Rhetorical Analysis and the Rhetorical Triangle
The Rhetorical Triangle
The rhetorical triangle is a conceptual framework used to analyze communication by examining the relationship between three main components: the speaker (or writer), the subject, and the audience.
The Speaker: This represents the person writing the text or delivering the speech. When analyzing a speaker, it is essential to consider their specific role and relationship to the audience. For example, a teacher has a particular relationship with their class based on a full year of interaction.
The Subject: This is the topic being discussed. It is important to distinguish the subject from the purpose; the subject is simply what the text is about (e.g., a specific policy or a scientific concept), not the persuasive goal itself.
The Audience: This is the group to whom the speaker is talking. All diction and rhetorical techniques are tailored to appeal to or persuade a specific audience.
Dynamics of the Triangle: The speaker examines the subject and considers the audience's mindset to adjust their delivery. Conversely, the audience hears the speaker and reacts to the subject based on the speaker's choices, forming an opinion of the speaker as a result. This creates a continual, living relationship between all three points during the reading or listening process.
Persona and Tone in Rhetoric
Persona is the "personality" or the public face that a speaker presents to an audience for a particular reason.
Presentation of Persona: While a speaker remains themselves, they may make slight changes in how they present themselves based on the audience. For instance, a speaker might be more animated and use different facial expressions with students while being more serious and business-like with parents to gain credibility.
Identifying Persona in Text: Persona is not only visible through body language or facial expressions; it must be identified within the words themselves.
The Role of Tone: Tone is a critical component of persona. Diction choices translate to a physical physical feeling (e.g., words can sound aggressive, soft, gentle, cold, or informal). Analyzing tone involves asking what physical translation the words suggest.
Examples of Personas: Real-world examples include various teachers like Descozo, Paige, Ellen Carter, and SP, who each present specific personalities to ensure students feel safe and cared for.
Audience Analysis and Mindset
Effective rhetorical analysis requires digging deeply into the values, beliefs, and mindset of the audience.
Audience Disposition: An audience can be hostile, friendly, neutral, or uninformed regarding a subject.
Hostile Audiences: If a speaker is addressing a topic as volatile as abortion, they must tailor their message differently depending on whether the group is pro-choice or pro-life. A hostile audience requires a strategy to win over at least some consideration for the speaker's side.
The Power of Diction: Diction must be adjusted to fit the group. In an analysis of a text about barbecue chips, the speaker used diction that made it sound as if they "overly worshiped" the chips to get a specific reaction from an audience concerned with health.
Manipulation and Propaganda: Deeply understanding why an author uses certain words for a specific audience is the key to seeing through manipulation and propaganda.
Historical Context and its Impact on Rhetoric
Historical context shapes both the speaker's message and the audience's reception.
The Interwar Period ($1918$-$1939$):
The world was traumatized by World War I, which was considered the bloodiest and most "useless" war on record.
The $1920$s were characterized by excess and a "party tonight because tomorrow we die" mentality.
The Great Depression followed, leading to a rise in faith as people faced starvation and unemployment.
In the mid-1930$s, specifically by 1936, there was a breakdown of values and growing concern over the moral character of the country due to greed and games played on Wall Street.\n* **The Rise of Science:** During this period, science was exploding and becoming a "new faith." Figures like Albert Einstein became celebrity scientists whom governments began to consult regularly.\n\n# Case Study: Albert Einstein’s Letter to Phyllis\n\nIn 1936, a fifth-grade student named Phyllis wrote to Albert Einstein asking if scientists pray to God. Einstein's response serves as a masterclass in navigating multiple audiences.\n\n* **The Primary vs. Secondary Audience:** While Phyllis was the intended recipient, Einstein knew the letter would be published and read by the general public. \n* **The Public’s Concern:** Many people at the time viewed science as a threat to religious beliefs. Einstein used the letter to reassure an audience leaning on faith during the Great Depression.\n* **Rhetorical Strategies in the Letter:**\n * **Concession:** Einstein admits that \text{‘everybody who is seriously involved in the pursuit of science becomes convinced that a spirit is manifested in the laws of the universe—a spirit vastly superior to that of man.’}$$
Bridging Science and Faith: He suggests that research scientists are unlikely to believe in prayer as a "wish addressed to a supernatural being," but acknowledges that our knowledge is "fragmentary."
Diction Choices: He uses words like "humble," "manifest," and "superior," which carry religious or supernatural connotations, to appeal to a religious audience.
Non-confrontational Tone: By speaking to a child, Einstein avoids a direct, confrontational tone with the adult public, making his argument more palatable and "kind."
Questions & Discussion
Question: Why write about a subject if you know the audience is hostile?
Answer: A speaker may change the audience’s reaction throughout the piece. By opening with a shocking statement and then calming down, or by providing counterarguments that agree with the audience first, the speaker makes the audience more likely to accept their main argument later.
Discussion on Einstein’s Tone: The tone is described as "serious and formal." He represents the science community as an official representative, which may make his argument more effective, though some might perceive it as "cold."
Question on the subject of Einstein’s letter: What is he actually talking about?
Answer: The core subject is that science and God both exist and do not necessarily contradict each other.
Observation on Barbecue Chips: Students reflected on whether the speaker in that specific text went "overboard." The overboard diction was a deliberate choice aimed at an audience with specific health concerns.