ipl-logo

One Writer's Beginnings By Eudora Welty Analysis

How do one’s love for literature and the written language get ignited? The short story of “One Writer’s Beginnings” by Eudora Welty, defines how she was compelled to become a writer through her passion for reading. The story takes place in Jackson, Mississippi when Welty was nine years old. Welty had an “insatiable” thirst for reading. Furthermore, her eagerness to read highly impacted her later writing career. Welty expresses her passion for books by utilizing rhetorical devices such as imagery, analogy, and characterization in her short story. In the first scene, Welty starts by characterizing Mrs. Calloway as the obstacle that she had to overcome to read. The librarian has a “dragon eye”, which characterizes her as a menacing and unwelcoming figure that guards its treasure. Unlike most librarians in reality who have assistants to help them, Mrs. Calloway administers the library “by herself.” As a result, the librarian had a streaming countenance that shows her unnecessary hard work and a need to soothe herself physically and emotionally. Welty did not possess much flexibility in the library when Mrs. Calloway “could see through [one’s] skirt [and] send [her] straight back home.” To avoid the library …show more content…

Although her mother restricted Welty to read Elsie Dinsmore, Welty still views her as an idol or someone she looks forward to. Similarly to Welty, the mother has a big preference and passion for reading books, magazines, short stories, etc. The author considers her mother as someone who mainly multitasks because she reads them while alternately do something else such as watching the oven and “taking part of the wolf in a game of “Little Red Riding Hood.”” Both Welty and her mother share a feeling of insatiability because they want to read, discover, and learn more in books. Given these points about Welty and her mother, they enjoy and want every single moment that a book

Diction In One Writer's Beginnings By Eudora Welty

In Eudora Welty’s autobiography, One Writer's Beginnings, employs emotional diction and imagery while describing the reading that took place in her childhood. Welty’s purpose is to describe the elder figures in her life that shaped her love of reading and how it impacted her later career. She adopts a sentimental tone while reflecting on Mrs. Calloway’s strict ruling of the library, her mother's fierce attitude, and her motivation to read. Welty begins her tribute by characterizing the strict librarian who commanded the library all by herself.

How Does Hurston Use Vernacular Language In Their Eyes Were Watching God

The dialogs retransmitted by our protagonist are indeed interspersed with Standard Written English. Thereby, one of the most commented characteristic of the novel is the split style of narrative made by Hurston. The book begins with an omniscient, third-person narrator’s voice. The language used is not vernacular, but an intellectual and figurative one, full of rhetorical figures of speech and poetic devices such as metaphors. This split of narrative allows the author to depict a vivid picture of the décor, but it also add a voice which anchors the entire novel without denaturing the vernacular dialogs of Janie’s story with elements of context or details.

Lyddie By Katherine Paterson: Character Analysis

(98) Lyddie works to the point where she cannot even continue the next day to go to church. Lyddie’s work is not only tiring and dangerous but also depressing. She misses out on her surroundings “She never saw the sun. ”(101) Nevertheless, she still works with a great desire and determination every single day.

Symbolism In A Worn Path By Eudora Welty

One could assume that symbolism is the backbone to all literature. Without symbolism the piece of literature is inadequate, lacking representations of objects, people, and situations. However Eudora Welty’s work “A Worn Path” proves the prominence of symbolism in any prose. The short story about a woman’s ability to face nature, mankind, and one’s own self. The protagonist is an woman named Phoenix Jackson who has an unforgettable nature.

Everyday Use By Eudora Welty Compare And Contrast

Everyday Use by Alice Walker and Eudora Welty in A Worn Path are two short stories that share many similarities. One similarity between the two stories that caught my attention was protection and love. Both women take care of a child that went through an incident. In the story Everyday Use by Alice Walker, Mama is a poor African American woman who is considered to be very strong and manly.

Comparing The Glass Castle And One Writer's Beginnings By Jeannette Walls

The circumstances in which a child is raised can affect their feelings towards literature. If parents are supportive of a child’s education, they will grow up with more happiness towards learning and reading. For example, Jeannette Walls, in her memoir, The Glass Castle, tells how though she was raised in poverty, her parents supported reading. In the same way, Eudora Welty, in her memoir, One Writer’s Beginnings, explains how she was raised in a loving home by parents who completely supported reading. Whereas Walls was raised in poverty, Welty was raised with money.

Emily Vallowe's Literacy Narrative: Write Or Wrong Identity

As a college student, Emily Vallowe wrote a literacy narrative with a play on words title: “Write or Wrong Identity.” In this work, she told the story of how she believed her confidence as a writer developed; however, she was becoming dubious as to her distinctiveness as an author. Although I have never been a self-proclaimed wordsmith as Ms. Vallowe obviously had been for years, I related to her journey. Not only did she grow up in Northern Virginia like I did, she never considered herself an inept writer—a possibility that I could not fathom about myself. Then, at some point, we both began to question our own ability and to question who we really were.

Literary Elements In Eudora Welty's A Worn Path

Literary Analysis: “A Worn Path” Eudora Welty uses many literary elements in her short story, “A Worn Path,” to allow the reader to stay engaged throughout its entirety. Although there are many literary elements present in this story, there are three that Welty focuses intently on. She uses elements such as imagery, symbolism, and motifs to draw the reader’s attention. It is important for an author to write their story in a way that can be understood but also enjoyed. In “A Worn Path”, Welty focuses in on the elements, such as, symbolism, motifs, and imagery and writes a story that has great meaning and can be discovered by the reader when looked at carefully.

Amy Tan Two Kinds Literary Analysis

The Rebellious Daughter: Analyzing the Theme of Amy Tan’s “Two Kinds” The story “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan explores the deep familial emotions between a mother and her daughter. Jing-Mei’s mother had left China to come to America after losing her family, and had been raising Jing-Mei in America with her second husband. Despite her mother’s grand hopes for Jing-Mei to become successful in America by becoming a child prodigy, Jing-Mei did not share the same opinions.

Fire In Alice Walker's Everyday Use

Mama, a “big boned woman with rough, man-working hands,” awaits her daughter’s (Dee) return in the literary piece Everyday Use (70). When returning home, Dee’s only mission was to ask for two specific quilts with hopes of hanging her heritage on display. Ordinarily Maggie, Dee’s sister, was once a bright, generous, young girl with abundant potential. Explicitly, one day, Maggie was damaged significantly in a fire in which transformed her entire life. The fire turned a once intelligent, social undeveloped girl into a terrified, hopeless juvenile, along with the failed assistance of her family.

A Literary Analysis Of Eudora Welty's A Worn Path

Literary Analysis on “A Worn Path”       The short story “A Worn Path,” written by Eudora Welty, depicts the journey of an elderly black woman named Phoenix Jackson who walks from her home to the city of Natchez in need of medicine for her sick grandson. Phoenix experiences many obstacles that do not interrupt her trip, but rather make her a stronger woman for overcoming them. In A Worn Path, Welty illustrates her journey through several key symbols: the name Phoenix, the path, and the windmill. Phoenix shares a name with a creature which reflects her indefatigable nature, her constant striving towards her goal, as well as her unflagging optimism and high spirits (Goodman).

Freedom In Eudora Welty's A Worn Path

Over time, our perceptions of freedom change. Escaping a cotton field may have been considered freedom in the nineteenth century, yet it could not be done without endurance. While our perceptions of freedom change, it’s likely that our ideas about how people obtain freedom do not change much. In “A Worn Path,” Eudora Welty describes a woman’s journey along a path to freedom, and she describes the obstacles that the woman encounters along the way. That woman, Phoenix Jackson, is able to overcome these obstacles despite her old age.

Everyday Use Dee Johnson Character Analysis

In some cases, a parent may be excited or hopeful for their child to return from school. They cannot wait to bask in the presence of a person they raised, and they are interested to hear what new adventures or stories their child may have to share with them. Mrs. Johnson seems she is preparing for scrutiny, as she describes how clean she has made the yard for her eldest daughter. Dee’s shy sister, Maggie, seems fearful of her return. It is clear it is deeper than

Irony In Lorrie Moore's How To Become A Writer

When people are asked when they decided to choose their career, the typical answer is that they have known they wanted to be in that career field since they were little kids. In Lorrie Moore’s short story, How to Become a Writer, she is able to bring . By using irony and having a humorous, yet mocking tone, Moore is able to tell the readers that the journey to becoming a writer is not easy and does not come naturally. In the beginning of the story, the readers are able to pick up Moore’s humorous and slightly mocking tone which helps the story become relatable because almost everyone has had a person make fun of their career choice.

It Was Just Red Kitt Rokowski Analysis

“Nothing ever ends poetically. It ends and we turn it into poetry. All that blood was never once beautiful. It was just red” states british contemporary author Kait Rokowski. Writers take life’s struggles and misfortunes and turn them into alluring melodies that warm that heart and inspire the soul.

More about One Writer's Beginnings By Eudora Welty Analysis

Related topics.

  • Eudora Welty

Have a language expert improve your writing

Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, generate accurate citations for free.

  • Knowledge Base
  • How to write a rhetorical analysis | Key concepts & examples

How to Write a Rhetorical Analysis | Key Concepts & Examples

Published on August 28, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on July 23, 2023.

A rhetorical analysis is a type of essay  that looks at a text in terms of rhetoric. This means it is less concerned with what the author is saying than with how they say it: their goals, techniques, and appeals to the audience.

Instantly correct all language mistakes in your text

Upload your document to correct all your mistakes in minutes

upload-your-document-ai-proofreader

Table of contents

Key concepts in rhetoric, analyzing the text, introducing your rhetorical analysis, the body: doing the analysis, concluding a rhetorical analysis, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about rhetorical analysis.

Rhetoric, the art of effective speaking and writing, is a subject that trains you to look at texts, arguments and speeches in terms of how they are designed to persuade the audience. This section introduces a few of the key concepts of this field.

Appeals: Logos, ethos, pathos

Appeals are how the author convinces their audience. Three central appeals are discussed in rhetoric, established by the philosopher Aristotle and sometimes called the rhetorical triangle: logos, ethos, and pathos.

Logos , or the logical appeal, refers to the use of reasoned argument to persuade. This is the dominant approach in academic writing , where arguments are built up using reasoning and evidence.

Ethos , or the ethical appeal, involves the author presenting themselves as an authority on their subject. For example, someone making a moral argument might highlight their own morally admirable behavior; someone speaking about a technical subject might present themselves as an expert by mentioning their qualifications.

Pathos , or the pathetic appeal, evokes the audience’s emotions. This might involve speaking in a passionate way, employing vivid imagery, or trying to provoke anger, sympathy, or any other emotional response in the audience.

These three appeals are all treated as integral parts of rhetoric, and a given author may combine all three of them to convince their audience.

Text and context

In rhetoric, a text is not necessarily a piece of writing (though it may be this). A text is whatever piece of communication you are analyzing. This could be, for example, a speech, an advertisement, or a satirical image.

In these cases, your analysis would focus on more than just language—you might look at visual or sonic elements of the text too.

The context is everything surrounding the text: Who is the author (or speaker, designer, etc.)? Who is their (intended or actual) audience? When and where was the text produced, and for what purpose?

Looking at the context can help to inform your rhetorical analysis. For example, Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech has universal power, but the context of the civil rights movement is an important part of understanding why.

Claims, supports, and warrants

A piece of rhetoric is always making some sort of argument, whether it’s a very clearly defined and logical one (e.g. in a philosophy essay) or one that the reader has to infer (e.g. in a satirical article). These arguments are built up with claims, supports, and warrants.

A claim is the fact or idea the author wants to convince the reader of. An argument might center on a single claim, or be built up out of many. Claims are usually explicitly stated, but they may also just be implied in some kinds of text.

The author uses supports to back up each claim they make. These might range from hard evidence to emotional appeals—anything that is used to convince the reader to accept a claim.

The warrant is the logic or assumption that connects a support with a claim. Outside of quite formal argumentation, the warrant is often unstated—the author assumes their audience will understand the connection without it. But that doesn’t mean you can’t still explore the implicit warrant in these cases.

For example, look at the following statement:

We can see a claim and a support here, but the warrant is implicit. Here, the warrant is the assumption that more likeable candidates would have inspired greater turnout. We might be more or less convinced by the argument depending on whether we think this is a fair assumption.

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

Rhetorical analysis isn’t a matter of choosing concepts in advance and applying them to a text. Instead, it starts with looking at the text in detail and asking the appropriate questions about how it works:

  • What is the author’s purpose?
  • Do they focus closely on their key claims, or do they discuss various topics?
  • What tone do they take—angry or sympathetic? Personal or authoritative? Formal or informal?
  • Who seems to be the intended audience? Is this audience likely to be successfully reached and convinced?
  • What kinds of evidence are presented?

By asking these questions, you’ll discover the various rhetorical devices the text uses. Don’t feel that you have to cram in every rhetorical term you know—focus on those that are most important to the text.

The following sections show how to write the different parts of a rhetorical analysis.

Like all essays, a rhetorical analysis begins with an introduction . The introduction tells readers what text you’ll be discussing, provides relevant background information, and presents your thesis statement .

Hover over different parts of the example below to see how an introduction works.

Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech is widely regarded as one of the most important pieces of oratory in American history. Delivered in 1963 to thousands of civil rights activists outside the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., the speech has come to symbolize the spirit of the civil rights movement and even to function as a major part of the American national myth. This rhetorical analysis argues that King’s assumption of the prophetic voice, amplified by the historic size of his audience, creates a powerful sense of ethos that has retained its inspirational power over the years.

The body of your rhetorical analysis is where you’ll tackle the text directly. It’s often divided into three paragraphs, although it may be more in a longer essay.

Each paragraph should focus on a different element of the text, and they should all contribute to your overall argument for your thesis statement.

Hover over the example to explore how a typical body paragraph is constructed.

