Reading Analytically

On a sheet of paper list three topics on which you’d consider yourself to be an expert.

If a non-expert were to observe one of these three things what would they likely notice about it?

What sort of things would you be able to observe in this area that a non-expert would not likely consider?

Emotional Reading When most “normal” people read they read for pleasure.

We’ll call this emotional reading Focuses heavily on plot and surface level meaning Some texts pretty much ask to be read this way “Beach reading” tends to be emotional reading. It’s read for

the immediate gratification of the reader.

Analytical Reading As with anything else, an expert reader is able to

notice things in a text that a normal reader will probably miss.

When your English teacher tells you that a certain character is a Christ Figure, they’re not pulling this out of the air. They’ve simply been doing it long enough that they know what to look for.

If reading emotionally is reading for plot, then reading analytically is reading for pattern and conventions

Analytical Reading Always remember that the purpose of

language is to EXPRESS meaning, not to hide it.

They’re only hidden meanings if you don’t know how to look for them.

Respond to the followingKurt Vonnegut asked Syd Solomon,

“How do you tell a good picture from a bad one.”

He said, “Look at a million pictures, and you can never be mistaken.”

Vonnegut passed this on to his daughter, Edith Vonnegut, who is a painter and she said she “could rollerskate through the Louvre, saying, ‘Yes, no, no, yes, no, yes,’ and so on.”

Elements of Analytic Reading -Memory Quite simply, the more of an art form that

we ingest, the more patterns and archetypes will begin to emerge.

Archetype – Five dollar word for pattern or for the mythic origin on which a pattern is based

E.G. A dark and stormy night typically foreshadows some sort of future turmoil.

Elements of Analytic Reading- Symbolic Thinking Everything isn’t always symbolic, but in

good literature symbols do show up a lot. An analytical reader always has his or her

eyes peeled for symbols. In the epic poem Beowulf, Grendel is a

monster, but an analytic reader will be asking what else Grendel might represent.

Elements of Analytic ReadingPattern Recognition With a big enough memory bank and symbolic

thinking engaged patterns will emerge that can be analyzed by the perceptive reader.

THIS is what literary analysis is! It’s not reading someone else’s literary criticism! It’s about thinking for yourself and developing solid opinions that you can present confidently.

“Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne After reading the story write a one page reaction to

it. If this story is about more than just a man walking through the woods, then what is it’s meaning? How do you know? Back yourself up with evidence from the Do this ON YOUR OWN. Do not consult outside sources.

After writing your response, take some time to research the story (use your ipads). What things do the experts notice that you missed?

What prior information did the experts need to have access to in order to come to their conclusions?

Discussion How do the experts use memory, symbols,

and pattern recognition to come to an analytic interpretation of Hawthorne’s story?

Quests Brainstorm: What elements must be in

place for a story to be considered a quest?

5 Elements of a Quest (usually) A quester (obviously) A place to go (not always a physical

destination) A STATED reason for the quest (usually

not the real reason) Trials encountered on quest The REAL reason for the quest

Spoiler Alert!!! The REAL reason for the quest is ALWAYS

the acquisition of self knowledge. Ok maybe not ALWAYS. We don’t use

words like “never” and “always” much in literary analysis.

Even so, this is (very often) the real reason for the quest.

How do these works fit the archetype of a quest? Harry Potter Star Wars The Lion King The Wizard of Oz Lord of the Rings Chronicles of Narnia The Odyssey

“The Swimmer” by John Cheever Write three questions you have about the text. How does Cheever use the quest archetype to

create meaning in “The Swimmer?” (one page response)

What other patterns or symbols do you suspect might be working in the text? Take some stabs! Remember that any answer can be a good one if it’s argued well!

Irony 3 kinds

- Situational- Verbal- Dramatic

Irony trumps all! If a dark stormy night is treated ironically all

bets are off. The writer is intentionally trying to subvert our anticipated meaning for some reason.

Irony Most works of literature fixate on the

struggles (and often triumphs) of characters who are our equals or even superiors.

Ironic works typically show characters who struggle futilely against forces that you or I would likely be able to overcome.

Irony Irony can be used in a variety of ways for a

variety of purposes. The big take away is to remember that irony

seeks to intentionally subvert the reader’s expectations by altering the patterns we’re accustomed to.

It’s easy enough to spot, but we have to ask WHY the author would employ irony. How does it enrich his/her writing?

Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett Heads up! This is a weird play! Beckett is often credited with being a major

contributor to absurdist theater One play: Scream—Walk Across the Stage

—Scream This thing is WIDE open for interpretation.

