Rhetorical Appeals Overview

Rhetorical Appeals

• Logos is an appeal to logic and reasoning. The speaker must use evidence and sound reasoning. Strong evidence and reasoning are difficult to dismiss, which is essential to persuasion.
• Use logical arguments avoiding fallacies. Ensure arguments are clear for audience comprehension. Provide supporting evidence like facts, statistics, and figures.

Ethos

• Ethos is an appeal to the speaker's ethics, character, credibility, and authority. The audience must trust the speaker for persuasion to occur.
• Demonstrating credibility and reliability is essential. Showing experience and knowledge in the subject matter is important. Acknowledge when you don't have the expertise, but cite others. Connect with the audience, showing respect and professionalism. Use appropriate language, tone, and attire (if applicable).

Pathos

• Pathos is an appeal to the audience's emotions. Evoking emotions increases the speaker's chances of persuasion. Emotions are powerful because humans are emotional beings. Any emotion, including fear, sympathy, joy, or pity, can be used. Create personal and emotional connections.
• Personalize your message for the audience by tugging at their heartstrings or scaring them into persuasion. vivid imagery and descriptive language will make presentations more real. Include examples and stories to engage and evoke the audience's feelings.

Kairos

• Kairos is a rhetorical device that identifies a crucial moment for action, maximizing the persuasive effect. The argument is presented at a relevant moment in time.
• Use this persuasive device to demonstrate the relevance of your message by highlighting time sensitivity.

Basic Grammar

• Sentence fragments are incomplete sentences lacking a subject or verb or both. This device does not form a complete thought.
• A comma splice occurs when two independent clauses are joined without a coordinating conjunction (e.g., and, but, or).
• Nonrestrictive clauses provide additional information but are not essential to the sentence's meaning. They are set off by commas.
• Appositives are nouns or phrases explaining or renaming other nouns. Nonessential appositives are enclosed in commas; others are not.

Nouns and Abstract Nouns

• Nouns are words for people, places, or things. Abstract nouns represent concepts or ideas that can't be perceived, such as hope, democracy, or courage.

Declaration of Independence

• The Declaration of Independence asserts three key ideas: (1) God-given equality and rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; (2) the government's responsibility to protect these rights; and (3) the right of the people to overthrow oppressive governments.

Why Colonists Wanted to Break Away

• Increased British regulations and taxation.
• British attacked American shipping, sailors, and ports.
• Clashes on battlefields.
• Interference with colonial legislatures.

Vocabulary

• Acquiesce (v.): to accept without protest or objection
• Rectitude (n.): morally correct behavior or thinking
• Martial (adj.): of or appropriate to war; warlike

"Speech in the Virginia Convention"

• Patrick Henry's speech argued against reconciliation with Britain. He emphasized that the colonists had exhausted peaceful means of addressing grievances and that war was the only option.
• The speech stressed the importance of vigilance, bravery, and action to fight the battle, appealing to emotion and patriotic duty.
• Colonists had already voiced concerns and grievances to the British king, so the need for a decisive action is warranted, as there is no other option.

"To His Excellency, General Washington"

• This addresses the American Revolutionary War. Washington is portrayed as a heroic figure leading the colonies to independence from British rule. Washington's valor, virtue, and strength are highlighted.

"Old South Meeting House"

• The meeting house symbolized the hopes and unification of the nation.

Gothic Literature

• Gothic literature originates from Germanic tribes, featuring dark romanticism (themes of madness, corruption, good versus evil).
• Common settings include castles, graveyards, remote locations, using supernatural elements. Gothic literature is often used to explore themes of violence, isolation, and madness.

The Devil and Tom Walker

• The story explores greed, consequences of choices, and the value of intangible things (possessions) compared to valuable things (wife).
• Tom Walker made a deal with the devil in exchange for wealth.
• Describes Tom's greed and focus on material possessions.

Transcendentalism

• Transcendentalism is a uniquely American philosophy emphasizing a direct relationship with God through nature.
• Believing in the "Oversoul", a divine connection between God, nature, and humanity.
• Importance of nature and rejecting societal conformity.