Running head: RHETORICAL ANALYSIS 1

Rhetorical Analysis:

Soil Geomorphology

by Raymond Daniels and Richard Hammer

Branden Montero

The University of Texas at El Paso

RWS 1301

Dr. Vierra

October 12, 2018

RHETOICAL ANALYSIS 2

Abstract

The problem that is being understood is why rhetorical appeals are important to

understand. The participates that are included in this are Soil Geomorphology. The research that

is occurring is gathering information from previous scholars and books to further understand the

issue. Rhetorical analysis is an important issue to understand as part of the findings.

RHETOICAL ANALYSIS 3

Rhetorical Analysis

Soil Geomorphology

Kain and Wardle (2004) agreed that key concepts for rhetoric are necessary to be

explained (p. 325) While analyzing readings it is necessary to understand these appeals, because

it’s important to understand the different ways the author is trying to appeal to us. It is significant

to understand these rhetorical appeals as you can apply them into your own writings to appeal to

the audience. The authors of the book used these appeals to be able to appeal to the audience that

allowed me to understand the points and main ideas.

The monograph of Soil geomorphology is written by more than one author however it

argues only one argument. According to Daniels and Hammer (1992), soil geomorphology is

when a scientist uses techniques to investigate soils. This type of technique is necessary in

determining the soil and how it react to the water. This is necessary for the research project as it

has to do with Arroyos. Because soil forms a change into arroyos, when the rain water has run

off from the mountain. This is why geomorphology is important because it allows to know if

there will be more of these arroyos and how they form. Because it’s known how the soil in the

area will react to the rain water that runs down from the mountain. This book leads to a certain

type of genre for the discourse community.

According to Bhatia (1997), genre is a study of academic or professional settings. Genres

can have a broad range when it comes to categories. They can range from: poetry, Sci-Fi, and

more. In literature most, scholars base their genres usually off of two different kinds of genres.

The first one is called a Monograph which is a scholarly book that makes one argument. The

second kind of genre is called an Anthology, this has many arguments that are made up of many

arguments. Both of these genres share in common many things however the main one being that

the claim is usually always on the title of the novel or book. The genre that fits this book are the
RHETOICAL ANALYSIS 4

people that need information about their environment and how soil varies from different land

forms.

Discussion

Audience

Audience according to Wardle and Downs (2004), is when the speech is given before the

assembly (p.333). The authors are taking an interdisciplinary approach to reach a broader

audience. The reason that it is so broad is because it can range from many different people

reading the content. The reason this ranges it because it can go from the intended audience to the

actual audience. For the intended audience the author takes an interdisciplinary approach to make

a narrower approach. It was going to be for the people or students that were looking for

information on geomorphology. Which is the study of soil and how the land can change from it.

The actual audience is still the same, because the audience for this book is not for the general

public, it is intended more for an academic audience. According to Ede and Lunsford (1984) The

author needs to make to it more (p.154). This is needed because then the audience would become

too broad and there would be no focus on a certain audience.

Ethos

Explained by Wardle and Downs (2004), ethos is good character that consequent

credibility of the rhetor (p. 336). In Soil Geomorphology, the book is written by two different

authors that share the same concepts and ideas, this gives them credibility because they went to

school to study geomorphology and they both come together to write a book that gives it more

credibility. The first author Raymond Daniels studied at North Carolina State University. The

second author studied at University of Missouri (p. 5). Throughout the course of the book they

refer to previous books with information on soil and the affect that water has on it. As they
RHETOICAL ANALYSIS 5

mention “that no one is an expert in the field they study” (preface), so they try their best by

gathering other information to give the most precise information available. They do also mention

that they have 10 years of field experience with mapping soils (p. 15).

Pathos

Wardle and Downs (2004) claimed that pathos is an effective text will somehow activate

or draw upon the sympathies and emotions of the auditors (p. 338). While reading Soil

Geomorphology it is hard to have an emotional appeal to it at first. During the beginning you not

have any emotional connection because you don’t realize how it may pertain to you as it only

talks about “soil the reason why the soil varies on landscape”. (p. 1). Until the people of this field

of study are able to make the connection about how the soil can affect people. The main problem

that can occur from this may be landslides that can take away people’s homes. The way that it

can connect here to El Paso is through the arroyos. Once these arroyos overfill they can begin to

flood people’s homes and cause major issues to their homes. This is how the emotional appeal

begins to take over to the way that it can affect personal belongings.

Logos

Wardle and Downs (2004) claimed that logos is modes of reasoning that the audience

finds convincing and persuasive (p 338). In Soil Geomorphology, the authors are arguing one

point. The argument is that they are trying to show how soil properties vary (p. 3). By them

doing this it allows them to help problems that soil can have affect on. Some people will only

understand this however that are in this discourse community of studying this information. To

normal people it would just see like regular information. Instead the data that is included

provides information about how the soil works in different areas especially to water in that area.
RHETOICAL ANALYSIS 6

Conclusion

Its significant to understand the rhetorical appeals because so they can be applied to your

own work to be able to appeal to the audience. By knowing the meaning of each of these appeals

we can better understand the way the author is trying to grab our attention. By not noticing this it

makes it harder to understand what the author is trying to prove.

RHETOICAL ANALYSIS 7

Reference

Downs, D., Wardle, E. (2017). Rhetoric: How is meaning constructed in context? Writing about

writing: A college reader (3rd ed., pp. 447-456). Boston, New York: Bedford /St.

Martin’s.

Daniels, R. B., & Hammer, R. D. (1992). Soil geomorphology New York: Wiley, c1992. Retrieved

from http://0-

search.ebscohost.com.lib.utep.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=cat04704a&AN=nug.b1481850

&site=eds-live&scope=site

Bhatia, V. K. (1997). Applied Genre Analysis and. DOCUMENT RESUME, 142.