- Summary- A teenage girl is driving in her car, when a text message comes through on her phone. She picks up her phone to look at the text and begins veering into the oncoming lane. The video freezes and the girl gets out of her car where she is met by a woman who had gotten out of an oncoming car. The woman begs the teenage girl to put the phone down, but the teenager responds that she has to text back. Both return to their cars and the video unfreezes. The two cars collide and the video ends.
Observation- Although the girl apologizes to the woman when she gets out of the car, she still has to finish her text. Because she has to finish her text, she ends up hitting the oncoming car.
Rhetorical Appeals- Pathos- The PSA appeals to the emotions of the audience by placing an innocent woman and her children in the incoming car.
Argument- The argument made within this PSA is that nobody should text and drive. After all, texting and driving is dangerous. People should always avoid dangerous acts.
Evaluation- This video is clearly aimed towards teenage drivers. By appealing to emotions, this PSA is very effective in expressing the point that texting and driving puts not only your life at risk, but also the lives of innocent people around you. - Summary- A group of teenager are in a car driving. The girl in the passenger seat is playing a game on her phone and is distracting the driver by asking her questions. Then, a text comes through on the driver’s phone. She looks down at the text and drives through a stop sign. A large truck coming in through the intersection drives directly into the side of the teenagers’ car and sends it flying.
Observation- The teen driver is distracted in multiple ways in this PSA. Her friend in the passenger seat is playing a game on her phone and asking the driver questions. Also, the obvious text message that causes the accident is a major distraction.
Rhetorical Appeals- Pathos- This PSA just like many surrounding texting and driving, appeals to its audience’s emotions. After the car stops flipping, a message appears saying “If you’re texting, you’re not driving”, and saddening music begins to play.
Argument- The argument within this PSA is that distracted driving results in a very disastrous outcome. If you are texting then you are not driving, so do not text and drive.
Evaluation- This video is also aimed towards teenage drivers. Through the violent crash between the car and truck and also the somber music at the end of the video make the audience very emotional. - Summary- The PSA opens with pictures remembering a teen that had passed away. It then transitions to typing on a computer screen. A girl’s voice begins reading a letter that is being typed. It is a letter from a girl who had passed away to her parents apologizing for driving distracted. She says that she wants her parents to spread the word about how dangerous distracted driving is and that if people just shut their phone off, it could save their lives.
Observation- This is another perfect example of why texting and driving is such a bad idea. Not only do you put your own life at risk, but if something terrible happens, you leave those who love you behind to pick up the pieces.
Rhetorical Appeals- Pathos- This PSA appeals to its audience’s emotions through the sad, somber music that plays throughout the video. Also, all of the candles, pictures and blood give you a true sense of reality.
Argument- The argument in this PSA is that when you drive distracted, not only are you risking hurting yourself, but you’re risking hurting the people around you. You ought not to text and drive. After all when you do, you risk hurting yourself and others. No person should want to hurt themselves or others.
Evaluation- This PSA, which was likely intended for an audience of almost anyone but mostly teen drivers, is very emotionally moving. By utilizing pathos, it is able to clearly convey the message that by driving distracted you risk hurting yourself and others. - Summary- A mother and son are driving in a car. The car stops, a woman and a boy get out and the woman, the boys mother, tells him that she is so proud of him. The boy then walks over to a coffin and aids in carrying it to a burial site. The man in the coffin was the boy’s father and the woman’s husband. While final words are being said for the man, the boy walks, very sad, and takes out his phone to watch a video of his family. His mother joins him and they both mourn over the death of their loved one.
Observation- This video is extremely moving. It shows a widow and her son after her husband died in a car crash resulting from distracted driving. You can clearly see the pain that is left behind for his wife and son.
Rhetorical Appeals- This PSA is loaded with pathos, or appeals to the audience’s emotions. The entire video the viewer feels extremely saddened for the woman and her son, who have lost their husband and father. Because it takes places at a cemetery, it makes the video that much more solemn.
Argument- The argument in this video is similar to that of the previous videos. Do not drive distracted. You ought not to drive distracted. After all if you do, you risk getting hurt and causing pain to those you love. Nobody should desire to cause pain to those that they love.
Evaluation- This video is more than likely intended for a more adult audience. It focuses more on the consequences of distracted driving for an adult rather than a teenager, but it still very effective in expressing the lesson.
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Throughout the overture for The Crucible, Arthur Miller presents two main arguments regarding the Salem Witchcraft Trials. First, he claims that the people who prolonged the Trials and led many innocent people to death were not entirely at fault. It is not unlikely that these citizens and leaders were "blindfolded" by the devil and guided to make more out of the goings on in society than there was to be made. In the overture, Miller says "It is not hard to see how easily many could have been led to believe that the time of confusion had been brought upon them by deep and darkling forces." (6) By saying this, he is demonstrating the argument that the people were not necessarily at fault when they truly believed they were being cursed by the devil. The second argument that Arthur Miller presents is that the citizens at the time of the Witchcraft Trials used the Trials as a "scapegoat" to release their personal grievances and grudges into the public. "It was also, and as importantly, a long overdue opportunity for every-one so inclined to express publicly his guilt and sins, under the cover of accusations against the victims."(7) Miller also presents that fact that it was not rare for people to accuse their neighbor of witchcraft because they had a personal grudge against him. "Long-held hatreds of neighbors could now be openly ex-pressed, and vengeance taken, despite the Bible’s charitable injunctions."(7) Arthur Miller presents these two main arguments within his overture in order to lay a foundation on which he will present his play.
