Rhetorical Analysis Essay
When a reader wishes to go further in depth in any form of writing, from a article to a book or even advertisements, it is important to use the rhetorical analysis technique. This technique is derived from rhetorics- or the art of persuasion by allowing them to find the three important details which can be utilized to create connections with one another: These components are known as the writer/speaker, audience, and the message with emphasis over how these components work together to bring up the article as a whole. The writer’s purpose is to explain what stance they are and what stance they have towards it; the audience is the one who the writer is trying to target with the piece and if what they’re supposed to feel like after exposure to the work; the message is the writer’s goal, or what they’re trying to convey to the reader.
Over the semester, I’ve analyzed two works and both of whom holding importance in the course: ApartmentTherapy’s article “ A Renovated New Orleans House in Disrepair Becomes a Shining Gem Once Again” and “Iggy Peck: Architect”- both readings seemingly having no relations with one another as one is a editorial of how a outdated home was repaired and decorated to fit the modern style, and the other being a children’s book about enjoying ones passion without being infringed upon. They manage to connect with the course as they represent the freedom to express oneself, along with enjoying architecture.
In the house tour “A New Orleans House in Disrepair Becomes a Shining Gem Once Again”, throughout the article is a apartment review- almost a brochuresque review on how to implement designs and remodels into a New Orleans home. Rhetorical analysis of this actually reveals quite more than just a simple advertising; as the article itself holds the three details that can be used. The first, the writer, Jacqueline Marque, is a editorialist and photographer which expresses herself on Instagram- a social media platform hosting the ability to upload images and how it influences themself. This can be true for Marque, who hosts plentiful images of unique apartment designs such as a closet or doorframe. She talks in a third person view in the article itself, providing a narrative almost uncanny to infomercials in how she explains the problem of the house being ran-down, and through planning and hardship, the family being able to re-design the home to fit the modern atmosphere in New Orleans. The message of the article was simple to comprehend: To find a style which suits ones home, and one preferable to show off on the website. Take the house in New Orleans, which the family of five purchased and underwent renovation to not only accommodate the post-nuclear family, but also re-designs and installations such as a backyard pool for the hot Louisiana days and laundry machines upstairs so clothing doesn’t have to be taken out to a laundromat. Throughout the article is cluttered with advertisements and a “shopping list” of what items were shown in each room to give the readers a markdown if they wish to also make a similar design choice. Speaking of readers, the audience of apartment therapy happens to be middle-high class families who happens to want a re-model of their home/apartment which they find suitable to share with others. In this one particularly, it recommends a larger family to enjoy a time of teamwork, the article tells them about the challenges and problem solving bonding the family more closer together as well, as this have considerably more quotes involving the changes of the house and personal problems and issues that was solved after, redirecting the hardships of house repairs to hiring of contractors and not having a washer and dryer upstairs with a tone of encouraging, family supportive ordeal to tack on.
“Iggy Peck, Architect” was a interesting book to base a rhetorical analysis on due to the fact that it’s a children’s book, but upon closer inspection, it is clear that it houses many in-depth information regarding it’s message, writer, and the audience, along with how they all conjoin together. To start out, the writer/speaker is the author: Andrea Beaty, a child book writer whose books published are about young children and advanced careers such as being a biochemist or engineering and thus has experience with writing these subjects. Each page holds simple illustrations and short sentences which rhymes together, bringing to attention the special skills they have- and in Iggy Peck’s example, creative talent in constructing buildings. The message was to allow the children to develop their talent and not hinder their progress, as in the middle of the story, the conflict was brought up with a teacher who dislikes architecture after a significant traumatic experience of getting lost in a architecture tour. By preventing Iggy from constructing buildings, he felt as if education was boring. This, of course, is a subliminal message towards the current educational system: like Iggy, young children who has certain talents goes to school that essentially block or strip away these talents in favor of “useable” education suited for society. This causes the child to resent education due to it being boring, and cause degradation of both their natural talent along with educational grades. We see that in the end of the story, Iggy manages to build a bridge to literally wake up the teacher and make her realize the importance of developing talent; a comment to education about changing how they teach can impact how children will act in the future. At first glance, the audience of this book should be primarily children due to it’s simplicity and imagery. This is not the case, as the message being sent is not just aimed at the children, but also the parents, educational staff, and individuals who can change the system. The authors message to children is to preservere and get enjoyment out of their talents which can create a career that they want, the message to the adults is that the current education system is only accepting children who chooses to lose that talent over the ones that wants to learn how to develop. The message and audience therefore works together, as different ages and stances portrays a different message. By sending this message, the writer successfully shares her point in how education should be molded towards assisting the growth of talent rather than sticking to the current needs of the society and to hopefully change it by garnering more support in the adults- and if not, the children who will lead the world in the future.
Through through analysis of how the rhetorical analysis is able to work, we learn that careful analysis of documents can convey knowledge- both rhetorical pieces which has so little in common along with so few of words are able to be magnified to a further point of understanding simply by finding the writer, message, and audience.
The essay of rhetorical analysis is pivotal in how I believe that we’re able to use the technique more often in life, as it can also work on itself in some senses. This shows that we are truly capable of using it on almost everything and also through examination of something see these three main ideas.
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