King’s speech is infused with prophetic language throughout. Even before the famous “dream” part of the speech, King’s language consistently strikes a prophetic tone. He refers to the Lincoln Memorial as a “hallowed spot” and speaks of rising “from the dark and desolate valley of segregation” to “make justice a reality for all of God’s children.” The assumption of this prophetic voice constitutes the text’s strongest ethical appeal; after linking himself with political figures like Lincoln and the Founding Fathers, King’s ethos adopts a distinctly religious tone, recalling Biblical prophets and preachers of change from across history. This adds significant force to his words; standing before an audience of hundreds of thousands, he states not just what the future should be, but what it will be: “The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.” This warning is almost apocalyptic in tone, though it concludes with the positive image of the “bright day of justice.” The power of King’s rhetoric thus stems not only from the pathos of his vision of a brighter future, but from the ethos of the prophetic voice he adopts in expressing this vision.

Here's why students love Scribbr's proofreading services

Discover proofreading & editing

The conclusion of a rhetorical analysis wraps up the essay by restating the main argument and showing how it has been developed by your analysis. It may also try to link the text, and your analysis of it, with broader concerns.

Explore the example below to get a sense of the conclusion.

It is clear from this analysis that the effectiveness of King’s rhetoric stems less from the pathetic appeal of his utopian “dream” than it does from the ethos he carefully constructs to give force to his statements. By framing contemporary upheavals as part of a prophecy whose fulfillment will result in the better future he imagines, King ensures not only the effectiveness of his words in the moment but their continuing resonance today. Even if we have not yet achieved King’s dream, we cannot deny the role his words played in setting us on the path toward it.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

  • Ad hominem fallacy
  • Post hoc fallacy
  • Appeal to authority fallacy
  • False cause fallacy
  • Sunk cost fallacy

College essays

  • Choosing Essay Topic
  • Write a College Essay
  • Write a Diversity Essay
  • College Essay Format & Structure
  • Comparing and Contrasting in an Essay

 (AI) Tools

  • Grammar Checker
  • Paraphrasing Tool
  • Text Summarizer
  • AI Detector
  • Plagiarism Checker
  • Citation Generator

The goal of a rhetorical analysis is to explain the effect a piece of writing or oratory has on its audience, how successful it is, and the devices and appeals it uses to achieve its goals.

Unlike a standard argumentative essay , it’s less about taking a position on the arguments presented, and more about exploring how they are constructed.

The term “text” in a rhetorical analysis essay refers to whatever object you’re analyzing. It’s frequently a piece of writing or a speech, but it doesn’t have to be. For example, you could also treat an advertisement or political cartoon as a text.

Logos appeals to the audience’s reason, building up logical arguments . Ethos appeals to the speaker’s status or authority, making the audience more likely to trust them. Pathos appeals to the emotions, trying to make the audience feel angry or sympathetic, for example.

Collectively, these three appeals are sometimes called the rhetorical triangle . They are central to rhetorical analysis , though a piece of rhetoric might not necessarily use all of them.

In rhetorical analysis , a claim is something the author wants the audience to believe. A support is the evidence or appeal they use to convince the reader to believe the claim. A warrant is the (often implicit) assumption that links the support with the claim.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Caulfield, J. (2023, July 23). How to Write a Rhetorical Analysis | Key Concepts & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved April 9, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/academic-essay/rhetorical-analysis/

Is this article helpful?

Jack Caulfield

Jack Caulfield

Other students also liked, how to write an argumentative essay | examples & tips, how to write a literary analysis essay | a step-by-step guide, comparing and contrasting in an essay | tips & examples, unlimited academic ai-proofreading.

✔ Document error-free in 5minutes ✔ Unlimited document corrections ✔ Specialized in correcting academic texts

Plot Summary? We’re just getting started.

Add this title to our requested Study Guides list!

One Writer's Beginnings

Guide cover placeholder

Eudora Welty

Nonfiction | Essay / Speech | Adult | Published in 1984

Plot Summary

Continue your reading experience

SuperSummary Plot Summaries provide a quick, full synopsis of a text. But SuperSummary Study Guides — available only to subscribers — provide so much more!

Join now to access our Study Guides library, which offers chapter-by-chapter summaries and comprehensive analysis on more than 5,000 literary works from novels to nonfiction to poetry.

See for yourself. Check out our sample guides:

Guide cover image

Toni Morrison

Guide cover image

Malcolm Gladwell

David And Goliath

Guide cover image

D. H. Lawrence

Whales Weep Not!

Related summaries: by Eudora Welty

A SuperSummary Plot Summary provides a quick, full synopsis of a text.

A SuperSummary Study Guide — a modern alternative to Sparknotes & CliffsNotes — provides so much more, including chapter-by-chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and important quotes.

See the difference for yourself. Check out this sample Study Guide:

one writer's beginnings rhetorical analysis essay

  • study guides
  • lesson plans
  • homework help

One Writer's Beginnings Summary & Study Guide

One Writer's Beginnings by Eudora Welty

One Writer's Beginnings Summary & Study Guide Description

One Writer's Beginnings by Eudora Welty is Welty's autobiography which details her childhood and certain factors that influenced her writing career. The first chapter of the book focuses on Welty's childhood and immediate family while the second chapter details her parents' childhoods with an emphasis on their family histories. The final chapter realigns the focal point to Eudora Welty by examining her early adulthood. One Writer's Beginnings is a very interesting and informative autobiography, written by an exceptional woman and author.

In the first chapter, "Listening," Eudora Welty describes her early childhood, which includes her parents' focus on learning and encouraging their children to read. Eudora loves books and reading from a very young age; before beginning to write, she listens for stories instinctively. She becomes a privileged observer by listening to her parents' conversations. Eudora Welty attends Jefferson Davis Grammar School and borrows many books from Jackson's Carnegie Library. Although she enjoys reading the Bible for herself, Eudora does not find a reverence for the holiness of life in organized religion. Welty's mother is relieved when Eudora decides to be a writer because her mother believes it is a safe occupation.

In "Learning to See," the second chapter, the Welty family takes a summer trip to West Virginia and Ohio in 1917 or 1918 to visit both of her parents' families. Chestina reveres and is devoted to her parents, Ned Andrews and Eudora Carden Andrews. Christian Welty meets and falls in love with Chestina Andrews while she is a schoolteacher in West Virginia. After their marriage, they relocated to Jackson, but Chestina takes a piece of the mountains to Jackson with her. The mountains of West Virginia give Eudora Welty a taste for independence, which is an inheritance from her mother. The Welty family visits Christian's family in Ohio next. Although Christian is strongly devoted to his father, Jefferson Welty, he does not tell his children stories about his family because he is more interested in the future than in the past. Eudora is excited to return to her family's home on Congress Street in Jackson, Mississippi. Life events find their own order in their significance as opposed to chronology.

The final chapter, "Finding a Voice," describes Eudora Welty's train ride with her father to West Virginia; this journey, and travel in general, influences Welty's writing. After her father's death, Eudora learns that her father often took the same train ride to visit her mother while they were engaged. When she finds her parents' love letters, she learns of a different, youthful side to her parents. Eudora attends Mississippi State College for Women as a freshman and sophomore but transfers to University of Wisconsin for her last two years of college. Christian Welty works at Lamar Life until he dies of leukemia at the beginning of the Great Depression. Eudora's first full-time job is at the state office of Works Progress Administration, taking photographs during the Great Depression. Eudora travels to New York City to attempt to sell stories and photographs, but she is eventually discovered in Jackson by Diarmuid Russell and John Woodburn. Eudora Welty invents the characters in her works, but she borrows aspects from people that she has met in the flesh. Memory is a living thing that joins and lives in one's recollection. Eudora Welty is a writer who came from a sheltered life, which can be daring as well because all serious daring starts from within.

Read more from the Study Guide

View One Writer

FOLLOW BOOKRAGS:

Follow BookRags on Facebook

one writer's beginnings rhetorical analysis essay

  • Link to facebook
  • Link to linkedin
  • Link to twitter
  • Link to youtube
  • Writing Tips

How to Write a Rhetorical Analysis Essay

How to Write a Rhetorical Analysis Essay

3-minute read

  • 22nd August 2023

A rhetorical analysis essay is a type of academic writing that analyzes how authors use language, persuasion techniques , and other rhetorical strategies to communicate with their audience. In this post, we’ll review how to write a rhetorical analysis essay, including:

  • Understanding the assignment guidelines
  • Introducing your essay topic
  • Examining the rhetorical strategies
  • Summarizing your main points

Keep reading for a step-by-step guide to rhetorical analysis.

What Is a Rhetorical Strategy?

A rhetorical strategy is a deliberate approach or technique a writer uses to convey a message and/or persuade the audience. A rhetorical strategy typically involves using language, sentence structure, and tone/style to influence the audience to think a certain way or understand a specific point of view. Rhetorical strategies are especially common in advertisements, speeches, and political writing, but you can also find them in many other types of literature.

1.   Understanding the Assignment Guidelines

Before you begin your rhetorical analysis essay, make sure you understand the assignment and guidelines. Typically, when writing a rhetorical analysis, you should approach the text objectively, focusing on the techniques the author uses rather than expressing your own opinions about the topic or summarizing the content. Thus, it’s essential to discuss the rhetorical methods used and then back up your analysis with evidence and quotations from the text.

2.   Introducing Your Essay Topic

Introduce your essay by providing some context about the text you’re analyzing. Give a brief overview of the author, intended audience, and purpose of the writing. You should also clearly state your thesis , which is your main point or argument about how and why the author uses rhetorical strategies. Try to avoid going into detail on any points or diving into specific examples – the introduction should be concise, and you’ll be providing a much more in-depth analysis later in the text.

3.   Examining the Rhetorical Strategies

In the body paragraphs, analyze the rhetorical strategies the author uses. Here are some common rhetorical strategies to include in your discussion:

●  Ethos : Establishing trust between the writer and the audience by appealing to credibility and ethics

●  Pathos : Appealing to the audience’s emotions and values

●  Logos : Employing logic, reason, and evidence to appeal to the reader

Find this useful?

Subscribe to our newsletter and get writing tips from our editors straight to your inbox.

●  Diction : Deliberately choosing specific language and vocabulary

●  Syntax : Structuring and arranging sentences in certain ways

●  Tone : Conveying attitude or mood in certain ways

●  Literary Devices : Using metaphors, similes, analogies , repetition, etc.

Keep in mind that for a rhetorical analysis essay, you’re not usually required to find examples of all of the above rhetorical strategies. But for each one you do analyze, consider how it contributes to the author’s purpose, how it influences the audience, and what emotions or thoughts it could evoke in the reader.

4.   Summarizing Your Main Points

In your conclusion , sum up the main points of your analysis and restate your thesis. Without introducing any new points (such as topics or ideas you haven’t already covered in the main body of your essay), summarize the overall impact that the author’s rhetorical strategies likely had on their intended audience.

Expert Proofreading Services

Ensure that your rhetorical analysis essay stands out by having our expert team proofread it. Send in your free sample of 500 words or less and see for yourself the difference in your work!

Share this article:

Post A New Comment

Got content that needs a quick turnaround? Let us polish your work. Explore our editorial business services.

What is a content editor.

Are you interested in learning more about the role of a content editor and the...

4-minute read

The Benefits of Using an Online Proofreading Service

Proofreading is important to ensure your writing is clear and concise for your readers. Whether...

2-minute read

6 Online AI Presentation Maker Tools

Creating presentations can be time-consuming and frustrating. Trying to construct a visually appealing and informative...

What Is Market Research?

No matter your industry, conducting market research helps you keep up to date with shifting...

8 Press Release Distribution Services for Your Business

In a world where you need to stand out, press releases are key to being...

How to Get a Patent

In the United States, the US Patent and Trademarks Office issues patents. In the United...

Logo Harvard University

Make sure your writing is the best it can be with our expert English proofreading and editing.

One Writer's Beginning Analysis

one writer's beginnings rhetorical analysis essay

Show More In the book, One Writer 's Beginning, Eurdora Welty writes about her personal life and how she became a writer. It started off with her being young and her love of reading to her being older with her love of writing. She splits the book into three parts with “Listening”, “Learning to See”, and “Finding a Voice” as the names of her chapters. She explains how we need to listen for stories. We need to open our eyes and write about what we see. Then we need to find our voice in our writing to make our stories. The first part of the book, the author wrote about listening and how it helped her to become a writer . She stated, “I learned from the age of two or three that any room in our house, at any time of day, was there to read in, or to be read …show more content… One of the assignments she had us write about was a chocolate kiss and how we can use our different senses to explain what a chocolate kiss was without knowing what chocolate was. It was very hard to write about what a kiss taste like, looks like, and feels like without “knowing what chocolate was”. Another thing she had us to do was look at our hand and write about what we saw on our hand. Luckily, I had smashed my finger the day before in a car door and my finger was the highlight of my story. Finally, one thing that she got us to do was, she told us on our walk home or way home to not just go home, but take time to look around and observe our surroundings. She said to jot things down and when we get to class the next day to write about it. I was thinking great my life is boring and I am not going to have anything to write about. Well, that is what I thought until the walk home. These guys in a truck were driving by and one of the guys went half way out of the car window and started screaming and threw a penny. To my surprise, he had a great shot because seconds later I had a penny on my forehead and at first I was mad, but then I got happy because now I had something great to write about the next day. Because I opened my eyes, I was able to see the world as a prompt to write …show more content… It was a memoir about how Eurdora Wetly became a writer. This book reminds me of The Moon and I and how she wrote her stories. I really think that this book can help me as a teacher to get my students to write. Just like my high school teacher and how she got us to write about our surroundings and using all our senses to describe an object. Even though it was unusual to me at first, it turned out to be fun and got me enjoy writing. Not only did it get me to enjoy writing, but it helped me to stop and look around instead of being a teenager and being self

Related Documents

The miss dennis school of writing analysis.

