Rhetorical Analysis - Speech (historical or film)

The speech I chose to do was from the movie “A Few Good Men.”  The part I chose was the speech made by Colonel Jessep (Jack Nicholson) when on the stand.  His argument was what are the consequences of greater responsibility on lying about the truth. He says that greater responsibility requires lying about the truth, because greater responsibility requires making illegal and corrupt decisions.  His audience is people who think it’s wrong to make illegal decisions, even if it’s for the safety of the country.  His goal is to get people to understand why he needed to make an illegal decision, and to get people to understand that those decisions are made all the time to protect the country.  The argument is made through pathos and ethos.  He uses credibility by establishing the grueling work he has to do and the horrible choices he is faced with each day.  He then uses emotions by telling us how much we rely on people like him to protect us, and how he lives by a code, by honor, and loyalty.  He says that we don’t understand what those words mean.  He says “I would rather that you just said thank you and went on your way.  Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon and stand the post.”   That’s powerful.  He didn’t use much research, but I don’t think he needed to.  I think his argument was very effective, even though he got arrested.  He told the truth and if it weren’t for people like him that make decisions that we never could, we would not be safe in this country.

Rhetorical Analysis - Music Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egaLLElOQks&feature=channel

The music video I decided to analyze is called Cleaning Out My Closet by Eminem.  Now the lyrics are quite powerful and can be interpreted many different ways, but the music video shows his intentions much more clearly.  The argument is what are the consequences of bad parenting on the child’s emotional and psychological state.  He argues that bad parenting degrades the child’s emotional and psychological state, because bad parenting gives the child negative a negative view of life.   His audience is people that abuse other people and think it has no effect on their lives.  The goal of the argument is to get people to see how his abusive mother hurt him and made him hate her, and he hopes to keep that from happening to other people. He uses a lot of pathos to make his argument.  He shows images of his father beating his mother and the negative impact it left on him.  It also shows him as a child hiding in the closet from his mom so she wouldn’t beat him.  It shows his mom doing drugs and pouring Lysol into his cereal.  I think the most effective part of the music video, however, is that it never shows his mom’s face.  It only shows shots from the neck down, which shows how emotionally and psychologically bruised he is from his childhood.  It also shows a book that he wrote when he was a child to his mom that starts out by saying I love you mom, then it goes to I hate you mom and then again I HATE YOU MOM.  It’s very powerful.  I think all of his arguments are very powerful.  They are examples of what abusive people really would do, and they relate very well to the audience.  I think the argument was extremely effective because he shows images that are very sad but actually happen, and it shows how mad he was after and how much he hates his mom now.  

Rhetorical Analysis - paper B source

I am choosing to do an entry in the USA Today paper called NHL fighting is back with a vengeance.    Their argument is what are the consequences of the way hockey is played on the increased fighting.  The way hockey is played is leading to increased fighting, because the way hockey is played is increasingly physical and demanding.  The audience is people who are against fighting in hockey because of its "violence" and lack of sportsmanship.  The goal of the argument is to make those types of people understand why fighting is up and that it's not unsportsmanlike and "violent".  They use mostly logos in their argument, explaining why there is fighting and why it has increased recently.  A big reason they used was that a team that recently won the Stanley Cup was a very physical team that hit hard and fought often, which motivates other teams to do the same.  Another reason for the increased fighting is how players respond to hard hits.  They are much more prone to fight now when a good clean hit is given then before.  They use a lot of research, like players quotes, statistics, and reasons for increased fighting.  I think this is an effective argument, because they have a very clean, soft tone, not accusing anyone of anything, but they get their point across effectively.  

Rhetorical Analysis - Art

The art I chose to do is from the photographer James Nachtwey.  This photo was taken at a rehab center for heroin addicts in Pakistan.  The argument is what are the consequences of the addiction to drugs on feeling trapped.   He argues that being addicted to drugs intensifies the feeling of being trapped because being addicted to drugs enslaves you.  Thus, whatever enslaves you makes you feel trapped.  The audience is people who are insensitive to problems like violence, sickness, and drug addiction.  The goal is to make people more sensitive to things that really are happening in places all over the world.  He wants people to realize that there is suffering in the world and it should be stopped.  The argument is made by stimulating our emotions.  The picture of a man sitting in a dark hallway that never ends with a high skylight that very closely resembles a jail cell is a very powerful one.  It helps us to understand the feeling of being trapped in a way words can’t describe.  It helps us understand a world many of us have never seen.  I think all of the reasons used are great.  I think most important is the accuracy of the argument.  The picture was taken not only in Pakistan, but in an actual rehab center.  This image is not staged, but is a very real situation.  I think that James Nachtwey does an amazing job, and I think he makes a very effective argument.  The image is one that has a strong impact on me.