The critics argue and disagree about it all the time so make your OWN meaning.

Waiting for Godot Existentialism – The basic idea that life, in

and of itself, has no extrinsic meaning Through our own free will, choice and

personal responsibility we construct our own personal meaning of life

Events in life are usually chaotic and eschew easy categorization

Largely the result of World War II

Waiting for Godot “I don’t know who Godot is. I don’t even know (above all don’t know)

if he exists. And I don’t know if they believe in him or not, those two who are waiting for him. The other two who pass by towards the end of each of the two acts, that must be to break up the monotony. All I knew I showed. It’s not much, but it’s enough for me, by a wide margin. I’ll even say that I would have been satisfied with less. As for wanting to find in all that a broader, loftier meaning to carry away from the performance, along with the program and the Eskimo pie, I cannot see the point of it. But it must be possible ... Estragon, Vladimir, Pozzo, Lucky, their time and their space, I was able to know them a little, but far from the need to understand. Maybe they owe you explanations. Let them supply it. Without me. They and I are through with each other.” - Samuel Beckett

Waiting for Godot Make notes on the text as you read. What looks

important? We can always decide that it’s irrelevant later if we have to.

What three big questions do you have about the text? How does Beckett use irony to build meaning in the

text? What other patterns and symbols do you suspect might

be at work in the text? Defend your answer!

Food What reason would an author have for

writing a scene in which the characters have a meal?

What are some famous meals fictionally or historically? What do they have in common?

Food Food ALWAYS (nearly at least) symbolizes

communion. Does the picture below look familiar?

Food Communion basically means coming

together. Think of the word “community.” Eating is a very personal act that you don’t

want to do with just anyone. You could be poisoned! Someone could spit on your burger! It’s about sharing and we usually do this with people we know.

Food Even though “The Last Supper” might be

our cultural touchstone for communion, all communions in literature are not necessarily holy.

Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus Communion is about sharing an

experience. It puts everyone on common ground. A king and a serf both have to eat!

Food Then again, sometimes food is just food. Still, if you were an author would you be

interested in writing meal scenes just so we could watch someone eat?

How much fun do you have when you sit at a table and watch someone else eat?

“Cathedral” by Raymond Carver Write three questions you have about the

story. In what ways does Carver use the idea of

communion to further the meaning of the story (one page minimum)?

What other patterns or symbols do you think might be in play in the text? Explain.

Bellringer! What stories do we share as a culture?

How could a writer use these shared stories to their advantage?

Allusion - a figure of speech that makes a reference to,

or a representation of, people, places, events, literary work, myths, or works of art, either directly or by implication

A writer is wise to make allusions to things that he believes his audience will have some exposure to

Some allusions are overt while others are much more subtle

But Why? Allusion allows a writer to import large

amounts of meaning into a work in a small amount of time.

A writer could tell us in a sentence, paragraph or multiple pages about how a character is suffering or he could make an allusion to the biblical Job. What would be the advantage of the latter?

Allusions Allusions can come from anywhere, but

there are a few major sources in Western Literature

Shakespeare The Bible Fairy Tales Greek and Roman Mythology

Allusions (Shakespeare) Shakespeare’s influence on literature cannot be

understated He is probably the most famous writer to ever live and

people who study literature have read at least a handful of his plays

Sometimes writers simply allude to Shakespeare and other times they’ll completely rework his plays for more modern purposes

Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead

Allusions (Shakespeare) [Life’s] a tale / Told by an idiot, full of sound and

fury / Signifying nothing We few, we happy few, we band of brothers By the pricking of my thumbs, / Something

wicked this way comes O brave new word, / That has such people in’t To be, or not to be, that is the question.

Allusions (The Bible) Christianity is the largest religious force in

our culture and for this reason it makes for easy allusion

If you were reading Indian literature you might run into more from The Bhagavad Gita; in Middle Eastern literature you’d see allusions to The Koran

Allusions (The Bible) Creation of the Universe Expulsion from Eden (Paradise)

Felix Culpa – the fortunate fall Noah and the Flood The Gospel story Revelation (end times) The list goes on and on and on and on…

Allusions (The Bible) A biblical allusion need not necessarily be

religious “Even the Devil can quote scripture” Rather the Bible is usually used to show

universal struggles that have plagued many throughout time

After all, isn’t the Bible meant to be a guide on how man deals with these struggles?