Life is short. That is the simple and unforgiving fact that cannot be avoided. It can often pass by as quickly as it comes when noses are buried in our cell phones instead of observing and appreciating the changing of seasons or the orange-purple sunset that concludes each day. That one idea— to pay attention— is what drives Alice Steinbach 's philosophy on writing along with a collection of other tactics taught to her by her ninth grade creative writing teacher Miss Dennis, which is showcased in her essay "The Miss Dennis School of Writing". Steinbach creates a well-rounded philosophy consisting of many elements throughout the essay.…

Literary Analysis: An Uninterrupted View Of The Sky

Would you change your whole life plan to save a family member or someone very important to you? That’s what Francisco did to help save his father in “An uninterrupted View of the Sky” by Melanie Crowder. When Francisco’s father was thrown in prison for being somewhere at the wrong place and time, his family is forced to live with him in prison when their mom abandons them there. Franciso, his little sister Pilar, and his father are faced with many challenges to keep each other safe. After reading Melanie Crowder’s book, it’s clear that the literary elements of conflict, point-of-view, and theme.…

Shitty First Drafts By Anne Lamott

For the article “Shitty First Drafts” we read this week, it remained me something about writing. This is a essay written by Anne Lamott, who is the author of six novels, the food reviewer for the magazine, a book reviewer for Mademoiselle, and a regular contributor to Salon.’s .“Mothers Who Think..” She’s busy because of several occupation at the same time, but there's still a question that what made her writing attracted? In this essay we read, there may be the answer.…

World's Fair Literary Analysis

In the excerpt from the novel World’s Fair, the narrator learned an important lesson about life from his father. First, and foremost, the narrator is taught about how how some things may not seem true at first glance, yet could come into fruition later. Not only this, but when said surprise is said not to be true, it makes the final reveal much more satisfying. A specific example in the text was when the narrator mentioned that “he [the father] rarely kept his word.” This ties into the theme when the narrator later states that “he [the father] brought [the narrator] things” when the narrator no longer expected them.…

Oppenheimer The Godfather Analysis

I spent more and more time emulating my grandfather as an oral historian, bombarding my mother with verbose accounts of daily adolescent life. However, as my social life suffered from a lack of interpersonal confidence, I channeled more and more of my imaginative thoughts onto paper. Rarely did I have the time to compose a fully fleshed-out story; instead, I recalled the poetic beauty of my great-grandfather’s broken English and jotted my thoughts into journals full of lilting stanzas that I shared frequently during Poetry Club at my first high school. Then, at Mission Vista High, I found even more opportunities to flaunt my virtues as an author and storyteller.…

The Writer's Research Chapter 5 Analysis

Upon reading chapter 5 from Holdstein’s “Who says? The Writer’s Research” I found myself faced with a number of ideas I had been unfamiliar with. After thoroughly examining this chapter, I realized that previously, I hadn’t properly evaluated resources, which is a mistake I made as someone who gathers research and analyzes various ideas in my writing. Throughout this chapter, I took notice that I, as a writer, have three main responsibilities: conducting a thorough search for sources using the proper key words, carefully and meticulously, yet efficiently analyzing sources, and determining the rationality of a source. While these ideas may present themselves as challenging, as I had been previously unfamiliar with them, if I acquire the proper…

Into The Wild Literary Analysis

The quest that happens in every story relates to American Literature in a significant way. The quest is not just the character going somewhere, the quest is way more beyond that. In How to Read Literature like a Professor, Thomas C. Foster tells us that a quest consists of five things: 1) a quester, 2) a place to go, 3) a stated reason to go, 4) challenges and trials, 5) a real reason to go. It may seem like a normal story but beyond the lines and words there is some more powerful to the written piece. Foster states “The real reason for a quest never involves the stated reason.”…

Analysis Of A Writer's Duty By Annie Dillard

A Writer and the Heart of Man Writing is an art, exquisitely beautiful. The author writes every single adjective, verb, and noun with a purpose because it all matters, because that is a writer’s duty. As William Faulkner states in his speech A Writer’s Duty, “The poet’s voice need not merely be the record of man, it can be one of the props, the pillars to help endure and prevail.” From this, Faulkner communicates to the reader that a writer’s duty is to write with emotion, to write with fear, to write with love.…

A Raisin In The Sun Literary Analysis

In the play “A Raisin in the Sun” the author, Lorraine Hansberry, has incorporated examples of all 3 I’s of oppression. The three I’s of oppression are interpersonal, institutional, and internalized. Institutional oppression happens when one group has more power than another group and our institutions (government, schools, media..) favor the more powerful group. One example of institutional oppression in the play was when the organization tried to tell them that they couldn’t live there because they were black. On page 140 it says, “ As I say, that for the happiness of all concerned that our Negro families are happier when they live in their own communities”.…

Personal Narrative: My Identity As A Writer

These books were my first look into writing for recreation and not just as some school assignment. These worlds created through words encouraged me to find more complex ways to describe the subjects that I wrote about instead of just using the quickest and simplest words that could express the same message. This new descriptive way of writing eventually caused me to meet many young writers. Though I was not always one for writing in my spare time I often enjoyed reading the work of other writers, especially friends and classmates. Due to the knowledge I had gained through my many hours of reading I was often asked to read and edit others work.…

Self Reflective Essay Analysis

Writing has changed my perspective on various aspects of my life. Some of the essays that I have written in the past have opened doors to new ideas. These essays have helped me make connections I feel I never would have made without writing. I believe this is because I enter my deepest level of concentration when I write. This heightened level of concentration I reach when writing has allowed me to reflect on important areas in my life such as self-awareness and motivation.…

Analysis Of Stephen King's On Writing

King might be best known for writing horror novels but On Writing is a real work of high art and transforms genre in the otherwise dreading and plethora style of writing books. Dr. Lawrence Nannery, a professor of philosophy at St. Francis College, defines high art as having a full understanding of the work “can enhance an understanding of other aspects of life as well” and “does not reveal everything it has in one exposure.” For example, in prose, writing genres work to normalize certain academic aspects and beliefs embodied within them. But these aspects are often portrayed so incorrectly that they either border on, or are completely submerged in ideology. However, King transforms this genre and doesn't reveal it so easily and freely, what he does is makes individuals understand concepts that are otherwise unattainable in an unpredictable and unorthodox manner.…

My History As A Writer Essay

My History As A Writer Throughout my lifetime I have come to love and absolutely hate writing. The reasoning of the assignment or topic has a lot to do with my affinity and disgust. Although learning new things, like writing, was something that I loved doing in elementary school, that all changed when it was daily implemented. As an art form I recently come to love writing down my thoughts, ideas, opinions and stories.…

Analysis Of The Poetess's Hasty Resolution, By Margaret Cavendish

Thinking them so good, I thought more to write” (1-3). Here, Margaret introduces her desire for self-sovereignty and her initial willingness to exercise it through the vocation of writing. She writes of a “self-love” initiated by the…

Short Essay: Literary Analysis: A Very Short Story

“A Very Short Story” Literary Analysis Plot. The story starts in spring between an Italian nurse, Luz, and the American soldier, they fall and in love and the climax starts when the nurse refuses to go with him to America, it ends by Luz sinking into cheap relationship and the guy gonorrhea from a sales girl in the loop department. The story ends on summer "on a hot evening in Padua...", then the American soldier stays at the hospital for three months after this and Luz takes good care of him in her nightshift, "… Luz stayed on night duty for three months.…

Related Topics

  • Grandparent
  • Short story

Ready To Get Started?

  • Create Flashcards
  • Mobile apps
  •   Facebook
  •   Twitter
  • Cookie Settings
  • Features for Creative Writers
  • Features for Work
  • Features for Higher Education
  • Features for Teachers
  • Features for Non-Native Speakers
  • Learn Blog Grammar Guide Community Events FAQ
  • Grammar Guide

What Is a Rhetorical Analysis and How to Write a Great One

Helly Douglas

Helly Douglas

Cover image for article

Do you have to write a rhetorical analysis essay? Fear not! We’re here to explain exactly what rhetorical analysis means, how you should structure your essay, and give you some essential “dos and don’ts.”

What is a Rhetorical Analysis Essay?

How do you write a rhetorical analysis, what are the three rhetorical strategies, what are the five rhetorical situations, how to plan a rhetorical analysis essay, creating a rhetorical analysis essay, examples of great rhetorical analysis essays, final thoughts.

A rhetorical analysis essay studies how writers and speakers have used words to influence their audience. Think less about the words the author has used and more about the techniques they employ, their goals, and the effect this has on the audience.

Image showing definitions

In your analysis essay, you break a piece of text (including cartoons, adverts, and speeches) into sections and explain how each part works to persuade, inform, or entertain. You’ll explore the effectiveness of the techniques used, how the argument has been constructed, and give examples from the text.

A strong rhetorical analysis evaluates a text rather than just describes the techniques used. You don’t include whether you personally agree or disagree with the argument.

Structure a rhetorical analysis in the same way as most other types of academic essays . You’ll have an introduction to present your thesis, a main body where you analyze the text, which then leads to a conclusion.

Think about how the writer (also known as a rhetor) considers the situation that frames their communication:

  • Topic: the overall purpose of the rhetoric
  • Audience: this includes primary, secondary, and tertiary audiences
  • Purpose: there are often more than one to consider
  • Context and culture: the wider situation within which the rhetoric is placed

Back in the 4th century BC, Aristotle was talking about how language can be used as a means of persuasion. He described three principal forms —Ethos, Logos, and Pathos—often referred to as the Rhetorical Triangle . These persuasive techniques are still used today.

Image showing rhetorical strategies

Rhetorical Strategy 1: Ethos

Are you more likely to buy a car from an established company that’s been an important part of your community for 50 years, or someone new who just started their business?

Reputation matters. Ethos explores how the character, disposition, and fundamental values of the author create appeal, along with their expertise and knowledge in the subject area.

Aristotle breaks ethos down into three further categories:

  • Phronesis: skills and practical wisdom
  • Arete: virtue
  • Eunoia: goodwill towards the audience

Ethos-driven speeches and text rely on the reputation of the author. In your analysis, you can look at how the writer establishes ethos through both direct and indirect means.

Rhetorical Strategy 2: Pathos

Pathos-driven rhetoric hooks into our emotions. You’ll often see it used in advertisements, particularly by charities wanting you to donate money towards an appeal.

Common use of pathos includes:

  • Vivid description so the reader can imagine themselves in the situation
  • Personal stories to create feelings of empathy
  • Emotional vocabulary that evokes a response

By using pathos to make the audience feel a particular emotion, the author can persuade them that the argument they’re making is compelling.

Rhetorical Strategy 3: Logos

Logos uses logic or reason. It’s commonly used in academic writing when arguments are created using evidence and reasoning rather than an emotional response. It’s constructed in a step-by-step approach that builds methodically to create a powerful effect upon the reader.

Rhetoric can use any one of these three techniques, but effective arguments often appeal to all three elements.

The rhetorical situation explains the circumstances behind and around a piece of rhetoric. It helps you think about why a text exists, its purpose, and how it’s carried out.

Image showing 5 rhetorical situations

The rhetorical situations are:

  • 1) Purpose: Why is this being written? (It could be trying to inform, persuade, instruct, or entertain.)
  • 2) Audience: Which groups or individuals will read and take action (or have done so in the past)?
  • 3) Genre: What type of writing is this?
  • 4) Stance: What is the tone of the text? What position are they taking?
  • 5) Media/Visuals: What means of communication are used?

Understanding and analyzing the rhetorical situation is essential for building a strong essay. Also think about any rhetoric restraints on the text, such as beliefs, attitudes, and traditions that could affect the author's decisions.

Before leaping into your essay, it’s worth taking time to explore the text at a deeper level and considering the rhetorical situations we looked at before. Throw away your assumptions and use these simple questions to help you unpick how and why the text is having an effect on the audience.

Image showing what to consider when planning a rhetorical essay

1: What is the Rhetorical Situation?

  • Why is there a need or opportunity for persuasion?
  • How do words and references help you identify the time and location?
  • What are the rhetoric restraints?
  • What historical occasions would lead to this text being created?

2: Who is the Author?

  • How do they position themselves as an expert worth listening to?
  • What is their ethos?
  • Do they have a reputation that gives them authority?
  • What is their intention?
  • What values or customs do they have?

3: Who is it Written For?

  • Who is the intended audience?
  • How is this appealing to this particular audience?
  • Who are the possible secondary and tertiary audiences?

4: What is the Central Idea?

  • Can you summarize the key point of this rhetoric?
  • What arguments are used?
  • How has it developed a line of reasoning?

5: How is it Structured?

  • What structure is used?
  • How is the content arranged within the structure?

6: What Form is Used?

  • Does this follow a specific literary genre?
  • What type of style and tone is used, and why is this?
  • Does the form used complement the content?
  • What effect could this form have on the audience?

7: Is the Rhetoric Effective?

  • Does the content fulfil the author’s intentions?
  • Does the message effectively fit the audience, location, and time period?

Once you’ve fully explored the text, you’ll have a better understanding of the impact it’s having on the audience and feel more confident about writing your essay outline.

A great essay starts with an interesting topic. Choose carefully so you’re personally invested in the subject and familiar with it rather than just following trending topics. There are lots of great ideas on this blog post by My Perfect Words if you need some inspiration. Take some time to do background research to ensure your topic offers good analysis opportunities.

Image showing considerations for a rhetorical analysis topic

Remember to check the information given to you by your professor so you follow their preferred style guidelines. This outline example gives you a general idea of a format to follow, but there will likely be specific requests about layout and content in your course handbook. It’s always worth asking your institution if you’re unsure.

Make notes for each section of your essay before you write. This makes it easy for you to write a well-structured text that flows naturally to a conclusion. You will develop each note into a paragraph. Look at this example by College Essay for useful ideas about the structure.

Image showing how to structure an essay

1: Introduction

This is a short, informative section that shows you understand the purpose of the text. It tempts the reader to find out more by mentioning what will come in the main body of your essay.

  • Name the author of the text and the title of their work followed by the date in parentheses
  • Use a verb to describe what the author does, e.g. “implies,” “asserts,” or “claims”
  • Briefly summarize the text in your own words
  • Mention the persuasive techniques used by the rhetor and its effect

Create a thesis statement to come at the end of your introduction.

After your introduction, move on to your critical analysis. This is the principal part of your essay.

  • Explain the methods used by the author to inform, entertain, and/or persuade the audience using Aristotle's rhetorical triangle
  • Use quotations to prove the statements you make
  • Explain why the writer used this approach and how successful it is
  • Consider how it makes the audience feel and react

Make each strategy a new paragraph rather than cramming them together, and always use proper citations. Check back to your course handbook if you’re unsure which citation style is preferred.

