Duffey, Tyler T.

From DigitalRhetoricCollaborative

Rhetorical Analysis: Draft One

Rhetorical Analysis is the practice of analyzing “rhetorical artifacts” (Hart) in order to determine how the artifact, or text, works and how well it achieves its purpose. This can be done by examining what the purpose is and how the text’s design and structure advances or diminishes that purpose. Analyzing a text using rhetoric is viewing the text as a form of communication from the author of the text to the audience. In this analysis, one does not view the text as something purely aesthetic, but rather as a text that has a specific purpose to accomplish.

Contents 1 Rhetoric 2 Purpose 3 Design 4 References

Rhetoric Purpose Design

Rhetoric

“Rhetoric means the use of symbols to influence thought and action”^[1] "if a text doesn’t induce change, then it isn’t rhetorically successful”^[2]

Purpose

The purpose(s) of a text is the reason for its existence. Why was the text created, and what were the intentions of the author? These are questions that should be asked when analyzing a text. Determining who the author is, the audience, the context, and the genre of the text can all help to answer these questions.

Design

The design of a text can determine whether or not a text achieves its purpose. In their book Writer/Designer Kristin Arola, Jennifer Sheppard, and Cheryl Ball focus on five design concepts: emphasis, contrast, organization, alignment, and proximity.^[3] They describe what these concepts are and how they are used in a text.

• Emphasis is when certain elements of a text such as a word, group of words, or an image are stressed over other elements in order to give them more importance. Examining what elements are emphasized in a text can reveal the primary subjects of the text as well as the author’s
• Contrast is the
• Organization refers to the way elements are arranged in the finished text. It can also be useful to guide the audiences
• Alignment, like organization can guide the audience’s gaze
• Proximity

References

1. ↑ Foss Sonja K., Rhetorical Criticism: Exploration and Practice, (Illinois: Waveland Press, 1989), 4.
2. ↑ Arola, Kristin L., Sheppard, Jennifer, Ball, Cheryl E., Writer/Designer, (New York: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2014), 31-37.
3. ↑ Arola, Kristin L., Sheppard, Jennifer, Ball, Cheryl E., Writer/Designer, (New York: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2014), 31-37.