Guided Notes for Analyzing Rhetoric Lecture

SOAPSTone Analysis Guide

Speaker (Slide 4) Who is the Speaker? -The voice that tells the story. -The author/speaker and any background information that might bear upon his/her text. Students should go beyond merely identifying the Speaker by name (occasionally, none will be given). They should be able to apply outside knowledge to Speaker, or infer traits from the text itself. What is the Occasion? -The time and the place of the piece; the context that encouraged the writing to happen. -The event that triggered the response. Students should contextualize historical events or the environment of ideas that led to a text being produced. Students should also be able to summarize the events in a few words or phrases. Who is the Audience? -The group of readers/listeners to whom a piece is directed. -The specific person, small group, or larger group a piece is aimed at. There may be multiple audiences, and the audience(s) may need to be discovered through student inference of the level of discourse in the text, the diction, the connation of chosen words, and the traits of the Speaker. What is the Purpose? -The reason behind the text. -What the Speaker wants the Audience to think or do as a result of reading/listening to the piece. Students should apply social, cultural, historical, etc. perspectives to a text to discover what the author/Speaker is attempting to reveal about those perspectives. They should be able to examine the logic of the argument and/or the themes and interpretations being presented. What is the Subject? -The general topic, content, and ideas contained in the text. -The larger context of the text (related to Occasion and Purpose) Students should go beyond the immediate occasion to discover the larger context or issue that eventually led to the triggering Occasion. This should be stated in a few words or a phrase. What is the Tone? -The attitude of the author/Speaker. -The meaning imparted by the author that goes beyond the literal; how the author feels about the subject Students should analyze diction, syntax, connation, and imagery to determine the attitude being presented.

Occasion (Slide 5)

Audience (Slide 6)

Purpose (Slide 7)

Subject (Slide 8)

Tone (Slide 9)

Gettysburg Address Questions (Slide 10) 1. (Speaker): Who is the Speaker? What do we know about this historical person? 2. (Occasion): Where and when did the speech take place? In what context? What is the rhetorical occasion of the text? 3. (Audience): Toward whom is the text directed? What assumptions can you make about the intended audience? 4. (Purpose): What is the message? In what ways does the author convey the message of the purpose? 5. (Subject): What is the general topic, content, or idea contained in the text? 6. (Tone): What is the tone or attitude expressed by the speaker? How does the diction, syntax and imagery point to the tone? Ethos, Logos, Pathos Analysis Guide (Slide 11)
Ethos Logos The Ethical Appeal -Based on the character, credibility, or reliability of the writer. Appeal to Reason -Relies on logic or reason. -Logos often depends on the use of inductive and deductive reasoning. Inductive Reasoning: takes on a specific representative case or facts and then draws generalizations or conclusions from them. Deductive Reasoning: begins with a generalization and then applies it to a specific case. Emotional Appeal -Appeals to an audiences needs, values, and emotional sensibilities.

Pathos

Chipotle-The Scarecrow Question (Slide 12) 1. (Ethos): What kind of image does Chipotle project to the audience of its company? In what ways in the clip does Chipotle try to promote this image? 2. (Logos): Does the clip use inductive reasoning, deductive reasoning, or both? In what ways? 3. (Pathos): How does Chipotle use music and imagery to appeal to the audiences emotions?

Cartoon Analysis Guide (Slide 13)

Symbolism Cartoonists use simple objects, or symbols, to stand for larger concepts or ideas. After you identify the symbols in a cartoon, think about what the cartoonist means each symbol to stand for. Sometimes cartoonists overdo, or exaggerate, the physical characteristics of people or things in order to make a point. When you study a cartoon, look for any characteristics that seem overdone or overblown. (Facial characteristics and clothing are some of the most commonly exaggerated characteristics.) Then, try to decide what point the cartoonist was trying to make by exaggerating them. Cartoonists often label objects or people to make it clear exactly what they stand for. Watch out for the different labels that appear in a cartoon, and ask yourself why the cartoonist chose to label that particular person or object. Does the label make the meaning of the object more clear? An analogy is a comparison between two unlike things. By comparing a complex issue or situation with a more familiar one, cartoonists can help their readers see it in a different light. After youve studied a cartoon for a while, try to decide what the cartoons main analogy is. What two situations does the cartoon compare? Once you understand the main analogy, decide if this comparison makes the cartoonists point more clear to you. Irony is the difference between the ways things are and the way things should be, or the way things are expected to be. Cartoonists often use irony to express their opinion on an issue. When you look at a cartoon, see if you can find any irony in the situation the cartoon depicts. If you can, think about what point the irony might be intended to emphasize. Does the irony help the cartoonist express his or her opinion more effectively?

Exaggeration

Labeling

Analogy

Irony

Political Cartoon Questions (Slide 14) 1. How does the cartoonist use symbolism in this cartoon? 2. Can you identify any exaggeration? 3. Why did the cartoonist choose to label the particular objects that he labeled? Do the labels make the meaning of the objects more clear? 4. What two situations does the cartoon compare? 5. How does the cartoonist use irony and does it help express his or her opinion more effectively?

Project: Create Your Own Political Cartoon 1. Choose an issue to base your cartoon on and the message that you want to get across. 2. Use at least 3 out of the 5 cartoon techniques when creating your cartoon. 3. After drawing your cartoon, write an analysis of the different techniques that you used in your cartoon and how it relates to your message on a separate piece of paper. (1 paragraph for each technique)