3: Conclusion

Your conclusion should summarize the points you’ve made in the main body of your essay. While you will draw the points together, this is not the place to introduce new information you’ve not previously mentioned.

Use your last sentence to share a powerful concluding statement that talks about the impact the text has on the audience(s) and wider society. How have its strategies helped to shape history?

Before You Submit

Poor spelling and grammatical errors ruin a great essay. Use ProWritingAid to check through your finished essay before you submit. It will pick up all the minor errors you’ve missed and help you give your essay a final polish. Look at this useful ProWritingAid webinar for further ideas to help you significantly improve your essays. Sign up for a free trial today and start editing your essays!

Screenshot of ProWritingAid's web editor

You’ll find countless examples of rhetorical analysis online, but they range widely in quality. Your institution may have example essays they can share with you to show you exactly what they’re looking for.

The following links should give you a good starting point if you’re looking for ideas:

Pearson Canada has a range of good examples. Look at how embedded quotations are used to prove the points being made. The end questions help you unpick how successful each essay is.

Excelsior College has an excellent sample essay complete with useful comments highlighting the techniques used.

Brighton Online has a selection of interesting essays to look at. In this specific example, consider how wider reading has deepened the exploration of the text.

Image showing tips when reading a sample essay

Writing a rhetorical analysis essay can seem daunting, but spending significant time deeply analyzing the text before you write will make it far more achievable and result in a better-quality essay overall.

It can take some time to write a good essay. Aim to complete it well before the deadline so you don’t feel rushed. Use ProWritingAid’s comprehensive checks to find any errors and make changes to improve readability. Then you’ll be ready to submit your finished essay, knowing it’s as good as you can possibly make it.

Try ProWritingAid's Editor for Yourself

one writer's beginnings rhetorical analysis essay

Be confident about grammar

Check every email, essay, or story for grammar mistakes. Fix them before you press send.

Helly Douglas is a UK writer and teacher, specialising in education, children, and parenting. She loves making the complex seem simple through blogs, articles, and curriculum content. You can check out her work at hellydouglas.com or connect on Twitter @hellydouglas. When she’s not writing, you will find her in a classroom, being a mum or battling against the wilderness of her garden—the garden is winning!

Get started with ProWritingAid

Drop us a line or let's stay in touch via :

Hamburger menu

  • Free Essays
  • Citation Generator

Preview

One Writer's Beginnings Rhetorical Analysis

one writer's beginnings rhetorical analysis essay

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

A worn path essay 2.

Eudora Welty is a famous southern writer who started her career during the Great Depression. In many cases, aspects of an author’s stories usually come from their own experiences or are directly reflected by what is going on in the world at that time. It is evident in her short story “A Worn Path” that it is set during times of economic hardship. In this story the main character Phoenix Jackson, “Grandma”, goes on a journey that takes her through the dark pine shadows of the woods, through a withered cotton fields and fields of dead corn, down a ravine and through swampy meadows. (Paragraphs 1, 17, 21, 31) This long, vigorous journey will be all worth it because Phoenix is traveling to the nearest city to obtain medication for her sick grandson. The determination of this elderly woman is inspiring in many ways. She is willing to endure the harsh winter weather and go the distance to try and help her grandson.…

Rhetorical Analysis

While using literary elements such as imagery, personal anecdotes, and a diverse choice of words, Bernard Cooper, the writer of ”A Clack of Tiny Sparks”, asserts that people should not be ashamed of who they really are. Cooper clearly develops this assertion by not only involving his personal experiences into this private essay, but by also including them in a way that is both touching, and intimate. By summarizing his childhood experiences, Cooper is able to clarify that being a teenager and being attracted to the same sex is not an easy obstacle to overcome. Cooper is able to draw the reader in with personal and private life experiences from his early teenage years.…

Connecticut school shooting: survivor says gunman shouted 'let me in '. (2012, December 18). Retrieved from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/9752006/Connecticut-school-shooting-survivor-says-gunman-shouted-Let-me-in.html…

We Were The Mulvaneys Analysis

There is a moment in everyone’s life where the person realises that they don’t go on forever. Life eventually comes to an end and (until someone can put an end to it) people die. For some, it is a saddening moment where all those who hold that person dearly find that their loved one is at the end of his rope. For others, it is a saving grace to all of humanity. Nonetheless, people die, and it is the looming threat of death that encourages people to live life to the fullest. Make an impact and change the world, that is what people strive to do. Yet, up to a certain point, the human is unaware of death and how it is out for everyone. The moment where someone realises that may take years or decades to occur, but when it hits, it hits hard. In the seconds where the realisation first occurs, one can see what a person’s true character is. It is even easier to tell in the world of literature. In Joyce Carol Oates’ We Were The Mulvaneys, she depicts who Judd Mulvaney is through the use of literary techniques such as point of view and syntax.…

Welty Essay

The experiences in one's childhood will shape his future. In the passage from Eudora Welty’s, One Writers Beginnings, Welty recalls early experiences of going to the library and reading her beloved books, that have a greater affect on her craft as a writer of fiction. She describes her mother, the librarian, and her love for reading. Welty conveys the significance of her early childhood experiences on her craft as a writer through vivid descriptions of Ms. Calloway, her mother, and her intense and unquenchable thirst to read.…

Sand between my toes and enjoying some sun while gathered around with a group of friends is what I call, a definition of a great time. The ad Tampax Pearl from Seventeen magazines sells the product through the use of rhetorical fallacies logos, ethos, and pathos. There are six fallacies, and throughout the magazine they are represented by the text, the women in the white bikini, and the beach: false cause, hasty generalization, non sequitur, and appeal to ignorance, false authority, and bandwagon. In the background are the sounds of waves clashing against one another, the sun beginning to lower, and the scent of a bonfire. The game of limbo used as an entertainment to influence laughter, and competition spread to one another.…

Rhetorical Analysis Paper

Rhetorical strategy is a type of method for writers to manipulate their writing to purpose an idea or influence the reader. Narration, description, and exemplification are some of the rhetorical appeals writer use to grab the reader’s attention. And invoke strong reaction out of the reader. Apart from these strategies, many writers use Aristotle's appeals of Logos, Ethos, and Pathos to persuade the reader. Logos is an appeal to the audience's logic and reason. Pathos is an appeal to the audience’s sentiments and emotions. Ethos is an appeal to the authority or reputation of the speaker. Logos is an appeal to the audience's logic and reason. In my rhetorical analysis, I will be analyzing an article by Heather Mattern called, “Learning to Breathe”. In this article, Mattern proposes increasing physical activity such as running, , consuming raw foods, and adopting a positive mentality to curb depression. Mattern’s article brings awareness to health educators, like myself, who focuses on the study of health related issues like food, nutrition, and prevention. Through the use of use pathos and logos appeals, as well as narration, classifying and diving, and exemplifications to do what?…

Eudora Welty Ap Lang

The author establishes a determination overtone with "willing" and "immediately" and a fearful undertone with "commanding" and "witch." These tones occur together throughout this excerpt, increasing the intensity of the authors experiences. Welty focuses much on herself to elaborate on the value of books in her opinion as an aspiring fiction writer. She describes reading as "blissful," only intensifying what the value of reading is to her.…

Use Of Figurative Language In Eudora Welty's Essay

In the passage from Eudora Welty’s autobiography, One Writer’s Beginnings, Welty depicts how her love for reading was influenced by the challenges Mrs. Calloway, the librarian, presented by guarding the books and by her mother’s example of continuous reading. The zeal she has towards reading creates a motivational tone for the passage, allowing the reader to deeply connect with the meaning of the text. Welty conveys that the willingness to read is established at a young age. She uses many rhetorical devices to emphasise her opinions on reading, such as figurative language, distinct syntax, and unique diction.…

Short Essay On Eudora Welty

Utilizing her southern storytelling abilities and her first-hand knowledge of life in a small town, Welty depicts stories with a central theme of an individual’s contrasting romantic views of life versus the reality of living. Most of Welty’s literary works are set in a small southern town similar to the that which she grew up in. This includes her short story, “Lily Daw and the Three Ladies.” A young woman, Lily, who suffers mental disabilities is cared for by three women of her town. Their role as care giver is viewed differently by each individual woman when Lily is faced with a life altering decision. Lily wants to believe she has control over her life but her hope of freedom vanishes ironically as her hope chest is carted off on the train she never boarded…

Research Papers for Eudora Welty

Greater than scene … is situation. Greater than situation is implication. Greater than all of these is a single, entire human being, who will never be confined in any form. —Eudora Welty, One Writer’s Beginnings I owe a special debt to Jan Nordby Gretlund for his Eudora Welty’s Aesthetics of Place (Odense, Denmark: Odense University Press; Newark: University of Delaware Press, ¡994). Given his extensive and intensive analysis of Welty’s fiction, which he makes in response not only to that fiction but also to the considerable body of historical and critical work that has been done on it, Professor Gretlund establishes both a scholarly and a critical context upon which my speculative concerns depend. It is in the light of his study that I have written what follows, intending to bring to the support of our common concern for literature a metaphysical dimension of concern which I believe appropriate to literary criticism.…

The Pound Cake speech by Bill Cosby a well-known actor, comedian, and Philanthropist delivered a controversial speech called The Pound Cake Speech which was presented on May 17, 2004 at the NAACP Gala at Constitution Hall in Washington, DC. In this speech, Cosby was highly critical to members and divisions of the African American community in the United States. He criticized the use of African American dialect, the problems with bad parenting and various other social behaviors. Bill Cosby was effective in his speech because he combined a humorous approach with an emotional and logical appeal.…

Kipland Kinkel was a fifteen years old boy who was convicted for the possession of fire-arms, twenty- six attempted murders, and four murders, which included his mother, father, and fellow classmates. The defendant was sentenced to 111 years and eight months in jail. The Court of Appeals’ denied the appeal of the first sentence because the sentence was proven fair. The court document is successful in justifying the decisions to deny the appeal with use of persuasive rhetorical appeals.…

The Things They Carried By Tim O Brien: Chapter Analysis

The narrator in this chapter tries to convey the theme of guilt, shame and fear. The theme…

Well-known Sci-fi writer, Ray Bradbury, in his novel, Fahrenheit 451, illustrates that relationships reflect who individuals are and who they want to be. Bradbury’s purpose is to promote the idea that a person should have the courage to listen to their own beliefs and thoughts of happiness rather than to blend in with society. He adopts a disoriented and poetic tone in order to appeal to similar feelings and experiences on a non-realistic scale in his young adult readers.…

Related Topics

  • Eudora Welty

Reference management. Clean and simple.

How to write a rhetorical analysis

Rhetorical analysis illustration

What is a rhetorical analysis?

What are the key concepts of a rhetorical analysis, rhetorical situation, claims, supports, and warrants.

  • Step 1: Plan and prepare
  • Step 2: Write your introduction
  • Step 3: Write the body
  • Step 4: Write your conclusion

Frequently Asked Questions about rhetorical analysis

Related articles.

Rhetoric is the art of persuasion and aims to study writers’ or speakers' techniques to inform, persuade, or motivate their audience. Thus, a rhetorical analysis aims to explore the goals and motivations of an author, the techniques they’ve used to reach their audience, and how successful these techniques were.

This will generally involve analyzing a specific text and considering the following aspects to connect the rhetorical situation to the text:

  • Does the author successfully support the thesis or claims made in the text? Here, you’ll analyze whether the author holds to their argument consistently throughout the text or whether they wander off-topic at some point.
  • Does the author use evidence effectively considering the text’s intended audience? Here, you’ll consider the evidence used by the author to support their claims and whether the evidence resonates with the intended audience.
  • What rhetorical strategies the author uses to achieve their goals. Here, you’ll consider the word choices by the author and whether these word choices align with their agenda for the text.
  • The tone of the piece. Here, you’ll consider the tone used by the author in writing the piece by looking at specific words and aspects that set the tone.
  • Whether the author is objective or trying to convince the audience of a particular viewpoint. When it comes to objectivity, you’ll consider whether the author is objective or holds a particular viewpoint they want to convince the audience of. If they are, you’ll also consider whether their persuasion interferes with how the text is read and understood.
  • Does the author correctly identify the intended audience? It’s important to consider whether the author correctly writes the text for the intended audience and what assumptions the author makes about the audience.
  • Does the text make sense? Here, you’ll consider whether the author effectively reasons, based on the evidence, to arrive at the text’s conclusion.
  • Does the author try to appeal to the audience’s emotions? You’ll need to consider whether the author uses any words, ideas, or techniques to appeal to the audience’s emotions.
  • Can the author be believed? Finally, you’ll consider whether the audience will accept the arguments and ideas of the author and why.

Summing up, unlike summaries that focus on what an author said, a rhetorical analysis focuses on how it’s said, and it doesn’t rely on an analysis of whether the author was right or wrong but rather how they made their case to arrive at their conclusions.

Although rhetorical analysis is most used by academics as part of scholarly work, it can be used to analyze any text including speeches, novels, television shows or films, advertisements, or cartoons.

Now that we’ve seen what rhetorical analysis is, let’s consider some of its key concepts .

Any rhetorical analysis starts with the rhetorical situation which identifies the relationships between the different elements of the text. These elements include the audience, author or writer, the author’s purpose, the delivery method or medium, and the content:

  • Audience: The audience is simply the readers of a specific piece of text or content or printed material. For speeches or other mediums like film and video, the audience would be the listeners or viewers. Depending on the specific piece of text or the author’s perception, the audience might be real, imagined, or invoked. With a real audience, the author writes to the people actually reading or listening to the content while, for an imaginary audience, the author writes to an audience they imagine would read the content. Similarly, for an invoked audience, the author writes explicitly to a specific audience.
  • Author or writer: The author or writer, also commonly referred to as the rhetor in the context of rhetorical analysis, is the person or the group of persons who authored the text or content.
  • The author’s purpose: The author’s purpose is the author’s reason for communicating to the audience. In other words, the author’s purpose encompasses what the author expects or intends to achieve with the text or content.
  • Alphabetic text includes essays, editorials, articles, speeches, and other written pieces.
  • Imaging includes website and magazine advertisements, TV commercials, and the like.
  • Audio includes speeches, website advertisements, radio or tv commercials, or podcasts.
  • Context: The context of the text or content considers the time, place, and circumstances surrounding the delivery of the text to its audience. With respect to context, it might often also be helpful to analyze the text in a different context to determine its impact on a different audience and in different circumstances.