Rhetorical Analysis - Film Trailer

http://www.hulu.com/watch/52339/movie-trailers-knowing

The film trailer I chose to do is called Knowing.  The argument is what are the consequences of seeing this movie on being entertained.  Seeing this movie will entertain anyone who watches it, because seeing this movie will cause suspense and will captivate the audience.  Whatever causes suspense and captivates the audience will entertain them.  The audience is adult men who are looking for an entertaining movie, but they only want to see violence and sex.  The goal is to get the target audience to feel like the movie is going to be entertaining enough for them, and for them to go.  The argument is being made by using a lot of pathos.  The trailer tries to intrigue us with an interesting plot.  They start the preview by showing a loving father and his son.  It tries to capture our attention by making us care about the main characters.  It suddenly turns to those characters predicting the future and the disasters that will occur.  Since we now care about the characters, we believe them even though nobody else does.  Then it starts showing all of the disasters as they happen, and it turns from a loving movie to a suspenseful thriller movie.  It makes us want to find out what happens to the characters that we’ve grown attached to.  It ends with a boy saying “Are we gonna die?”, leaving us wanting to see the movie.  I think they could have been a little more sufficient in showing disasters and establishing the plot a little better, but it’s also hard because they don’t want to give the whole movie away.  I think the reasons are very typical and work well for this movie trailer.  I think the ad was effective, because although it doesn’t have any sex in the preview, it looks like a very exciting movie without the usual violence.  It does a great job in captivating our emotions and tying that into the suspenseful plot.

Rhetorical Analysis - Source for paper A

The source I am choosing for Paper A is the BYU Honor Code.  The argument is WATCO obeying the honor code on the atmosphere at BYU.  Obeying the honor code will allow for a better atmosphere at BYU because obeying the honor code helps students be honest and morally clean.  Thus, whatever helps students be honest and morally clean allows for a better atmosphere at BYU. The audience is high school and college students deciding whether or not to come to BYU.  These students aren’t set on going to BYU, and they may not have the highest standards.  The goal of BYU and the honor code is to recruit only students who will help there to be a better atmosphere there.  They make the argument mostly through ethos.  They establish a lot of credibility by quoting both ancient and modern-day scripture to show why it’s important to be clean and honest.  They base the honor code on the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is important to most of the people that apply to BYU.  A problem with their reasons was that although it was accurate, if someone is applying to BYU who isn’t religious, the reasons and credibility will mean nothing to them.  So the reasons are focused completely towards members of the church, and not at all towards others who don’t understand the church’s standpoint.  I think that it is effective because most people that I know that haven’t come to BYU say they’d rather not because they don’t want to live the honor code.  Most of those that come to BYU choose to live the honor code also, so it is effective to me. 

Rhetorical Analysis- Song

The song I chose to write about is called “Play-Doh” by the Aquabats.  The audience is adult males that have left all of their childish dreams and thoughts behind, and have grown up and forgotten what being young is like.  The goal is to remind those adults of the good old worry-free days of their childhood.  The argument is made mostly through ethos and pathos.  Ethos is used because the Aquabats use many things that are familiar to us: Play-Doh, ice cream, Star Wars figurines, Lincoln Logs, Scooby Doo, and many others.  That helps me relate to my childhood, because those are the exact things I liked when I was a kid.  Pathos is used, because it is a happy, upbeat tune where the chorus repeats “Take me back to my happy land”.  This makes the audience feel like there’s something missing in their life, and that something is their childhood memories.  As far as the reasons go, I think the accuracy of the research/reasons were sufficient to convince the audience.  I also believe that the reasons are extremely relevant.  I think that many people leave their childhood behind and act more mature than they really are.  I think the argument is quite effective, because it deals with a real situation and the tone is very childish and playful, reminding the audience of the good old days where they didn’t have to worry about anything.