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Dan Jones

Eng.1520

Assignment C- Rhetorical Analysis

Due: 3/30

Thus far in the semester we have been learning about rhetorical analysis. That is, how to hone

our powers of persuasion. Not all arguments are created equal. The most impactful ones are going to be

taking stock of our audience. The mode of persuasion will likely have balanced ethos/pathos/logos into

the most effective mixture. This mixture is going to account for the audience and will likely change

depending on a number of factors (a Rogerian or Toulmin argument may be deployed). Is the argument

utilizing any fallacies? If so, are the fallacies utilized in a transparent way? Are they being used

effectively?

Below you will find a list of speeches that are certainly effective. Some of them may be unfairly

manipulative, but none-the-less, they are indeed effective. For this assignment I would like you to

unpack the relative effectiveness of one of these speeches. You are to analyze your chosen speech

rhetorically and explain what it is doing well. Note: you need not agree with a single thing the speaker is

positing, you simply need to note how it persuades.

To successfully analyze the speech in question you must first determine its purpose and its

intended audience. Does it do an effective job of reaching that audience? What strategies does it

employ? What sort of mixture of pathos/logos/ethos does it use?

All of these speeches have ethical insights to be gleaned. Be sure to write a bit about the moral

dimensions of the rhetors vision and words.

To do this effectively you will likely need to do some research so that you have the full context

the speech is being made in. This might be biographical research. Perhaps historical. In any case, three

sources are required. All sources should be properly cited and included in a works cited page. As usual,

the paper should be formatted using MLA standards. The essay should be no shorter than three pages.

Use this speech for this essay http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/blackspeech/mx.html