An author will use claims, supports, and warrants to build the case around their argument, irrespective of whether the argument is logical and clearly defined or needs to be inferred by the audience:

  • Claim: The claim is the main idea or opinion of an argument that the author must prove to the intended audience. In other words, the claim is the fact or facts the author wants to convince the audience of. Claims are usually explicitly stated but can, depending on the specific piece of content or text, be implied from the content. Although these claims could be anything and an argument may be based on a single or several claims, the key is that these claims should be debatable.
  • Support: The supports are used by the author to back up the claims they make in their argument. These supports can include anything from fact-based, objective evidence to subjective emotional appeals and personal experiences used by the author to convince the audience of a specific claim. Either way, the stronger and more reliable the supports, the more likely the audience will be to accept the claim.
  • Warrant: The warrants are the logic and assumptions that connect the supports to the claims. In other words, they’re the assumptions that make the initial claim possible. The warrant is often unstated, and the author assumes that the audience will be able to understand the connection between the claims and supports. In turn, this is based on the author’s assumption that they share a set of values and beliefs with the audience that will make them understand the connection mentioned above. Conversely, if the audience doesn’t share these beliefs and values with the author, the argument will not be that effective.

Appeals are used by authors to convince their audience and, as such, are an integral part of the rhetoric and are often referred to as the rhetorical triangle. As a result, an author may combine all three appeals to convince their audience:

  • Ethos: Ethos represents the authority or credibility of the author. To be successful, the author needs to convince the audience of their authority or credibility through the language and delivery techniques they use. This will, for example, be the case where an author writing on a technical subject positions themselves as an expert or authority by referring to their qualifications or experience.
  • Logos: Logos refers to the reasoned argument the author uses to persuade their audience. In other words, it refers to the reasons or evidence the author proffers in substantiation of their claims and can include facts, statistics, and other forms of evidence. For this reason, logos is also the dominant approach in academic writing where authors present and build up arguments using reasoning and evidence.
  • Pathos: Through pathos, also referred to as the pathetic appeal, the author attempts to evoke the audience’s emotions through the use of, for instance, passionate language, vivid imagery, anger, sympathy, or any other emotional response.

To write a rhetorical analysis, you need to follow the steps below:

With a rhetorical analysis, you don’t choose concepts in advance and apply them to a specific text or piece of content. Rather, you’ll have to analyze the text to identify the separate components and plan and prepare your analysis accordingly.

Here, it might be helpful to use the SOAPSTone technique to identify the components of the work. SOAPSTone is a common acronym in analysis and represents the:

  • Speaker . Here, you’ll identify the author or the narrator delivering the content to the audience.
  • Occasion . With the occasion, you’ll identify when and where the story takes place and what the surrounding context is.
  • Audience . Here, you’ll identify who the audience or intended audience is.
  • Purpose . With the purpose, you’ll need to identify the reason behind the text or what the author wants to achieve with their writing.
  • Subject . You’ll also need to identify the subject matter or topic of the text.
  • Tone . The tone identifies the author’s feelings towards the subject matter or topic.

Apart from gathering the information and analyzing the components mentioned above, you’ll also need to examine the appeals the author uses in writing the text and attempting to persuade the audience of their argument. Moreover, you’ll need to identify elements like word choice, word order, repetition, analogies, and imagery the writer uses to get a reaction from the audience.

Once you’ve gathered the information and examined the appeals and strategies used by the author as mentioned above, you’ll need to answer some questions relating to the information you’ve collected from the text. The answers to these questions will help you determine the reasons for the choices the author made and how well these choices support the overall argument.

Here, some of the questions you’ll ask include:

  • What was the author’s intention?
  • Who was the intended audience?
  • What is the author’s argument?
  • What strategies does the author use to build their argument and why do they use those strategies?
  • What appeals the author uses to convince and persuade the audience?
  • What effect the text has on the audience?

Keep in mind that these are just some of the questions you’ll ask, and depending on the specific text, there might be others.

Once you’ve done your preparation, you can start writing the rhetorical analysis. It will start off with an introduction which is a clear and concise paragraph that shows you understand the purpose of the text and gives more information about the author and the relevance of the text.

The introduction also summarizes the text and the main ideas you’ll discuss in your analysis. Most importantly, however, is your thesis statement . This statement should be one sentence at the end of the introduction that summarizes your argument and tempts your audience to read on and find out more about it.

After your introduction, you can proceed with the body of your analysis. Here, you’ll write at least three paragraphs that explain the strategies and techniques used by the author to convince and persuade the audience, the reasons why the writer used this approach, and why it’s either successful or unsuccessful.

You can structure the body of your analysis in several ways. For example, you can deal with every strategy the author uses in a new paragraph, but you can also structure the body around the specific appeals the author used or chronologically.

No matter how you structure the body and your paragraphs, it’s important to remember that you support each one of your arguments with facts, data, examples, or quotes and that, at the end of every paragraph, you tie the topic back to your original thesis.

Finally, you’ll write the conclusion of your rhetorical analysis. Here, you’ll repeat your thesis statement and summarize the points you’ve made in the body of your analysis. Ultimately, the goal of the conclusion is to pull the points of your analysis together so you should be careful to not raise any new issues in your conclusion.

After you’ve finished your conclusion, you’ll end your analysis with a powerful concluding statement of why your argument matters and an invitation to conduct more research if needed.

A rhetorical analysis aims to explore the goals and motivations of an author, the techniques they’ve used to reach their audience, and how successful these techniques were. Although rhetorical analysis is most used by academics as part of scholarly work, it can be used to analyze any text including speeches, novels, television shows or films, advertisements, or cartoons.

The steps to write a rhetorical analysis include:

Your rhetorical analysis introduction is a clear and concise paragraph that shows you understand the purpose of the text and gives more information about the author and the relevance of the text. The introduction also summarizes the text and the main ideas you’ll discuss in your analysis.

Ethos represents the authority or credibility of the author. To be successful, the author needs to convince the audience of their authority or credibility through the language and delivery techniques they use. This will, for example, be the case where an author writing on a technical subject positions themselves as an expert or authority by referring to their qualifications or experience.

Appeals are used by authors to convince their audience and, as such, are an integral part of the rhetoric and are often referred to as the rhetorical triangle. The 3 types of appeals are ethos, logos, and pathos.

one writer's beginnings rhetorical analysis essay

Rhetorical Analysis

Sample rhetorical analysis essay.

Student essay is used with permission.  It was originally submitted double-spaced with no extra spaces between the lines, featured proper MLA pagination, and 1/2″ paragraph indents.  The writing assignment asks for an argument about how several rhetorical elements work together to create a functioning whole in a given chapter of Michael Shermer’s 2004 book The Science of Good and Evil: Why People Cheat, Gossip, Care, Share, and Follow the Golden Rule .

Liana Monnat

English 101

Instructor: Joshua Dickinson

October 16, 2016

Michael Shermer Successfully Proves That Humans Can Be Good Without God

            In his chapter entitled “Can We Be Good Without God?” Michael Shermer’s objective is to prove that one does not need to be religious to be capable of moral behavior.  Shermer has, in his previous four chapters, taken care to establish ethos by demonstrating that he is an open-minded and intelligent fellow.  Judging by his use of vocabulary, he assumes his readers are also intelligent people, with whom he attempts to develop a connection through his intermittent use of humor.  Shermer has already proved that his arguments are well-supported by large quantities of evidence, which lets his audience know that what he is saying is inherently trustworthy.  Taking all of this into consideration and having carefully analyzed this chapter, the reader is compelled by logic to agree with Shermer that one can have religion without morality, and morality without religion.

Shermer begins his fifth chapter with an appeal to pathos.  He describes to readers the massacre perpetrated at Columbine High School by Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold (141).  His description of the event along with a photograph of the black-clad, angry-looking murderers gives the reader a glimpse of the terror that must have been experienced by those unfortunate enough to have been present at the massacre.  In building up to proving his argument, Shermer appeals to readers’ ability to reason by showing that outside influences do not cause a person to behave immorally.  He explains that in the aftermath of the event, many theories were put forth to rationalize the cause of Harris and Klebold’s murderous rampage.  Included in these causes were use of prescription drugs, cult or gang influence, a fatherless home, homosexuality, and exposure to violence in video games (143-144).  Shermer uses logic to point out that none of these causes were relevant, particularly the idea that video game violence may have been the cause.  He makes mention of several newspapers that make such a claim, but dismisses the articles as having been written by “wannabe social commentators” and “ad hoc social scientists” and lacking in evidence (143).  Shermer shows how ridiculous the notion of video games being the causal factor is by relaying testimony of other players of violent games.  They all point out that they have not been driven to violence by their gaming habits (143).  By presenting these testimonies, he appeals to our common sense and ability to reason as intelligent individuals to realize that if video games caused people to behave violently, all gamers who played violent games would exhibit violent behavior, which is certainly not the case.  Shermer has thus far proved to readers that outside influences do not cause a person to abandon their morality.

Having logically dismantled the previous cases, Shermer turns his focus to the subject of gun control.  He quips that those in favor of more gun control took advantage of the Columbine massacre by “squawking for more legislation” (146).  His use of the word ‘squawking’ brings chickens to mind, and the great amount of noise they produce at the slightest provocation.  I believe creating this visual was probably the intent behind his humorous choice of words.

Liberal gun control advocates thoroughly ridiculed, Shermer notes that conservatives answered the call for more gun control by insisting that guns were not the problem.  The problem, as conservatives saw it, was the evil souls of the people who used them to commit evil deeds (146).  I feel that Shermer purposefully saved mentioning the gun control issue for last because it deals with the ideas of evil, morality, and religion.  He has taken much care in the preceding chapters to make it clear that he does not believe that evil exists, and that morality is not a product of religion.  The issue of gun control seems a well-chosen topic from which to begin his argument of how morality is a thing separate from religion.

The first example of evidence Shermer offers in his argument is an excerpt from a letter read by Congressman Tom DeLay.  He uses the excerpt to bring to readers’ attention an argument that is commonly made to explain violent acts.  It implies that as science provides evidence for questions that people once looked to religion to answer, people no longer feel obligated by a higher power to behave morally (147).  Shermer disputes this argument by describing the case of another perpetrator of a school shooting.  Rumors of the perpetrator being an atheist were quickly dispelled by the family priest, whose explanation was that the boy was a sinner but not an atheist, to which Shermer sarcastically quips “Thank God for that” (147).  This remark demonstrates his disgust that the priest would imply that being a Christian murderer was less offensive than being an atheist.  With this evidence, Shermer has supported his argument and demonstrated to his audience that religious people do not necessarily have morals.

For Shermer’s next move, he takes into consideration the opinions of several credible people who believe that morality is impossible without religion.  He utilizes quotes from the 103rd archbishop of Canterbury, Pope Pious XI, and the deeply religious Dostoyevsky who all fervently insist that religion is absolutely necessary for morality (149-150).  Shermer then includes the religious views of Laura Schlessinger, his one-time colleague.  He immediately diminishes her religious credibility by referring to her as a “self-appointed religious authority” (150). This implies to readers that although she is considered a ‘religious authority’ her opinions should not be taken too seriously.   He points out that although Schlessinger claims to have grown up lacking morals due to an atheistic upbringing, she admits that her parents still managed to instill her with some degree of morality (151).  This admission helps support his idea that non-religious people can have morals, but is the only part of Shermer’s paragraphs about Schlessinger that appear to be relevant to his argument.  He continues on about her, however, and it becomes apparent to readers that Shermer once admired her work but was taken aback by her conversion to Judaism.  He further weakens her authority by poking fun at her, and readers (this reader, at least) cannot help but wonder if he only included these paragraphs about Schlessinger because he is still disgruntled about her defection from his cause.

Shermer has, through several quotes from religious authorities, demonstrated to his audience that religious people are adamant that religion is necessary for moral behavior.  In an effort to prove that they are wrong, he refutes the claims of these authorities by serving up examples of religious people that committed atrocities while zealously practicing their religion.  His go-to example is Hitler and the annihilation of the Jews in Germany.  He illustrates for readers the religious fervor of Hitler by quoting him as saying “I believe today that I am acting in the sense of the Almighty Creator.  By warding off the Jews I am fighting for the Lord’s work” (qtd. on 153).  By strategically using this quote, Shermer is proving to readers that not only did Hitler commit mass murder, he did so in the Lord’s name.  This example, more than any other, is meant to show that religion and morality are not related.

In perhaps his most convincing argument that one need not be religious to behave morally, Shermer gets personal.  He asks readers the question “What would you do if there was no God?” (154).  Now the reader must contemplate the point Shermer has been trying to make, but on an intimate level.  He forces one to admit that if it was learned that God did not exist, the vast majority of people would continue to behave morally.  Most people would not, free from fear of eternal reprisal, proceed to pillage, rape, and commit murder.  After this degree of self-examination, it would be illogical to disagree that morality is not a creation of religion.

In his chapter “Can We Be Good Without God?”, Shermer successfully proves that we can indeed be good without God.  He appealed to readers’ emotions by describing the nightmare that was the Columbine massacre and led his audience to logically conclude that no outside influences caused the perpetrators’ behavior.  Through the strategic use of quotes and examples, Shermer effectively demonstrated that contrary to the beliefs of religious authorities, deeply religious people are capable of behaving extremely immorally.  Shermer ingeniously substantiated his point by asking readers to ponder what their own behavior might be like without God holding them accountable for their actions.  I feel that this was his most convincing piece of evidence in support of his argument, it is hard to deny his logic when applying it to oneself.  It can be assumed that most readers would continue to behave morally, and would agree with Shermer that we can be good without God.

Shermer, Michael. “Can We Be Good Without God?”  The Science of Good and Evil: Why People Cheat,

Gossip, Care, Share, and Follow the Golden Rule.   Henry Holt and Company, LLC, 2004, pp.141-156.