Allusions (Fairy Tales) Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel,

Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Rapunzel Ever heard of these? That’s why writers like using them! Consider the central message of each of

these tales. They (like the Bible) tend to be about timeless human struggles AND most of us already know them

Disney vs. The Grimm Brothers In our culture we’ve become accustomed to the

kid friendly versions of these stories often used in Disney movies

Sometimes writers will find reason to allude to these versions of the stories

The Grimm Brothers (as their name seems to suggest) wrote the tales originally and they were filled with violence, sex, and debauchery (not the stuff you’d read to a kid!)

Disney vs. The Grimm Brothers Disney created the versions that MOST modern readers

are familiar with However, historically the Grimm Brothers have had

more enduring popularity Considering the time and culture of the author could be

helpful in determining which versions are being alluded to

Pretentious writers would often rather look to the source than the watered down Disney retellings

Allusion (Greek and Roman Myth) Throughout much of Western civilization a

Classical education meant a working knowledge of Greek and Roman Mythology

In some ways this is our original literature and much of what’s still written today is based off of it.

In the absence of advanced Science, ancient cultures often used myth to explain the seemingly inexplicable

Allusion (Greek and Roman Myth) Homer’s Illiad and Odyssey Virgil’s Aeneid Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex Ovid’s Metamorphoses Daedelus and Icarus Demeter and Persephone

“Araby” by James Joyce Monster of Literature Wrote Ulysses (Greek Mythology Allusion) To help you out I’m going to go ahead and

tell you that in this story we’re looking for Biblical allusion. It’s not particularly overt.

“Araby” Take notes as you read. What looks important? What Biblical story does Joyce seem to be

alluding to? How does this allusion help to create meaning in the work?

What three questions do you have about the text?

What other patterns or symbols do you notice? Why is the author using them?

Rhetoric (Write and Discuss) What is it? Where do we see it? What is its place in our culture? Why does it matter?

Rhetoric “Rhetoric is, as simply defined as possible, the art of

persuasion: the attempt y one human being to influence another in words. It is no more complicated than that.” From Words Like Loaded Pistols by Sam Leith

In different terms, rhetoric is hustling. Usually thought of in terms of formal oratory, but covers

much more ground than that (Antony’s speech in Julius Caesar

Like literature, rhetoric can be analyzed, broken into parts, and studied

Rhetoric It’s everywhere Very few statements are made on a day to day

basis that are completely devoid of rhetoric Anytime words are used to persuade rhetoric is

in play. Sometimes it’s obvious, but it’s much more insidious when it isn’t

Rather than dealing with certainty (the area of philosophy) rhetoric deals with probability

Rhetoric Rhetoric has developed a negative

connotation in our society “Mere rhetoric,” “only rhetoric,” “just

rhetoric” But there is power in using and

understanding rhetoric How many tyrants control their citizens by

sheer physical force?

Corax and Tisias Thrasybulus was the tyrannical king of

Syracuse (city state on the Island of Sicily) He was overthrown in 465 B.C. This left a power vaccuum. Corax steps in to start reinstituting a power

structure and his understanding of rhetoric is key in this.

Corax and Tisias For pretty obvious reasons, rhetoric and

law go hand in hand. Lawyers deal in rhetoric ALL THE TIME!

Corax was essentially a lawyer and he took on a student named Tisias

Once his teachings are complete Corax issues Tisias a challenge

Corax and Tisias Tisias takes his first case If he wins he has to pay Corax for his

teachings If he loses the fee is waived because Corax

must not have taught him that well Tisias decides to just avoid going to court

altogether and Corax has to sue him

Corax and Tisias Corax argued that, regardless of the

decision he would have to be paid. Either he won the case and would receive

payment OR Tisias would win his first case which

still clearly means that he owes the money.

Corax and Tisias Tisias argued that either Corax would win

the case (meaning Tisias lost his first case and therefore not have to pay)

OR he would defeat Corax (meaning he learned rhetoric DESPITE Corax rather than BECAUSE of him and therefore would not have to pay)

Corax and Tisias BAM! Rhetoric is born Clearly both men can’t be right, but

because of their persuasive use of words both men appear to be right

The judge through both men out saying, “Kakou korakas kakon oon” or “Bad crow, bad egg”

Gorgias and Democracy In 476 B.C. a man named Gorgias brought

rhetoric to Athens and thus the world Athens was working on an experiment called

democracy In Athens anyone could sue anyone and juries

were made of up to 6,000 jury members People quickly learned that being a skilled

speaker was the way to the top in a democratic government

Plato and Rhetoric Plato eventually slams rhetoric for not being

concerned with the truth (paradoxically this is also what we call anti-rhetoric: another form of rhetoric

Argued that rhetoric gave the upper hand to the deceitful and cunning rather than to the truly wise

Distrusted democracy (Athenians voted to kill his teacher Socrates)

Excerpt from Plato’s Gorgias Socrates: [In the case of health] when the rhetorician is

more persuasive than the physician, the ignorant is more persuasive with the ignorant than he who has knowledge? Is not that the inference?

