Rhetorical Analysis #5

The following is an analysis of an article called “The effects of binge drinking on college students’ next-day academic test-taking performance and mood state”:

What are the consequences of binge drinking on college student’s next day academic testing performance and mood state?

Claim: Binge drinking decreases academic performance and mood.

Reason: Because high blood alcohol levels are detrimental to memory, self-esteem, and the ability to focus.

Implicit assumption: Whatever is detrimental to memory, self-esteem and the ability to focus also decreases academic performance and mood.

Audience: Other researchers and medical professionals who are concerned about how much college students drink.

Goal: Do more research on this topic and help college students realize that drinking can be detrimental not only to their physical and emotional health but also to their mental health.

How: This is a peer reviewed article, which gives it a lot of credibility. What adds to this credibility is the fact that it was conducted by researchers that are from the Youth Alcohol Prevention Center at Boston University School of Public Health, the Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies at Brown University, the Abt Associates, and the Boston Medical Center. They also explain in detail how the study was conducted, so the reader can trust them and their results because they are explained step-by-step. Also, they were very honest about their findings. From the beginning of the article, it seemed like they were convinced that they would find evidence to support their claim, yet they did not. They did not try to spin the results in a way that would favor their claim, they simple stated the facts. At the end, they did say that they still believed their original claim: binge drinking would affect academic performance. However, they realized that the way they tested academic performance was not the only way performance is evaluated. So it is possible that drinking affects other areas, just not the area that they tested. There is not much pathos in this article, mostly statistics and concrete evidence. The logic of the article goes hand in hand with ethos. It is credible and logical research. Their methods are well-thought out and carried out carefully. There is logic in the way they conducted the research, they made sure other factors like sleep deprivation, caffeine and alcohol consumption, and pregnancy would not get in the way of their results. The article gives sufficient information. As I read it, some of the information went a little over my head, and I would be able to have read the article without it, but considering the target audience, I’m sure this technical information was needed. It is typical for a research study. It was actually quite a bit easier to read than other studies I have read before, so they may have wanted to make it typical for a larger audience, so not just other researchers and medical professionals could understand it. It must be accurate since it is peer-reviewed. It is very relevant to the target audience and the topic of drinking.

Effectiveness: Unfortunately, it does not persuade me to believe their claim, simply because the research could not prove it. Therefore, the lynch pin is the research.

Rhetorical Analysis #4--My Paper A

What are the consequences of a mother’s dissatisfaction with her body on her daughter?

Claim: A mother’s dissatisfaction with her body increases the chance that her daughter will have an eating disorder.

Reason: Because a mother’s constant statements of worry about food and weight gain causes her daughter to have unhealthy expectations of her own body.

Implicit Assumption: Whatever causes females to have unhealthy expectations of their bodies also results in eating disorders.

Audience: LDS, middle-aged, stay-at-home moms of teenage or young adult daughters. This target audience is also middle to upper class, has positive relationships with their children and is self-conscious of their overweight bodies (with BMIs greater than 27).

Goal: To get mothers to be a better role model for their daughters and be healthy without being extreme with dieting and exercising habits.

How: The argument is meant to be built on ethos and logos but falls short. The ethos consists of some research from psychologists that are studying eating disorders or similar subjects. Though the research is accurate, it is not sufficient. There are not enough statistics and research to prove the point effectively. The paper consists of mostly opinion, and there is not enough evidence to make the argument persuasive. The logos of the paper also falls short, there is some logic but not enough. There is also a great deal of emotion that the writer is experiencing but this only translates to feelings of guilt and anxiety for the reader. Though this may be a typical way to speak to the particular audience, it may not be the best way. Taking your audience on a guilt trip is not a sure way that they will listen to what you have to say. You need to become your audience’s friend. Let them trust you, and then as a friend, try to convince them that they need to change. The writer tries to become the audience’s friend by relating to them towards the end, talking about “our daughters.” Yet the writer does not have a teenage daughter and is lying to their audience. The writer needs to be honest about who she is: a daughter instead of the audiences’ peer. The overall argument is relevant to the audience because they are concerned about their weight and concerned about keeping a positive relationship with their children. If they can be convinced that their anxiety about their weight could possibly be straining their relationships, they may decide to stop.

Effectiveness: The paper is not very effective. I think what would make it effective is to decrease the feelings of guilt that the readers experience, increase credibility with the audience (through writer-reader trust and more credible research), and add more logic to the arguments. The writer is so emotionally involved in this discussion that logic is lacking. I believe that logic would be the lynch pin in this case. If these mothers have already read up on the research and are emotionally connected to the argument, they will need logic to convince them that they need to change.

Rhetorical Analysis #3--Speech

What are the consequences of education on children’s creativity?

Claim: Education instructs children out of creativity.

Reason: Because schools are more worried about educating one part of children’s brain rather than their whole being.

Implicit Assumption: Whatever educates one part of a child’s brain rather than their whole being also instructs children out of creativity.

Audience: American adults at the 2006 TED (Technology Entertainment and Design) conference; these are people who value imagination and innovation.

Goal: To radically review our view of intelligence; we need to realize that it is diverse, dynamic, and distinct. We need to rethink the fundamental principles on which we educate our children.