  • Sample Rhetorical Analysis Essay (MLA Format). Authored by : Liana Monnat. Provided by : Jefferson Community College. Located at : http://www.sunyjefferson.edu . Project : ENG 101. License : CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
  • Search Menu
  • Browse content in Arts and Humanities
  • Browse content in Archaeology
  • Anglo-Saxon and Medieval Archaeology
  • Archaeological Methodology and Techniques
  • Archaeology by Region
  • Archaeology of Religion
  • Archaeology of Trade and Exchange
  • Biblical Archaeology
  • Contemporary and Public Archaeology
  • Environmental Archaeology
  • Historical Archaeology
  • History and Theory of Archaeology
  • Industrial Archaeology
  • Landscape Archaeology
  • Mortuary Archaeology
  • Prehistoric Archaeology
  • Underwater Archaeology
  • Urban Archaeology
  • Zooarchaeology
  • Browse content in Architecture
  • Architectural Structure and Design
  • History of Architecture
  • Residential and Domestic Buildings
  • Theory of Architecture
  • Browse content in Art
  • Art Subjects and Themes
  • History of Art
  • Industrial and Commercial Art
  • Theory of Art
  • Biographical Studies
  • Byzantine Studies
  • Browse content in Classical Studies
  • Classical History
  • Classical Philosophy
  • Classical Mythology
  • Classical Literature
  • Classical Reception
  • Classical Art and Architecture
  • Classical Oratory and Rhetoric
  • Greek and Roman Papyrology
  • Greek and Roman Epigraphy
  • Greek and Roman Law
  • Greek and Roman Archaeology
  • Late Antiquity
  • Religion in the Ancient World
  • Digital Humanities
  • Browse content in History
  • Colonialism and Imperialism
  • Diplomatic History
  • Environmental History
  • Genealogy, Heraldry, Names, and Honours
  • Genocide and Ethnic Cleansing
  • Historical Geography
  • History by Period
  • History of Emotions
  • History of Agriculture
  • History of Education
  • History of Gender and Sexuality
  • Industrial History
  • Intellectual History
  • International History
  • Labour History
  • Legal and Constitutional History
  • Local and Family History
  • Maritime History
  • Military History
  • National Liberation and Post-Colonialism
  • Oral History
  • Political History
  • Public History
  • Regional and National History
  • Revolutions and Rebellions
  • Slavery and Abolition of Slavery
  • Social and Cultural History
  • Theory, Methods, and Historiography
  • Urban History
  • World History
  • Browse content in Language Teaching and Learning
  • Language Learning (Specific Skills)
  • Language Teaching Theory and Methods
  • Browse content in Linguistics
  • Applied Linguistics
  • Cognitive Linguistics
  • Computational Linguistics
  • Forensic Linguistics
  • Grammar, Syntax and Morphology
  • Historical and Diachronic Linguistics
  • History of English
  • Language Evolution
  • Language Reference
  • Language Acquisition
  • Language Variation
  • Language Families
  • Lexicography
  • Linguistic Anthropology
  • Linguistic Theories
  • Linguistic Typology
  • Phonetics and Phonology
  • Psycholinguistics
  • Sociolinguistics
  • Translation and Interpretation
  • Writing Systems
  • Browse content in Literature
  • Bibliography
  • Children's Literature Studies
  • Literary Studies (Romanticism)
  • Literary Studies (American)
  • Literary Studies (Asian)
  • Literary Studies (European)
  • Literary Studies (Eco-criticism)
  • Literary Studies (Modernism)
  • Literary Studies - World
  • Literary Studies (1500 to 1800)
  • Literary Studies (19th Century)
  • Literary Studies (20th Century onwards)
  • Literary Studies (African American Literature)
  • Literary Studies (British and Irish)
  • Literary Studies (Early and Medieval)
  • Literary Studies (Fiction, Novelists, and Prose Writers)
  • Literary Studies (Gender Studies)
  • Literary Studies (Graphic Novels)
  • Literary Studies (History of the Book)
  • Literary Studies (Plays and Playwrights)
  • Literary Studies (Poetry and Poets)
  • Literary Studies (Postcolonial Literature)
  • Literary Studies (Queer Studies)
  • Literary Studies (Science Fiction)
  • Literary Studies (Travel Literature)
  • Literary Studies (War Literature)
  • Literary Studies (Women's Writing)
  • Literary Theory and Cultural Studies
  • Mythology and Folklore
  • Shakespeare Studies and Criticism
  • Browse content in Media Studies
  • Browse content in Music
  • Applied Music
  • Dance and Music
  • Ethics in Music
  • Ethnomusicology
  • Gender and Sexuality in Music
  • Medicine and Music
  • Music Cultures
  • Music and Media
  • Music and Religion
  • Music and Culture
  • Music Education and Pedagogy
  • Music Theory and Analysis
  • Musical Scores, Lyrics, and Libretti
  • Musical Structures, Styles, and Techniques
  • Musicology and Music History
  • Performance Practice and Studies
  • Race and Ethnicity in Music
  • Sound Studies
  • Browse content in Performing Arts
  • Browse content in Philosophy
  • Aesthetics and Philosophy of Art
  • Epistemology
  • Feminist Philosophy
  • History of Western Philosophy
  • Metaphysics
  • Moral Philosophy
  • Non-Western Philosophy
  • Philosophy of Language
  • Philosophy of Mind
  • Philosophy of Perception
  • Philosophy of Science
  • Philosophy of Action
  • Philosophy of Law
  • Philosophy of Religion
  • Philosophy of Mathematics and Logic
  • Practical Ethics
  • Social and Political Philosophy
  • Browse content in Religion
  • Biblical Studies
  • Christianity
  • East Asian Religions
  • History of Religion
  • Judaism and Jewish Studies
  • Qumran Studies
  • Religion and Education
  • Religion and Health
  • Religion and Politics
  • Religion and Science
  • Religion and Law
  • Religion and Art, Literature, and Music
  • Religious Studies
  • Browse content in Society and Culture
  • Cookery, Food, and Drink
  • Cultural Studies
  • Customs and Traditions
  • Ethical Issues and Debates
  • Hobbies, Games, Arts and Crafts
  • Lifestyle, Home, and Garden
  • Natural world, Country Life, and Pets
  • Popular Beliefs and Controversial Knowledge
  • Sports and Outdoor Recreation
  • Technology and Society
  • Travel and Holiday
  • Visual Culture
  • Browse content in Law
  • Arbitration
  • Browse content in Company and Commercial Law
  • Commercial Law
  • Company Law
  • Browse content in Comparative Law
  • Systems of Law
  • Competition Law
  • Browse content in Constitutional and Administrative Law
  • Government Powers
  • Judicial Review
  • Local Government Law
  • Military and Defence Law
  • Parliamentary and Legislative Practice
  • Construction Law
  • Contract Law
  • Browse content in Criminal Law
  • Criminal Procedure
  • Criminal Evidence Law
  • Sentencing and Punishment
  • Employment and Labour Law
  • Environment and Energy Law
  • Browse content in Financial Law
  • Banking Law
  • Insolvency Law
  • History of Law
  • Human Rights and Immigration
  • Intellectual Property Law
  • Browse content in International Law
  • Private International Law and Conflict of Laws
  • Public International Law
  • IT and Communications Law
  • Jurisprudence and Philosophy of Law
  • Law and Politics
  • Law and Society
  • Browse content in Legal System and Practice
  • Courts and Procedure
  • Legal Skills and Practice
  • Primary Sources of Law
  • Regulation of Legal Profession
  • Medical and Healthcare Law
  • Browse content in Policing
  • Criminal Investigation and Detection
  • Police and Security Services
  • Police Procedure and Law
  • Police Regional Planning
  • Browse content in Property Law
  • Personal Property Law
  • Study and Revision
  • Terrorism and National Security Law
  • Browse content in Trusts Law
  • Wills and Probate or Succession
  • Browse content in Medicine and Health
  • Browse content in Allied Health Professions
  • Arts Therapies
  • Clinical Science
  • Dietetics and Nutrition
  • Occupational Therapy
  • Operating Department Practice
  • Physiotherapy
  • Radiography
  • Speech and Language Therapy
  • Browse content in Anaesthetics
  • General Anaesthesia
  • Neuroanaesthesia
  • Clinical Neuroscience
  • Browse content in Clinical Medicine
  • Acute Medicine
  • Cardiovascular Medicine
  • Clinical Genetics
  • Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics
  • Dermatology
  • Endocrinology and Diabetes
  • Gastroenterology
  • Genito-urinary Medicine
  • Geriatric Medicine
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Medical Toxicology
  • Medical Oncology
  • Pain Medicine
  • Palliative Medicine
  • Rehabilitation Medicine
  • Respiratory Medicine and Pulmonology
  • Rheumatology
  • Sleep Medicine
  • Sports and Exercise Medicine
  • Community Medical Services
  • Critical Care
  • Emergency Medicine
  • Forensic Medicine
  • Haematology
  • History of Medicine
  • Browse content in Medical Skills
  • Clinical Skills
  • Communication Skills
  • Nursing Skills
  • Surgical Skills
  • Browse content in Medical Dentistry
  • Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
  • Paediatric Dentistry
  • Restorative Dentistry and Orthodontics
  • Surgical Dentistry
  • Medical Ethics
  • Medical Statistics and Methodology
  • Browse content in Neurology
  • Clinical Neurophysiology
  • Neuropathology
  • Nursing Studies
  • Browse content in Obstetrics and Gynaecology
  • Gynaecology
  • Occupational Medicine
  • Ophthalmology
  • Otolaryngology (ENT)
  • Browse content in Paediatrics
  • Neonatology
  • Browse content in Pathology
  • Chemical Pathology
  • Clinical Cytogenetics and Molecular Genetics
  • Histopathology
  • Medical Microbiology and Virology
  • Patient Education and Information
  • Browse content in Pharmacology
  • Psychopharmacology
  • Browse content in Popular Health
  • Caring for Others
  • Complementary and Alternative Medicine
  • Self-help and Personal Development
  • Browse content in Preclinical Medicine
  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology and Genetics
  • Reproduction, Growth and Development
  • Primary Care
  • Professional Development in Medicine
  • Browse content in Psychiatry
  • Addiction Medicine
  • Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
  • Forensic Psychiatry
  • Learning Disabilities
  • Old Age Psychiatry
  • Psychotherapy
  • Browse content in Public Health and Epidemiology
  • Epidemiology
  • Public Health
  • Browse content in Radiology
  • Clinical Radiology
  • Interventional Radiology
  • Nuclear Medicine
  • Radiation Oncology
  • Reproductive Medicine
  • Browse content in Surgery
  • Cardiothoracic Surgery
  • Gastro-intestinal and Colorectal Surgery
  • General Surgery
  • Neurosurgery
  • Paediatric Surgery
  • Peri-operative Care
  • Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
  • Surgical Oncology
  • Transplant Surgery
  • Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery
  • Vascular Surgery
  • Browse content in Science and Mathematics
  • Browse content in Biological Sciences
  • Aquatic Biology
  • Biochemistry
  • Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
  • Developmental Biology
  • Ecology and Conservation
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Genetics and Genomics
  • Microbiology
  • Molecular and Cell Biology
  • Natural History
  • Plant Sciences and Forestry
  • Research Methods in Life Sciences
  • Structural Biology
  • Systems Biology
  • Zoology and Animal Sciences
  • Browse content in Chemistry
  • Analytical Chemistry
  • Computational Chemistry
  • Crystallography
  • Environmental Chemistry
  • Industrial Chemistry
  • Inorganic Chemistry
  • Materials Chemistry
  • Medicinal Chemistry
  • Mineralogy and Gems
  • Organic Chemistry
  • Physical Chemistry
  • Polymer Chemistry
  • Study and Communication Skills in Chemistry
  • Theoretical Chemistry
  • Browse content in Computer Science
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Computer Architecture and Logic Design
  • Game Studies
  • Human-Computer Interaction
  • Mathematical Theory of Computation
  • Programming Languages
  • Software Engineering
  • Systems Analysis and Design
  • Virtual Reality
  • Browse content in Computing
  • Business Applications
  • Computer Security
  • Computer Games
  • Computer Networking and Communications
  • Digital Lifestyle
  • Graphical and Digital Media Applications
  • Operating Systems
  • Browse content in Earth Sciences and Geography
  • Atmospheric Sciences
  • Environmental Geography
  • Geology and the Lithosphere
  • Maps and Map-making
  • Meteorology and Climatology
  • Oceanography and Hydrology
  • Palaeontology
  • Physical Geography and Topography
  • Regional Geography
  • Soil Science
  • Urban Geography
  • Browse content in Engineering and Technology
  • Agriculture and Farming
  • Biological Engineering
  • Civil Engineering, Surveying, and Building
  • Electronics and Communications Engineering
  • Energy Technology
  • Engineering (General)
  • Environmental Science, Engineering, and Technology
  • History of Engineering and Technology
  • Mechanical Engineering and Materials
  • Technology of Industrial Chemistry
  • Transport Technology and Trades
  • Browse content in Environmental Science
  • Applied Ecology (Environmental Science)
  • Conservation of the Environment (Environmental Science)
  • Environmental Sustainability
  • Environmentalist Thought and Ideology (Environmental Science)
  • Management of Land and Natural Resources (Environmental Science)
  • Natural Disasters (Environmental Science)
  • Nuclear Issues (Environmental Science)
  • Pollution and Threats to the Environment (Environmental Science)
  • Social Impact of Environmental Issues (Environmental Science)
  • History of Science and Technology
  • Browse content in Materials Science
  • Ceramics and Glasses
  • Composite Materials
  • Metals, Alloying, and Corrosion
  • Nanotechnology
  • Browse content in Mathematics
  • Applied Mathematics
  • Biomathematics and Statistics
  • History of Mathematics
  • Mathematical Education
  • Mathematical Finance
  • Mathematical Analysis
  • Numerical and Computational Mathematics
  • Probability and Statistics
  • Pure Mathematics
  • Browse content in Neuroscience
  • Cognition and Behavioural Neuroscience
  • Development of the Nervous System
  • Disorders of the Nervous System
  • History of Neuroscience
  • Invertebrate Neurobiology
  • Molecular and Cellular Systems
  • Neuroendocrinology and Autonomic Nervous System
  • Neuroscientific Techniques
  • Sensory and Motor Systems
  • Browse content in Physics
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
  • Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics
  • Biological and Medical Physics
  • Classical Mechanics
  • Computational Physics
  • Condensed Matter Physics
  • Electromagnetism, Optics, and Acoustics
  • History of Physics
  • Mathematical and Statistical Physics
  • Measurement Science
  • Nuclear Physics
  • Particles and Fields
  • Plasma Physics
  • Quantum Physics
  • Relativity and Gravitation
  • Semiconductor and Mesoscopic Physics
  • Browse content in Psychology
  • Affective Sciences
  • Clinical Psychology
  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Criminal and Forensic Psychology
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Educational Psychology
  • Evolutionary Psychology
  • Health Psychology
  • History and Systems in Psychology
  • Music Psychology
  • Neuropsychology
  • Organizational Psychology
  • Psychological Assessment and Testing
  • Psychology of Human-Technology Interaction
  • Psychology Professional Development and Training
  • Research Methods in Psychology
  • Social Psychology
  • Browse content in Social Sciences
  • Browse content in Anthropology
  • Anthropology of Religion
  • Human Evolution
  • Medical Anthropology
  • Physical Anthropology
  • Regional Anthropology
  • Social and Cultural Anthropology
  • Theory and Practice of Anthropology
  • Browse content in Business and Management
  • Business Ethics
  • Business Strategy
  • Business History
  • Business and Technology
  • Business and Government
  • Business and the Environment
  • Comparative Management
  • Corporate Governance
  • Corporate Social Responsibility
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Health Management
  • Human Resource Management
  • Industrial and Employment Relations
  • Industry Studies
  • Information and Communication Technologies
  • International Business
  • Knowledge Management
  • Management and Management Techniques
  • Operations Management
  • Organizational Theory and Behaviour
  • Pensions and Pension Management
  • Public and Nonprofit Management
  • Strategic Management
  • Supply Chain Management
  • Browse content in Criminology and Criminal Justice
  • Criminal Justice
  • Criminology
  • Forms of Crime
  • International and Comparative Criminology
  • Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice
  • Development Studies
  • Browse content in Economics
  • Agricultural, Environmental, and Natural Resource Economics
  • Asian Economics
  • Behavioural Finance
  • Behavioural Economics and Neuroeconomics
  • Econometrics and Mathematical Economics
  • Economic History
  • Economic Systems
  • Economic Methodology
  • Economic Development and Growth
  • Financial Markets
  • Financial Institutions and Services
  • General Economics and Teaching
  • Health, Education, and Welfare
  • History of Economic Thought
  • International Economics
  • Labour and Demographic Economics
  • Law and Economics
  • Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics
  • Microeconomics
  • Public Economics
  • Urban, Rural, and Regional Economics
  • Welfare Economics
  • Browse content in Education
  • Adult Education and Continuous Learning
  • Care and Counselling of Students
  • Early Childhood and Elementary Education
  • Educational Equipment and Technology
  • Educational Strategies and Policy
  • Higher and Further Education
  • Organization and Management of Education
  • Philosophy and Theory of Education
  • Schools Studies
  • Secondary Education
  • Teaching of a Specific Subject
  • Teaching of Specific Groups and Special Educational Needs
  • Teaching Skills and Techniques
  • Browse content in Environment
  • Applied Ecology (Social Science)
  • Climate Change
  • Conservation of the Environment (Social Science)
  • Environmentalist Thought and Ideology (Social Science)
  • Natural Disasters (Environment)
  • Social Impact of Environmental Issues (Social Science)
  • Browse content in Human Geography
  • Cultural Geography
  • Economic Geography
  • Political Geography
  • Browse content in Interdisciplinary Studies
  • Communication Studies
  • Museums, Libraries, and Information Sciences
  • Browse content in Politics
  • African Politics
  • Asian Politics
  • Chinese Politics
  • Comparative Politics
  • Conflict Politics
  • Elections and Electoral Studies
  • Environmental Politics
  • European Union
  • Foreign Policy
  • Gender and Politics
  • Human Rights and Politics
  • Indian Politics
  • International Relations
  • International Organization (Politics)
  • International Political Economy
  • Irish Politics
  • Latin American Politics
  • Middle Eastern Politics
  • Political Behaviour
  • Political Economy
  • Political Institutions
  • Political Methodology
  • Political Communication
  • Political Philosophy
  • Political Sociology
  • Political Theory
  • Politics and Law
  • Public Policy
  • Public Administration
  • Quantitative Political Methodology
  • Regional Political Studies
  • Russian Politics
  • Security Studies
  • State and Local Government
  • UK Politics
  • US Politics
  • Browse content in Regional and Area Studies
  • African Studies
  • Asian Studies
  • East Asian Studies
  • Japanese Studies
  • Latin American Studies
  • Middle Eastern Studies
  • Native American Studies
  • Scottish Studies
  • Browse content in Research and Information
  • Research Methods
  • Browse content in Social Work
  • Addictions and Substance Misuse
  • Adoption and Fostering
  • Care of the Elderly
  • Child and Adolescent Social Work
  • Couple and Family Social Work
  • Developmental and Physical Disabilities Social Work
  • Direct Practice and Clinical Social Work
  • Emergency Services
  • Human Behaviour and the Social Environment
  • International and Global Issues in Social Work
  • Mental and Behavioural Health
  • Social Justice and Human Rights
  • Social Policy and Advocacy
  • Social Work and Crime and Justice
  • Social Work Macro Practice
  • Social Work Practice Settings
  • Social Work Research and Evidence-based Practice
  • Welfare and Benefit Systems
  • Browse content in Sociology
  • Childhood Studies
  • Community Development
  • Comparative and Historical Sociology
  • Economic Sociology
  • Gender and Sexuality
  • Gerontology and Ageing
  • Health, Illness, and Medicine
  • Marriage and the Family
  • Migration Studies
  • Occupations, Professions, and Work
  • Organizations
  • Population and Demography
  • Race and Ethnicity
  • Social Theory
  • Social Movements and Social Change
  • Social Research and Statistics
  • Social Stratification, Inequality, and Mobility
  • Sociology of Religion
  • Sociology of Education
  • Sport and Leisure
  • Urban and Rural Studies
  • Browse content in Warfare and Defence
  • Defence Strategy, Planning, and Research
  • Land Forces and Warfare
  • Military Administration
  • Military Life and Institutions
  • Naval Forces and Warfare
  • Other Warfare and Defence Issues
  • Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution
  • Weapons and Equipment