Throughout John Edwards "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" and Plato's allegory of the cave (Republic, Book 7), many similarities can be identified. Both John Edwards and Plato use similar rhetorical strategies to make their audience think, and persuade them to share in their beliefs. John Edwards uses pathos, and more specifically fear, to convey his message to his listeners. He tells them that they will be forced the face the wrath of an angry god if they do not live the life he intends them to on Earth. Edwards uses analogies, metaphors and similes to strike fear into his listeners, forcing them to question themselves and consider the opinion of the rhetor. Plato used very similar strategies in his allegory of the cave. Plato presents the argument that the everyday things that we were "trained" to see and understand, may not be as they seem at all. This perplexing concept by Plato sends his audience shooting into a world of confusion. There, they begin to think about the legitimacy of Plato's ideas. By appealing to the emotions of his listeners, Plato is able to achieve his goal of forcing them into considering his argument. Both authors use similar rhetorical strategies to achieve the similar goal of making their audience think about and hopefully accept their argument.
Author: Jonathan Edwards
Title: Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God Audience: Members of the church at which Edwards is speaking. Topic: Edwards is conveying the message that as a result of their sinful ways, Christians are will be exposed to unexpected destruction and have to face the consequences of God's wrath if they do not obey him. Purpose: Persuading his audience, the members of the Church to obey God by striking fear of Hell into them. Strategies: Metaphor, Simile, Ethos, Logos, Pathos, Allusion, Symbolism. Needs of the Audience: Audience needs guidance from the Church and answers to how they should live their lives. Also they need to know that consequences of their sinful actions. Rhetorical Situation: Edwards convinces his audience that if they do not follow God and live how they should here on Earth, they will have to face God's wrath in the afterlife. Rhetor: John Hale
Theme: Apology to the people who were directly affected by the false nature of the Salem Witch Trials. Audience: John Hale's audience was likely made up of the grieving family members of those who were unjustly killed during the Salem Witch Trials and also the people that were making accusations during this time. His apologetic nature in this piece shows that he was likely speaking to the family members of accused "witches" during that time. Due to the lack of explanation when presenting a Bible verse, it can also be said that his audience likely had a strong knowledge base of the Bible. Arguments: John Hale makes the argument within this piece that although he understands that he and many others falsely accused people of being witches, it was not entirely their fault. All of the evidence during the Trials pointed to one specific thing, and that was that people were practicing witchcraft. Appeals: Hale makes many appeals throughout the piece. He appeals to the emotions of his audience through the apologetic nature of his writing. Although John Hale is not willing to take full responsibility for the convictions made, he his willing to admit that it was handled the wrong way. By stating specific facts regarding the Trials and stacking up the wrongs of everyone else, Hale is utilizing ethos. Strategies: The main strategy that Hale uses throughout the writing is allusion. He alludes to the Odyssey and also alludes to the bible on multiple occasions when referring to specific passages within the Bible. Speaker: John Hale Occasion: Realizing the regrets of the Witch Trials and realizing that there were so many mistakes made resulting in death for innocent people. Audience: Above Purpose: There are two main purposes within this text. First, Hale is apologizing for the wrongs that were made during the Witch Trials. He realizes that it was not handled properly and that because of the mistakes, many innocent people dies. The second purpose is that John Hale wants to explain why these mistakes were made. At the time, there was no other logical explanation for the behavior being displayed. Subject: The subject of this piece is the Salem Witch Trials and the mistakes that were made at the time. Hale is apologizing to his audience. Tone: The tone is both apologetic but also fact based. While Hale is apologizing for the mistakes made, it is not a deep, heartfelt apology. It is straight forward and to the point, and Hale is not willing to take full responsibility for the results. Rhetor: Cotton Mather
Theme: Daily account of Cotton Mather's Life Audience: Cotton Mather's Diary Was most likely not written for a specific audience. While it is evident that Mather fully intended for it to be published for the view of the public, I dont see a specific audience that it was intended for. Arguments: Cotton Mather talks about his daily life and the things he encountered. He talks about women that he was involved with and expresses his religious side as well. Multiple daily entries explain that Mather was observing religious days such as Sunday. These observations are consistent with Cotton Mather's strict religious personalities and beliefs. Appeals: Cotton Mather uses pathos when explaining his daily events. There is also some expression of logos in his diary entries when Mather uses facts to support his statements. Speaker: Cotton Mather Occasion: Cotton Mather wanted to keep a detailed account of what was going on in his life. Audience: Cotton Mather's Diary didn't really have an intended audience. Because it was simply an account of his daily life, he was likely not thinking of his audience. Purpose: Cotton Mather's purpose for writing his diary was to keep a detailed account of what was going on in his life. Tone: The tone of Cotton Mather's Diary is very factual. Mather explains the events of his day in a very straight forward way. He doesn't have much emotion when doing so. You can, however, see Cotton Mather's religious side show through. |