How: The credibility for this speech is mostly based on the fact that it was presented at the TED conference. This is a conference that some of the most famous and celebrated innovators come to and present their ideas: Bill Gates, J.J. Abrams, Richard Dawkins, J.K. Rowling, and Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin. He builds ethos by making reference to some of the other presenters, showing that he pays attention to what his audience values. Another way Sir Ted Robinson builds ethos and credibility is through building an immediate relationship with the audience. He creates this relationship through pathos and through his humor and lightheartedness he connects to the audience instantly. He also connects to his audience by having them reflect on something that they value: education. He tells stories that cause emotions like amusement, concern, and empathy. Yet with his particular audience, Robinson spends the most time on logos. He claims that with the education inflation (more and more people are graduating with college degrees), suddenly degrees aren’t worth anything, implying that something else must be gained throughout education such as creativity. He also explains that kids like to take risks, they are not afraid to be wrong, yet our society is educating them out of their creative capacities. Education often tells students that what they are good at or what they like to do (like the arts) are not important or valued in society and will never help them find a job. This speech is sufficient, there is so much more he could have said but in his time allotment, he said just enough. He presented stories, facts, and logic for the audience to take away and ponder. This is a typical speech for the TED conference and for the target audience. It is also very accurate. Although he seems to give a lot of his own opinion, he uses some facts to back up his logic. He also uses stories about real people to prove his accuracy. His story about Gillian Lynne proves his point that creative and artistic people can be successful if education allows them to be. Overall, it is very relevant to the conference and the audience who value imagination and innovation.

Effectiveness: This is a very effective and entertaining speech. This particular target audience would not be persuaded without the use of logic, thus, the logic is the lynch pin. Robinson realizes this and uses a lot of logic to build his argument.

Rhetorical Analysis 2

What are the consequences of destitute families on the wellbeing of the American nation?

Claim: Destitute families diminish the wellbeing of the nation.

Reason: Because destitute families decrease the economic stability of the nation.

Implicit Assumption: Whatever decreases the economic stability of the nation also diminishes the wellbeing of the nation.

The target audience are employed American Christians—those who are sympathetic to the needs of others, are charitable, and are still fairly well off despite the Depression.

The goal is to help those who are not heavily affected by the Depression (target audience) realize how the other half is living and then have them reach out to help those that are in need.

The photograph is of a real family, nothing is fictitious or staged. This contributes to its accuracy and ethos. Another factor that contributes to the photograph’s ethos is the photographer, Dorothea Lange, who is a well-known photographer and the targeted audience will be able to appreciate her work as well as be touched by it. This brings me to pathos, which is used heavily in this piece. This photograph evokes feelings of empathy in the audience for the desperation and hopelessness of the mother and her children. It also stirs up a kind of motherliness; good Christian women will want to reach out and comfort her and her sweet children. It might also evoke a feeling of responsibility in Christian men. After all, we do not see a paternal figure, and the men in the targeted audience may feel it is their duty to look after the widows and the fatherless. It may also make the audience realize that if they do not help now, how many more families will end up this way and create a terribly unstable nation? This contributes to the logos of the piece. Another factor that contributes to logos is the idea that some Christians may have: If you are not charitable, you are not Christian. The photograph is very sufficient as is, without the context of her surroundings or color. What matters most is her desperation and the scene is more pitiful without the brightness of color. Her surroundings could or could not add to the argument and desperation. This may not be a typical photograph that the target audience has seen, and they may be shocked at first to realize how the other half lives, which will cause them to act and come to her aid. The photograph is relevant to the argument and the audience because Americans who care about others and the wellbeing of the nation will help her destitute family.

Overall it is very effective for those who have a heart, but the stingy scrooges will still suppress their sums. This photograph would not be effective without the emotion of desperation that the mother portrays. This desperation evokes a sense of urgency in the audience to act NOW and come to her rescue.

Citibank Commercial Rhetorical Analysis

This advertisement argues that Citibank is the best at protecting card holders from identity theft. The target audience is hard working—American, lower to middle class, middle to upper aged, and own credit cards. This audience does not have corporate jobs but works hard to make a good living for themselves and their families. The goal of this advertisement is for the audience to call or visit the website to learn more, and then ultimately get a Citibank card. The commercial “hooks” the audience with humor (pathos). The woman’s voice coming out of a man catches the viewer off-guard—this is not a typical way to sell a product—yet the mismatched voice hooks their attention long enough to watch the 30 second advertisement. Along with making the audience laugh, the commercial makes the viewers feel empathetic because the thief is taking away a lot of the victim’s hard-earned money. They also feel anxious that if this could happen to the victim, Richard P., it could happen to them. This idea also contributes to the logos of the commercial because it shows that some people will stop at nothing to get what they want, and viewers realize that nothing exempts them from identity theft. If they want security, they need protection. In terms of ethos, the credibility comes from the identity theft victim, Richard P. Yet is he a real victim or just an actor? That answer contributes to the ethos and accuracy of the commercial. Some viewers may believe that he really is a victim, and others will not. Their opinion may cause them to look into the card or not. The commercial sufficiently hooks the audience by giving some information and then leaving the rest to their curiosity. The commercial is relevant to the goal of persuading the audience to get a Citibank card, and is also relevant to the audience who want to protect their hard earned money and retirement funds. This commercial is effective in catching the attention of viewers and in persuading them to visit the website to learn more. The lynch pin is when the female identity thief says, “It’s not my money, but great taste don’t come cheap cookie!” This line causes anxiety because the viewers realize that to her, the card holder is just a vehicle to get what she wants, not a working family man with mouths to feed at home.