Rhetorical Style: The Uses of Language in Persuasion

  • < Previous chapter
  • Next chapter >
  • Published: October 2011
  • Cite Icon Cite
  • Permissions Icon Permissions

While discussions of style in the rhetorical tradition lack the basic language categories (e.g., lexical field ) that twentieth-century analysts have created, they did discriminate high-profile choices in their extensive catalogs of figure of speech. The manuals named tropes as figures involving substitutions of predictable words with terms that deliver nuanced meanings serving an argument. ( Trope is now used in cultural studies in a much broader sense as a recurring cultural signifier; the sense used in this chapter is the narrower one of a category of word-level figures.) The characterization of individual tropes reveals rhetorical principles of word formation, reference, and meaning. This chapter discusses the four “master” tropes ( synecdoche, metonymy, metaphor, irony ) in addition to related less-known figures. A synecdoche replaces a term with a part of its referent or switches singulars and plurals. A metonymy substitutes according to other principles (e.g., source, cause, physical proximity), while the related trope antonomasia replaces a proper noun with an attribute. Metaphor , a substitution from a disjunct lexical field, epitomizes the argument from analogy; the dramatic, novel rhetorical metaphor is stressed here over the conceptual metaphor described by cognitive linguists. Established metaphors and metaphors extended to the point of allegory are also covered, as is the simile , though it is not strictly a trope. The final trope, irony , which requires cues of intention for construal, has a partner in the more easily decoded antiphrasis. In the same category of deliberate “misstatements” are hyperbole, litotes, amphiboly, paradox, and paralepsis ( praeteritio ), all word or phrase substitutions that serve evaluative purposes. The tropes covered in this chapter are illustrated with passages from arguments that demonstrate their persuasive effects.

Signed in as

Institutional accounts.

  • Google Scholar Indexing
  • GoogleCrawler [DO NOT DELETE]

Personal account

  • Sign in with email/username & password
  • Get email alerts
  • Save searches
  • Purchase content
  • Activate your purchase/trial code

Institutional access

  • Sign in with a library card Sign in with username/password Recommend to your librarian
  • Institutional account management
  • Get help with access

Access to content on Oxford Academic is often provided through institutional subscriptions and purchases. If you are a member of an institution with an active account, you may be able to access content in one of the following ways:

IP based access

Typically, access is provided across an institutional network to a range of IP addresses. This authentication occurs automatically, and it is not possible to sign out of an IP authenticated account.

Sign in through your institution

Choose this option to get remote access when outside your institution. Shibboleth/Open Athens technology is used to provide single sign-on between your institution’s website and Oxford Academic.

  • Click Sign in through your institution.
  • Select your institution from the list provided, which will take you to your institution's website to sign in.
  • When on the institution site, please use the credentials provided by your institution. Do not use an Oxford Academic personal account.
  • Following successful sign in, you will be returned to Oxford Academic.

If your institution is not listed or you cannot sign in to your institution’s website, please contact your librarian or administrator.

Sign in with a library card

Enter your library card number to sign in. If you cannot sign in, please contact your librarian.

Society Members

Society member access to a journal is achieved in one of the following ways:

Sign in through society site

Many societies offer single sign-on between the society website and Oxford Academic. If you see ‘Sign in through society site’ in the sign in pane within a journal:

  • Click Sign in through society site.
  • When on the society site, please use the credentials provided by that society. Do not use an Oxford Academic personal account.

If you do not have a society account or have forgotten your username or password, please contact your society.

Sign in using a personal account

Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members. See below.

A personal account can be used to get email alerts, save searches, purchase content, and activate subscriptions.

Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members.

Viewing your signed in accounts

Click the account icon in the top right to:

  • View your signed in personal account and access account management features.
  • View the institutional accounts that are providing access.

Signed in but can't access content

Oxford Academic is home to a wide variety of products. The institutional subscription may not cover the content that you are trying to access. If you believe you should have access to that content, please contact your librarian.

For librarians and administrators, your personal account also provides access to institutional account management. Here you will find options to view and activate subscriptions, manage institutional settings and access options, access usage statistics, and more.

Our books are available by subscription or purchase to libraries and institutions.

  • About Oxford Academic
  • Publish journals with us
  • University press partners
  • What we publish
  • New features  
  • Open access
  • Rights and permissions
  • Accessibility
  • Advertising
  • Media enquiries
  • Oxford University Press
  • Oxford Languages
  • University of Oxford

Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide

  • Copyright © 2024 Oxford University Press
  • Cookie settings
  • Cookie policy
  • Privacy policy
  • Legal notice

This Feature Is Available To Subscribers Only

Sign In or Create an Account

This PDF is available to Subscribers Only

For full access to this pdf, sign in to an existing account, or purchase an annual subscription.

Smart English Notes

Summary, Analysis and Questions of On The Rule of The Road by Gardiner

Table of Contents

NCERT SOLUTIONS CLASS 12TH: THE RULE OF THE ROAD

INTRODUCTION ‘ On the Rule of the Road ‘ is a famous and amusing essay by A.G. Gardiner. In this essay “The Rule Of The Road.” Gardiner strikes the bull ‘s eye when he declares that, in order to preserve the freedoms of all, it is necessary to curtail everyone’s freedoms. He points out what constitutes true liberty. Freedom and liberty have become the watchwords of today’s society and every action taken is in the interests of personal freedom. Liberty, both human and political, has acquired tremendous significance in the contemporary world of constructed social and political anarchy.

SUMMARY of The Rule of The Road

The essay starts with an amusing anecdote of a fat old lady walking down a busy street in Petrograd in the middle of the road. The traffic was, of course, confused and there followed a traffic block. When someone pointed out to her that pedestrians had to walk on footpaths, her answer was intriguing. She answered that she has the freedom to walk wherever she likes. Nothing can be said against this because it is a public road.

Please enable JavaScript

The author, busy the next paragraph, goes on to clarify the boundaries of personal liberty. He says these days people are liberty – drunk. On this point, the reader can not but agree with the author as we see today that everyone wants individual freedom. Over the course of time, the problem has become more acute and fighting for freedom begins early when children are very young. Independence and dependence took on many colours and shades.

The Rule of The Road

According to Gardiner, sacrifice seems to be the foundation of liberty because “in order that the liberties of all may be preserved, the liberties of everybody must be curtailed.” He gives the example of traffic police at a busy junction. The policeman may seem like a nuisance at first, but later we realize he’s actually a blessing. If everyone were driving wherever and whenever they wanted there would be utter chaos and no one could reach anywhere. So in a sense, in order to make the neighbours, a reality neighbours liberty is restricted.

The author introduces freedom as a social contract not a personal. He says it’s an adaptation. If our freedom does not interfere with others, we can do as we please. He gives many instances where we do what we like to wear, what to eat, which religion to follow, which author to prefer, and many others.

We rule over a kingdom where we have all the freedom, but when we come into contact with the freedom of other people, both parties will have to restrict their own free lives. For this again he gives the instance of playing the Trombone. If he wishes to play it at midnight he will have to leave to the Everest or else his family and neighbours will object.

The author tells the reader that there are a lot of people in this world and adjustment is the key to liberty.

Gardiner in this bewitching essay “The Road Rule” points out what constitutes true liberty. These days, even among small children, personal freedom or individual liberty is a very familiar concept. Gardiner has dealt with this subject almost prophetically in a diplomatic and mature way by offering a solution to today’s ‘ liberty – drunk ‘ mentality. Gardiner tells us that there will often be times when we must “submit to a curtailment of private liberty” if we want to live in a social order in which we really have liberty. So what he says may seem somewhat paradoxical. He says that in order to make our liberty a reality, we must give up some of our freedom.

