to LogosAppeal to Logos

Appeals to Appeals to logos are an logos are an appeals to appeals to logic or reasonlogic or reason

Appeals to Appeals to logos offer logos offer clear and clear and rational ideasrational ideas

AudienceAudience

SpeakerSpeaker

SubjectSubject

EthosEthos LogosLogos

PathosPathos

Appeal to LogosAppeal to Logos

Logos considers the Logos considers the subject from all subject from all sides, including the sides, including the opposition’sopposition’s..

These ideas may be These ideas may be conveyed via:conveyed via: Shared AssumptionsShared Assumptions CounterargumentsCounterarguments

Appeal to PathosAppeal to Pathos

Appeals to Appeals to pathos appeal to pathos appeal to the the emotionsemotions..

Such appeals Such appeals emotionally emotionally engageengage the the audience with audience with the subject.the subject.

AudienceAudience

SpeakerSpeaker

SubjectSubject


PathosPathos


Appeals to Pathos Appeals to Pathos are achieved are achieved through the through the speaker’s point of speaker’s point of view, use of view, use of connotativeconnotative language, and language, and figurativefigurative language.language.


Arguments that Arguments that only appeal to only appeal to pathos are pathos are rarely rarely effectiveeffective. Such . Such arguments are arguments are merely merely propagandistic propagandistic and polemicaland polemical..


Effective speakers Effective speakers and writers appeal and writers appeal to ethos, logos, and to ethos, logos, and pathos in order to pathos in order to make use of all make use of all “available means” “available means” to persuade their to persuade their audiences of their audiences of their positions.positions.

AudienceAudience

SpeakerSpeaker

SubjectSubject


PathosPathos

Visual and Literary RhetoricVisual and Literary Rhetoric

Rhetoric is Rhetoric is employed employed whenever a whenever a “speaker” wants “speaker” wants to convey an to convey an opinion, opinion, perspective, or perspective, or argumentargument. .


Cartoons, photographs, songs, film, Cartoons, photographs, songs, film, and literature all employ rhetoric. and literature all employ rhetoric.

So long as a So long as a messagemessage is being is being conveyed, rhetoric is being conveyed, rhetoric is being employed.employed.


As such the As such the elements of the elements of the Rhetorical/ Rhetorical/ Aristotelian Aristotelian TriangleTriangle are are employed: employed: Speaker—Subject Speaker—Subject –Audience–Audience. .

SpeakerSpeaker



Likewise, appeals Likewise, appeals to Ethos, Logos, to Ethos, Logos, and Pathos are and Pathos are also needed to also needed to attract, maintain, attract, maintain, and and “convince”“convince” an audience of an audience of your point of your point of view.view.


All elements incorporated within the All elements incorporated within the “text” must be employed to “text” must be employed to convey this convey this point of view. point of view. If they are not, they are If they are not, they are impedingimpeding the the

rhetorical effectiveness of the “text.”rhetorical effectiveness of the “text.”

Rhetorical ArrangementRhetorical Arrangement

Rhetorical arrangement refers to how Rhetorical arrangement refers to how the “argument” is the “argument” is organizedorganized..

The arrangement of an argument is The arrangement of an argument is dependent upon its dependent upon its purposepurpose..

The Classical ModelThe Classical Model

Introduction Introduction introduces the introduces the subject. The subject. The goal is to get the goal is to get the reader’s reader’s attentionattention and and develop develop ethosethos..


NarrationNarration provides provides factualfactual background information about the background information about the subject. subject.

This represents the beginning of the This represents the beginning of the body/developmentbody/development paragraphs. paragraphs.

The Narration presents the The Narration presents the problemproblem embodied within the subject.embodied within the subject.


ConfirmationConfirmation provides the provides the proofproof to support to support the speaker’s the speaker’s position. position.

This evidence This evidence must be must be specific, specific, detailed, and detailed, and concreteconcrete..


RefutationRefutation provides the provides the counterargumentcounterargument, which addresses , which addresses possible objections to the speaker’s possible objections to the speaker’s position. position.

The refutation provides a The refutation provides a smooth smooth transitiontransition from the from the ConfirmationConfirmation to to the the ConclusionConclusion..


Conclusion appeals to Conclusion appeals to pathospathos and and reiterates the reiterates the ethosethos established in the established in the IntroductionIntroduction. .

The Conclusion answers the The Conclusion answers the “so “so what”what” question; it explains why the question; it explains why the speaker’s position is relevant.speaker’s position is relevant.

Rhetorical ArrangementsRhetorical Arrangements

Specialized Patterns:Specialized Patterns: NarrationNarration DescriptionDescription Process AnalysisProcess Analysis ExemplificationExemplification Comparison-Comparison-

ContrastContrast Clarification-Clarification-

DivisionDivision DefinitionDefinition Cause and EffectCause and Effect

the language of composition chapter 1: using the available means ap english language and composition

Documents

pathos appeal

writers appeal

ethosan appeal

speakers goal

speakersubject audience

audience receptive

speakers character

pathoseffective speakers