Gorgias: In the case supposed, yes. Socrates: And the same holds of the relation of rhetoric

to all the other arts; the rhetorician need not know the truth about things; he has only to discover some way of persuading the ignorant that he has more knowledge than those who know?

Plato and Rhetoric This is a criticism at is often leveled at

democracy I’ll let you decide what to think of that! All of this was taught to Aristotle, one of

Plato’s star students who later went on to BETRAY HIM!

Aristotle Aristotle eventually starts the Lyceum This is the beginning of the formal study of

Rhetoric It was a class that made him money! Aristotle, like a mathematecian, seeks to break

down rhetoric to see the nuts and bolts of how it works

The result is Aristotle’s Rhetoric; the Bible of all rhetorical study

Aristotle 3 Branches of oratory

JudicialEpideiticDeliberative

3 Rhetorical AppealsEthosPathosLogos

Aristotle Eventually Aristotle passes the torch to the

Roman Cicero Aristotle’s works get buried for a couple

hundred years The Dark Ages come along and rhetoric is

pretty much forgotten about But it’s kept alive in the Arabic world

Rhetoric (History) Eventually this work gets retranslated and

makes it way back into western culture in the 1500s

In education it becomes part of the trivium (Grammar, Logic, Rhetoric)

As democracy spread throughout Europe and America in the late 18th century Rhetoric regains its importance

Rhetoric (History) By the 1920’s rhetoric starts to fall out of

fashion in education It’s been lying dormant ever since Still, we’re surrounded by rhetoric in our

day to day lives If we don’t master rhetoric we leave the

door open for rhetoric to master us

Five Parts of Rhetoric Many people have tried to break down

speech writing in many different ways Instead of going with “beginning, middle,

end” we’ll go with this model: Invention, Arrangement, Style, Memory,

and Delivery

Invention Basically brainstorming Consider all angles and of argument and

counter argument to determine which approach is the best for your intended audience

Even in Aristotle’s Rhetoric he discusses how to approach a young audience differently than an old audience

Invention Aristotle thought there were basically three

ways in:EthosPathosLogos

Ethos Appeals from character Basically establishes why you’re an

authority worth listening to from the start Ethos works best by establishing trust

“My interests are your interests” For logos and pathos to work ethos must

be firmly in place

Ethos Let’s take a look at how Troy McClure

attempts to establish ethos Would you be likely to take Mr. McClure

seriously after these attempts? Why or why not?

Logos Logos = Logic? Well…Not exactly Pure logic is more the territory of

philosophy whereas rhetoric deals in what we might call “fuzzy logic”

Consider this example: “High taxes hurt jobs.” What do you think about the “logic of this statement?

Logos Syllogism : Philosophy :: Enthymeme :

Rhetoric Syllogism:

Socrates is a man.All men are mortal.Socrates is mortal.

You don’t get logic much more solid than that!

Logos Enthymeme examples:

“With a name like Smuckers, it has to be good”“Does this place look like I’m married? The toilet seat’s up man!” from The Big Lebowski“Mark’d ye his words? He did not take the crown. Therefore ‘tis certain he was not ambitious” from Julius Caesar

Logos If logos in terms of rhetoric isn’t pure logic,

we might say instead that logos is SOUNDING reasonable

Analogy is one popular tool that’s used in logos: “Leaving Hussein in power would be like ignoring Hitler.”

While this isn’t necessarily the soundest logic, it sure SOUNDS convincing doesn’t it

Logos In the American court system certainty is

not required, but instead “proof beyond a reasonable doubt”

That makes it a perfect home for rhetoric and enthymemes

Logos A man is on trial for murdering his wife and

the evidence is STACKED against him His lawyer acknowledges this, but says that

the man is no murderer; in fact his wife will walk through the courtroom door at noon.

Everyone waits patiently and at noon all eyes are on the door

His wife never shows up

Logos The lawyer argues that the fact that the jury was

watching the door shows that they believe the possibility of the wife being alive and therefore cannot convict the defendant

The judge however notices that the only person NOT looking at the door and therefore he must be guilty

Two arguments based on enthymemes, but neither constitute definite philosophical proof.