The idea of personal liberty as a social contract by Gardiner reflects the idea of ‘ social contract ‘ by the philosopher John Locke. Locke is one of the thinkers closest to the ‘ social contract ‘ idea. This idea says we are giving up some of our smaller freedoms so we can live in a society together. In return for doing so, our truly important rights are protected by society. Gardiner is trying to make this one major point in this essay.

Literally, when Gardiner refers to the “road rule,” he’s talking about the rules that tell you what you can do on the road. He refers to the anecdote of the Russian woman walking down the middle of the road and causing problems with traffic. That woman did not follow the rules telling us what we could do on the roads. But here too, there is a figurative meaning. Gardiner uses traffic laws as a metaphor for the rules that make society work (often unwritten and informal) and create community and solidarity in society.

The main point of this essay is that people need to consider how their actions affect others, not just what they want to do themselves, and how they affect society. The rules of the road in this sense are rules of politeness and altruism. They are rules like “do not play your trombone too loudly or at the wrong time” or “do not have loud public places conversations.”

The author concludes the essay by saying that both anarchist and socialist must be a judicious mix. We need to preserve individual liberty as well as social freedom. It is in the small matter of behaviour in observing the rule of the road, we pass judgment on ourselves and declare that we are civilized or uncivilised.

Rule of the Road Summary

“Rule of the Road” is an essay by one of the greatest International essayist A.G. Gardiner who wrote mostly under a pseudonym “Alpha of the Plough”. The essay is preceded by “ All About A Dog” as the two together convey the great message that laws are and should always be constituted for the welfare, wellbeing, and convenience of the general public. Laws need to be observed and followed in spirit rather than letter. However, some laws should be and can be winked at when the need arises.

Laws are categorized as ones to be observed and followed at all costs. Rule of the road needs to be and should at all costs be followed strictly to ensure every body’s safety; to avoid chaos and confusion.

Breach of this rule is sure to result in loss of life, terrific inconvenience to all and all resulting derailing entire Social fabric. There are other laws like one’s choice of dressing at home, one’s hobbies and the like, one can and does enjoy a lot of freedom in this regard.

The essay bears upon its reader that he/she should consider others convenience superior to his/her own. Everybody has the right to live according to his/her will and one is free in most of the matters of life but everyone should remember that his/her freedom ends where another person’s freedom starts that

is why it is said that “you are free to walk down a street revolving your stick but your freedom ends where another person’s nose begins”. In short, it lays base, the fact that there is nothing like “absolute freedom” and that everyone should be contented with the curtailment of liberty in order to enjoy a happy, safe, fear-free social life which ushers in greater liberty though indirectly.

In Albert Como’s words “ you cannot be happy when all around you are sad”, you cannot even smile when you are surrounded by gloomy and sullen faces. Our joys and sorrows are determined not only by our personal conditions but mostly by the content of joy and sorrow experienced by people around us.

Thus when people around us are free in their private affairs, we also can have a similar amount of freedom and that is possible only when we follow laws of the society in every walk of life; when we conduct ourselves according to the norms set by our societies.

Questions of On The Rule of The Road

Note: The Solved Questions will be added soon.

2 thoughts on “Summary, Analysis and Questions of On The Rule of The Road by Gardiner”

  • Pingback: Rules Of The Road Poem? Best 103 Answer
  • Pingback: Rules Of The Road Poem | Rule Of The Road#Class-3#Rhyme# 18 개의 정답

Have something to say Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Discover more from Smart English Notes

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Type your email…

Continue reading

Home — Essay Samples — Geography & Travel — Travel and Tourism Industry — The History of Moscow City

test_template

The History of Moscow City

  • Categories: Russia Travel and Tourism Industry

About this sample

close

Words: 614 |

Published: Feb 12, 2019

Words: 614 | Page: 1 | 4 min read

Image of Dr. Oliver Johnson

Cite this Essay

Let us write you an essay from scratch

  • 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
  • Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

author

Prof. Kifaru

Verified writer

  • Expert in: Geography & Travel

writer

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

13 pages / 6011 words

2 pages / 1003 words

6 pages / 3010 words

4 pages / 2143 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on Travel and Tourism Industry

Traveling has always been a significant part of my life. From a young age, I have been fortunate enough to explore different cultures, experience new traditions, and immerse myself in the beauty of our world. My passion for [...]

Travelling is a topic that has been debated for centuries, with some arguing that it is a waste of time and money, while others believe that it is an essential part of life. In this essay, I will argue that travelling is not [...]

Traveling is an enriching experience that allows individuals to explore new cultures, meet people from different backgrounds, and broaden their perspectives. In the summer of 2019, I had the opportunity to embark on an amazing [...]

Travelling has always been an exhilarating experience for me, and my recent trip to Rome was no exception. The ancient city, with its rich history and breathtaking architecture, left a lasting impression on me. It was a journey [...]

When planning a business trip all aspects and decisions rely heavily on the budget set by the company for the trip. Once Sandfords have confirmed the location careful consideration should be used to choose the travel method and [...]

Place is one of the most complicated issues in geographical studies. Place refers to both sides of human and physical geography. There is not clear understand about the place and sometimes refer to local, area, point, region, [...]

Related Topics

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Where do you want us to send this sample?

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

Be careful. This essay is not unique

This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

Download this Sample

Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

Please check your inbox.

We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

  • Instructions Followed To The Letter
  • Deadlines Met At Every Stage
  • Unique And Plagiarism Free

one writer's beginnings rhetorical analysis essay

IMAGES

  1. Learn How to Write a Rhetorical Analysis Essay on Trust My Paper

    one writer's beginnings rhetorical analysis essay

  2. Rhetorical Analysis Of Narrative Essay Free Essay Example

    one writer's beginnings rhetorical analysis essay

  3. How to Start a Rhetorical Analysis Essay and Make it Work Essay Writer

    one writer's beginnings rhetorical analysis essay

  4. 💄 How to start a process analysis essay. How to Write a Process

    one writer's beginnings rhetorical analysis essay

  5. The Essay Writer

    one writer's beginnings rhetorical analysis essay

  6. How to Write a Rhetorical Analysis Essay: Outline, Steps, & Examples

    one writer's beginnings rhetorical analysis essay

VIDEO

  1. How to Write a Rhetorical Analysis Essay

  2. How to Write a Rhetorical Analysis Essay

  3. What is a Rhetorical Analysis?

  4. AP English Rhetorical Analysis Essay Overview

  5. How to Write a Rhetorical Analysis Essay

  6. Writing Center: Rhetorical Analysis

COMMENTS

  1. One Writer's Beginnings Analysis

    Form and Content. In One Writer's Beginnings, Eudora Welty explains in vivid and moving detail, by means of a series of memories, how she became a writer of fiction. Memory is her central theme ...

  2. One Writer's Beginnings By Eudora Welty Analysis

    The short story of "One Writer's Beginnings" by Eudora Welty, defines how she was compelled to become a writer through her passion for reading. The story takes place in Jackson, Mississippi when Welty was nine years old. Welty had an "insatiable" thirst for reading. Furthermore, her eagerness to read highly impacted her later writing ...

  3. How to Write a Rhetorical Analysis

    Revised on July 23, 2023. A rhetorical analysis is a type of essay that looks at a text in terms of rhetoric. This means it is less concerned with what the author is saying than with how they say it: their goals, techniques, and appeals to the audience. A rhetorical analysis is structured similarly to other essays: an introduction presenting ...

  4. One Writer's Beginnings Rhetorical Analysis

    One Writer's Beginnings Rhetorical Analysis. Confronting the truth often reveals painful realities. In "One Writer's Beginnings," Eudora Welty details her very sheltered life. Afraid of any dangers that may affect her, Welty's parents attempted to shield her from the world around her. Welty's mother made the world around her seem more ...

  5. One Writer's Beginnings By Eudora Welty Analysis

    513 Words. 3 Pages. Open Document. In "One Writer's Beginnings," by Eudora Welty, a short story writer. She recalls early experiences of her interest in books that later impacted her craft in becoming a writer of fiction. Welty's language conveys the intensity and value through these experiences. Also, her use of syntax, diction, and ...

  6. One Writer's Beginnings Summary

    Published in 1984, One Writer's Beginnings is Eudora Welty's memoir about her childhood and how she came to be a writer. Told through a series of vivid reminiscences about her past, the book's main focus is memory, which Welty says is her most prized possession. She writes that in her memory every person and event in her life resides ...

  7. One Writer's Beginnings Summary & Study Guide

    One Writer's Beginnings Summary & Study Guide Description. One Writer's Beginnings Summary & Study Guide includes comprehensive information and analysis to help you understand the book. This study guide contains the following sections: This detailed literature summary also contains Topics for Discussion on One Writer's Beginnings by Eudora Welty.

  8. One Writer's Beginnings Rhetorical Analysis

    Get a verified expert to help you with One Writer's Beginnings Rhetorical Analysis. Hire verified writer. $35.80 for a 2-page paper. Welty watched as her mother tried to save her father's life with a blood transfusion. She witnessed the blood transfusion go horribly wrong, and her father die before her very eyes.

  9. A Literary Analysis of One Writer's Beginnings by Eudora Welty

    Beginnings Affect the Future As children, every person has an imagination. As the child grows up, he/she slowly loses this intense creativity and desire to explore their imagination. Eudora Welty, author of One Writer's Beginnings,did not. She grew up to be a writer, an occupation dealing w...

  10. How to Write a Rhetorical Analysis Essay

    2. Introducing Your Essay Topic. Introduce your essay by providing some context about the text you're analyzing. Give a brief overview of the author, intended audience, and purpose of the writing. You should also clearly state your thesis, which is your main point or argument about how and why the author uses rhetorical strategies.

  11. One Writer's Beginning Analysis

    Free Essay: In the book, One Writer 's Beginning, Eurdora Welty writes about her personal life and how she became a writer. ... One Writer's Beginning Analysis; One Writer's Beginning Analysis. Superior Essays. 1967 Words; 8 Pages; Open Document. Essay Sample Check Writing Quality. Show More. ... Rhetorical analysis of Stephen King's ...

  12. How to Write a Great Rhetorical Analysis Essay: With Examples

    Name the author of the text and the title of their work followed by the date in parentheses. Use a verb to describe what the author does, e.g. "implies," "asserts," or "claims". Briefly summarize the text in your own words. Mention the persuasive techniques used by the rhetor and its effect.

  13. One Writer's Beginnings Rhetorical Analysis

    One Writer's Beginnings Rhetorical Analysis. Confronting the truth often reveals painful realities. In "One Writer's Beginnings," Eudora Welty details her very sheltered life. Afraid of any dangers that may affect her, Welty's parents attempted to shield her from the world around her. Welty's mother made the world around her seem more ...

  14. How to Write a Rhetorical Analysis Essay in 6 Steps

    Follow this step-by-step guide to write your own effective rhetorical analysis essay. 1. Choose and study a text. Review the work you're analyzing more than once to become as familiar as possible with the author's argument and writing style. Make sure you have read the text thoroughly, and that you fully understand each point that the ...

  15. PDF How to Write a RHETORICAL ANALYSIS ESSAY Step 1: Full Comprehension of

    Tone - what are the different attitudes/emotions that you can "hear" in the speaker's words? Each of your section divisions will have one or more tones. Outline - plan your essay. Like all other essays, your rhetorical analysis essay will have an introduction with a thesis, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. WRITE - write your essay.

  16. How to Write a Rhetorical Analysis Essay-Examples & Template

    Rhetorical appeal #3: Logos. Logos, the "logical" appeal, uses reason to persuade. Reason and logic, supported by data, evidence, clearly defined methodology, and well-constructed arguments, are what most academic writing is based on. Emotions, those of the researcher/writer as well as those of the reader, should stay out of such academic ...

  17. How to write a rhetorical analysis [4 steps]

    To write a rhetorical analysis, you need to follow the steps below: Step 1: Plan and prepare. With a rhetorical analysis, you don't choose concepts in advance and apply them to a specific text or piece of content. Rather, you'll have to analyze the text to identify the separate components and plan and prepare your analysis accordingly.

  18. Sample Rhetorical Analysis Essay

    The writing assignment asks for an argument about how several rhetorical elements work together to create a functioning whole in a given chapter of Michael Shermer's 2004 book The Science of Good and Evil: Why People Cheat, Gossip, Care, Share, and Follow the Golden Rule. Liana Monnat. English 101. Instructor: Joshua Dickinson. October 16, 2016.

  19. Developing a Thesis for Rhetorical Analysis: Strategies and Examples

    Central to this endeavor is the crafting of a compelling thesis for rhetorical analysis. In this essay, I aim to dissect the strategies and exemplify the process of developing such a thesis, drawing from the rich tapestry of rhetorical discourse. At its core, a rhetorical analysis thesis serves as the fulcrum upon which the entire analysis pivots.

  20. Tropes

    The characterization of individual tropes reveals rhetorical principles of word formation, reference, and meaning. This chapter discusses the four "master" tropes ( synecdoche, metonymy, metaphor, irony) in addition to related less-known figures. A synecdoche replaces a term with a part of its referent or switches singulars and plurals.

  21. Summary, Analysis and Questions of On The Rule of The Road by Gardiner

    NCERT SOLUTIONS CLASS 12TH: THE RULE OF THE ROAD. ' On the Rule of the Road ' is a famous and amusing essay by A.G. Gardiner. In this essay "The Rule Of The Road.". Gardiner strikes the bull 's eye when he declares that, in order to preserve the freedoms of all, it is necessary to curtail everyone's freedoms. He points out what ...

  22. The History of Moscow City: [Essay Example], 614 words

    The History of Moscow City. Moscow is the capital and largest city of Russia as well as the. It is also the 4th largest city in the world, and is the first in size among all European cities. Moscow was founded in 1147 by Yuri Dolgoruki, a prince of the region. The town lay on important land and water trade routes, and it grew and prospered.

  23. Moscow City Symphony Orchestra Free Essay Example

    Moscow City Symphony Orchestra. Categories: Composers Neptune. Download. Essay, Pages 4 (923 words) Views. 189. The Sorcerer's Apprentice by Paul Dukas on June 20, 2012 at the Moscow International House of Music. Dukas was a French composer born in 1865. He started composing at the age of 14 and by 16 he had enrolled at the Paris Conservatoire.