Logos Aristotle argues that logos should be based

off of culturally accepted commonplaces A commonplace is basically common sense

or what a culture considers virtuous, but these can vary from culture to culture and era to era

At one time a flat earth was a commonplace

Logos A few typical western commonplaces

-Prevention is better than the cure-Hard work deserves reward-No means no-You are innocent until proven guilty-All men are created equal

However, in some cultures it’s a commonplace to say that the opinions of women or minorities are irrelevant

Pathos An appeal to emotion Often associated with sadness or pity (think of

those adopt a pet or save a child commercials) But Pathos can refer to any emotion: happiness,

anger, fear, etc. It’s easy to think of Pathos as “cheating”

because it caters to the heart rather than the mind…

Pathos But…is love any less valid than knowledge?

Emotions are at least as important to us as knowledge is

“By the time you throw this flyer in the recycling bin 30 children will have died”

“This is Sarah. She may not live to be two.” Military ads that focus on triumph Drug ads that show happy people cavorting

through fields of daisies

SOAPStone Of course, effective ethos, pathos and

logos varies depending on a number of factors

Ex: What a 90 year old woman finds emotionally persuasive, isn’t likely to be the same thing a child finds emotionally persuasive

SOAPStone Subject Occasion Audience Purpose Speaker Tone

Review Ethos: “Buy my car because I’m Tom

Magliozzi.” Logos: “Buy my old car because yours is broken

and mine is the only one for sale.” Pathos: “Buy my old car or this cute little kitten,

afflicted with a rare degenerative disease, will expire in agony, for my car is the last asset I have in the world, and I am selling it to pay for kitty’s medical treatment.”

Your turn Let’s find examples of ethos, logos, and

pathos on our ipads!

Arrangement If invention is similar to brainstorming, then

arrangement is similar to outlining Throughout the years rhetoricians have divided

speeches up MANY different ways Some are as simple as “beginning, middle,

end,” while others get much more complex Ultimately Quintillian says that speeches need

to be arranged based on the circumstances surrounding it

6 Common Parts of a Speech/Argument Exordium Narration Division Proof Refutation Perorartion

Exordium This is where you (like a hook) grab the

audience’s attention and make them listen Establishing strong a strong ethos appeal

early on will help to do this The goal is to get the audience receptive. If

people don’t trust that you’re worth listening to, the rest of your speech (brilliant or not) is worthless

4 Common Techniques (Exordium) Talk about self Talk about opponent Talk about audience Talk about the facts of the argument

Earl Spenser’s Eulogy and Princess Diana’s Funeral (Pros and Cons?) I stand before you today, the representative of a family in grief, in a

country in mourning, before a world in shock. We are all united, not only in our desire to pay our respects to Diana but rather in our need to do so. For such was her extraordinary appeal that the tens of millions of people taking part in this service all over the world, via television and radio, who never actually met her, feel that they, too, lost someone close to them in the early hours of Sunday morning. It is a more remarkable tribute to Diana than I can ever hope to offer her today.I don’t think she ever understood why her geniunely good intentions were sneered at by the media, why there appeared to be a permanent quest on their behalf to bring her down. It is baffling. My own—and only—explanation is that genuine goodness is threatening to those at the opposite end of the moral spectrum

Narration Statement of facts upon which your

argument rests This sounds straightforward, but remember,

this is rhetoric. WHICH facts you choose to provide and HOW you present them still leaves a lot of room for persuasion

Typically a good narration is brief, clear, and most importantly PLAUSIBLE

Narration Remember there’s HUGE power in being

able to frame the argument yourself. If the argument has been framed by someone else you have to work within those confines.

Look at what happens to former President Clinton here

Narration A good narration is typically a combination of

logos and pathos By this point in the speech ethos should be

pretty well established by the exordium Look for examples of Pathos and Logos in the

example on the following slide Also consider how the argument might be

framed differently if a Republican were giving the speech.

Narration (Obama’s Rescue Plan for the U.S. – 2008) We meet at a moment of great uncertainty for America. The

economic crisis we face is the worst since the Great Depression. Markets across the globe have become increasingly unstable, and millions of Americans will open up their [pension] statements this week and see that so much of their hard-earned savings have disappeared. The credit crisis has left businesses large and small unable to get loans, which means they can’t buy new equipment, or hire new workers, or even make payroll for the workers they have. You’ve got auto plants right here in Ohio that have been around for decades closing their doors and laying off workers who’ve never known another job in their entire life.

Division This section discusses where you and your opponent

agree and (usually after) disagree and is often quite brief

“Orestes killed his mother; on that I agree with my opponents. But did he have the right to commit the deed, and was he justified in committing it. That is in dispute.”

“They admit that Agamemnon was killed by Clytemnestra; yet despite this they say that I ought not to have avenged my father.”

Division Why would you want to agree with your

opponent if your goal is to destroy him/her? Many people often also warn against

presenting too much evidence in your favor. Most suggest that using more than 3 pieces of evidence in the Division section is ill advised.

Why do you think that is?

Proof Now that you’ve established grounds for

the argument and laid out the facts it’s time to “prove” yourself right

Logos plays a very large role in this section Aristotle said that this section is made up of

two kinds of proofs: technical and nontechnical

Proof Technical proofs are those that require

“techne” or technique. These proofs must be created by the orator through the “magic” of rhetoric

Nontechnical proofs are basically different kinds of evidence available to anyone to use. In Aristotles mind there are five of these: laws, witnesses, contracts, tortures, and oaths

Proof (Laws) Laws – what side of the law does the subject in question

fall on and for that matter, which law? Moral? Civil? You’d like to think that the law is a cut and dry matter,

but that’s not the case. This is the reason lawyers have jobs! If you’re arguing against Civil law it’s a good idea to

have some kind of commonplace moral law on your side E.G. Antigone

Proof (Contracts) These work very similarly to laws Contracts can be thought of as “sub-laws” in a

way. However, they don’t apply to the public at large, but rather those involved in the contract

“A contract is a private and particular law, and contracts do not make the law binding, but the laws do make legal contracts so.”

These should be handled in the same manner as laws

Proof (Oaths) This is a bit redundant in modern times

since in court everyone is expected to speak under oath

However, using oaths can still be effectivee.g. “Did you steal the iPhone?”

“No.” “Do you swear on your mother’s life?” “Ok. I stole the iPhone.”

Proof (Witnesses) Aristotle determined 2 kinds of witnesses: modern

witnesses and ancient witnesses Modern witnesses - what we think of when we think of a

witness in a courtroom Ancient witnesses – authorities from the past, proverbs,

commonplaces, etc. Ancient witnesses are useful because authority tends to

gather power over time This is why I mention that Aristotle came up with this stuff.

It has stood the test of time. Why should you just believe me?

Proof (Torture) Fortunately this doesn’t really come into

play in our culture Even Aristotle noted that torture was not all

that useful A confession obtained by torture is, by no

means, necessarily the truth

Refutation Strongly linked to proof, but in this section

your goal is to dismantle the argument of your opponent(s)

If your proof is a bit weak it can be wise to start with refutation

Either/Or Fallacy - Some people will believe that, just because you’ve proven the other side wrong, you must be right!

Refutation There are many ways to refute your

opponent’s claims and they will vary depending upon what you’re arguing

Sometimes misrepresenting the other side can be as effective (if not more) than disproving them

E.g. Obama being labeled by the right as Socialist, Communist, or Muslim

Refutation Attacking or disproving a witness can also be a

powerful point of the refutation Concessio or Concession – Sometimes

admitting that that parts of your opponents argument are correct

This could throw your opponent off and is also likely to make your argument appear more honest since you admit certain faults; builds ethos

Peroration Similar to a conclusion in a paper Ask: How do you want the audience to feel

when you finish speaking Your peroration should be geared towards

the answer to this question We’ve all seen speeches that end in by

bringing the house down like the closing number at a Rolling Stones concert

Peroration Auxesis, repetition, and callbacks to earlier

parts of the speech can be great ways of pulling your speech together

The logos of your speech is probably mostly taken care of at this point and your ethos should be established…This is a good place to amp up the pathos

Peroration (Douglass’s Independence Day Speech) Opens with:

What have I or those I represent to do with your national independence? Are the great principles of political freedom and of natural justice, embodied in that Declaration of Independence extended to us?

He then ends with the following…Make note of what makes this an effective or ineffective peroration

Peroration (Douglass’s Independence Day Speech) At a time like this, scorching irony, not convincing argument,

is needed. Oh! Had I the ability, and could I reach the nation’s ear, I would today pour out a fiery stream of biting ridicule, blasting reproach, withering sarcasm, and stern rebuke. For it is not light that is needed, but fire; it is not the gentle shower, but thunder. We need the storm, the whirlwind, the earthquake. The feeling of the nation must be quickened; the conscience of the nation must be roused; the propriety of the nation must be startled; the hypocrisy of the nation must be exposed; and its crimes against God and man must be denounced…

Peroration (Douglass’s Independence Day Speech)

What to the American slave is your Fourth of July? I answer, a day that reveals to him more than all other days of the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is constant victim. To him your celebration is a sham; your boasted liberty an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sounds of rejoicing are empty and heartless; your shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mock; your prayers and hymns, your sermons and thanksgivings, with all your religious parade and solemnity, are to him mere bombast, fraud, deception, impiety, and hypocrisy—a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages. There is not a nation of the earth guilty of practices more shocking and bloody than are the people of these United States at this very hour…

Peroration (Douglass’s Independence Day Speech) Go search where you will, roam through all the monarchies

and despotisms of the Old World, travel through South America, search out every abuse and when you have found the last, lay your facts by the side of the everyday practices of this nation, and you will say with me that, for revolting barbarity and shameless hypocrisy, America reigns without rival.

Fireworks! Show closer! Bringing the house down right!

Peroration But keep in mind these fireworks aren’t

ALWAYS what a speech requires Sometimes it’s better to leave your

audience in quiet contemplation than storming the streets with torches and pitchforks

It all depends on the purpose of your speech

Style According to our old buddy Cicero, there

are, generally speaking, three levels of style High or Grand Style Middle Style Low or Plain Style

High Style (from Shakespeare’s Henry V)

O for a Muse of fire, that would ascendThe brightest heaven of invention,A kingdom for a stage, princes to actAnd monarchs to behold the swelling scene!Then should the warlike Harry, like himself,Assume the port of Mars; and at his heels,Leash’d in like hounds, should famine, sword and fireCrouch for employment. But pardon, and gentles all,The flat unraised spirits that have daredOn this unworthy scaffold to bring forthSo great an object: can this cockpit holdThe vasty fields of France? Or may we cramWith in this wooden O the very casquesThat did affright the air at Agincourt.

Middle Style (Oliver Cromwell) God is my witness, I speak it; it is evident to all the world, and all

people living, that a new business hath been seeking in the army against the actual settlement made by your own consent. I do not speak to these Gentlemen [gestures with his right hand] or Lords, or whatsoever you will call them; I speak not this to them, but to you. You advised me to run in to this place, to be in capacity by your advice, yet, instead of owning a thing taken for granted, some must have I know not what; and you have not only disjointed yourselves, but the whole nation, which is in likelihood of running into more confusion in these fifteen or sixteen days that you have sat, than it hath been from the rising of the last session of this day.

Plain Style (George Orwell) Modern English, especially written English, is full of bad

habits which spread by imitation and which can be avoided if one is willing to take the necessary trouble. If one gets rid of these habits one can think more clearly, and to think clearly is a necessary first step towards political regeneration: so that the fight against bad English is not frivolous and is not the exclusive concern of professional writers. I will come badk to this presently, and I hope that by that time the meaning of what I have said here will have become clearer.

Style A good rhetorician will be able to use all

three styles and to move in and out of them freely.

Considering the audience, it’s important to ask which style will generate the most ethos appeal

This is called decorum (ethos appeal operating at the level of the language itself).

Style Generally you want to speak the same

language (or use the same style) as your audience

If you’re speaking to Shakespeare scholars:Hath, fortnight, thou, etc.

Speaking to Warcraft nerds: W00t! Pwned! Etc.

Style Common failures to use style appropriately:

Pomposity Vulgarity Boastfullness Of course it’s also important to recognize that

what is considered “pompous” or “vulgar” is also usually determined by the audience

Style Jokes can be a useful element of style for

generating ethos Because jokes are based on shared

assumptions they tend to pull people toghether If the audience laughs at your joke (genuinely)

they’re probably on your side in some shape or form

Remember: in rhetoric jokes should be funny, but that shouldn’t be their sole purpose

Sound Effects Not just bangs, whistles, and snorts, but how

the speech actually SOUNDS to the ear (or inner ear when read)

In poetics meter and rhyme are king Rhetoric uses the same devices as poetry but

should focus LESS on repetition to avoid sounding contrived

We’ve been looking at rhetorical sound devices all year!

Listening Exercise Jazz vs. Free Jazz Which sounds more like poetry and which

sounds more like rhetoric? Why?

Style Controlling tense – USE TENSE TO YOUR

ADVANTAGE! A lot of times we don’t really consider why

we use a certain tense, but we should! If your argument is weak on future plans

then stick with the past and vice versa! Ask yourself which tense will work best,

don’t just pick one at random!

Memory In an age where everything can be stored

online our society seems to value memory less and less.

Why might memory be important to the subject of rhetoric? Oratory?

Memory What do we think about speakers who

appear unprepared like this poor girl? What about speakers who appear so

prepared that they don’t even need notes? What ways can we avoid being Miss South

Carolina? What will help us to be more like the person in the second clip?

Memory Just because you’ve done research doesn’t

mean you understand it A good rhetorician (or writer for that matter)

should be able to talk freely and openly about the subject that he/she is supposedly an expert in

The more that’s in your head going into it, the more confident and prepared you’ll appear

Memory Notes and notecards can be ok for quick

reference, but when they become a necessity they show a lack of preparedness or confidence

Sprezzatura – studied nonchalance; perfect conduct or performance of something (as an artistic endeavor) without apparent effort

Memory Many theories say that if we think of ideas

with physical location we’ll have a better chance of remembering them

“It’s coming to me.” “I’ve lost it.” “Sorry it’s gone.” We’ll come back to this shortly!

Memory Scholar and theologian Thomas Acquinas

proposed four precepts for memory What do each of the following mean to you?

Invent an “convenient similitude” of the things to be remembered

Put them in a considered order Cleave with affection to them Meditate frequently on them

Memory This is hard and it takes hard work! But

nothing substitutes for it. Would you vote for a candidate who had to read his policies from notecards?

Don’t let the convenience of modern information storage substitute for YOUR OWN BRAIN!

Memory 30 SECONDS! elephant, giraffe, cow, duck, bison, spiny

anteater, sheep, praying mantis, ladybug and tabby cat

Memory Now let’s see how well you did On a separate sheet of paper write down as

many of the ten animals as you can remember

Memory Walk into your house and drop the elephant right at the

entrance. Go to where you would hang up your coat and put the giraffe there. Go to the fridge and put the cow right beside the milk. Turn and face your sink. Put the duck right under there with the cleaning supplies. Go up the stairs and let the bison patrol the landing. Now head to your bathroom and put the anteater and sheep in the tub together so they can keep each other company. Move to your bedroom and put the praying mantis on your dresser looking out at the room. The ladybug should stand out against the white pillow. Plop the tabby cat right in the middle of the comfy bad; sleeping that sleep of the dead that cats are so good at.

Memory Now write those animals again…did you do

any better? How could you apply this to delivering

information?

Delivery Imagine if Siri read Martin Luther King’s “I

Have a Dream” speech All the words would be the same, but would

it have the same effect? Why or why not? What do you think we mean when we talk

about delivery?

Delivery The previous four parts of rhetoric that

we’ve discussed are all vitally important, but even the best speech falls flat on it’s face without good delivery

Don’t be Ben Stein! Be Jack Nicholson!

Delivery The worst deliveries can’t be saved even by

the greatest writing Applies to print as well What would be some examples of poor

delivery on a document like a resume?

Delivery Still, delivery is probably MORE important

in spoken rhetoric because the speaker has a chance to read the audience and adjust delivery accordingly

Let’s take a look at a speech President Barack Obama gave at Tucson after the assassination attempt on congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords

Delivery How does the speech do when you read it

off of the page? Now lets take a look and listen to the

spoken words How does Obama use delivery to pump life

into the words?

Delivery (voice) Clarity is of utmost importance. If you’re

not understood…forget it! Variety helps engage attention (sentence

structure, volume, intonation, etc.) Sometimes saying nothing can be powerful

as well. Why do you think orators often pause in speeches?

Delivery (voice) Many great speeches hinge on

amplification Start by meeting your audience where they

are and then TAKE them where you want them to go

If you need to calm a furious audience, starting off calm will probably be a mistake!

Delivery (voice) Pacing is crucial 110 wpm is a comfy speed (just slower than

casual conversation) SLOW DOWN – people new to public speaking

almost ALWAYS speak too quickly This might get you through the speech more

quickly, but will likely make the speech less affective as well

Delivery (gestures) Just as important as verbal delivery! Take

it from Ricky Bobby So what do we do with our hands? The side of a podium is good Or clasped in front yourself Hanging limply at the side can tend to look

a bit weird

Delivery (gestures) Many experts also caution that mannerisms

tend to do more harm than good, especially because we aren’t typically all that conscious of them

On the other hand there’s a lot to say for being yourself. If it looks obvious that you’re TRYING to avoid mannerisms that will probably hurt as well

Look natural!

Delivery Most importantly..DON’T WASTE

PEOPLE’S TIME! “The man who makes a bad 30 minute

speech to two hundred people wastes only a half hour of his own time. But he wastes one hundred hours of the audience’s time—more than four days—which should be a hanging offense.” – Jenkin Lloyd Jones