After a bout of rhetorical analysis on advertisements, this blog is going to tackle a beloved figure of film and literature, Aragorn, and his speech before the Black Gates of Sauron. Here is the text: "Hold your ground! Hold your ground! Sons of Gondor, of Rohan, my brothers, I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me. A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day. An hour of wolves and shattered shields, when the age of men comes crashing down, but it is not this day! This day we fight!! By all that you hold dear on this good Earth, I bid you stand, Men of the West!!!"
It seems that the enthymeme of Aragorn is: What are the consequences of staying and fighting an insurmountable army on the future of Middle Earth? Aragorn would argue that staying and fighting an insurmountable army will preserve the future of Middle Earth, because making a stand before the Black Gate will ultimately result in the downfall of Sauron. His audience is a bunch of frightened men, who seem ready to retreat, thereby showing that they would disagree with his claim. Obviously they would agree with the implicit assumption that whatever results in the downfall of Sauron preserves the future of Middle Earth.
Aragorn begins his argument by appealing to ethos, his credibility not only as the king, but as a brother. The bulk of his argument rests on pathos. He appeals to the sense of honor inherent in he men of the west by painting a dismal picture and then refuting it. He tells them to stand because they believe in Middle Earth and what it stands for. His logos is definitely lacking, seeing how an army that outnumbers his about 100 to 1 stands before them.
An argument on the battlefield rarely resorts to statistics and research because that is now what the audience that is being addressed needs. I wouldn't care much if you told me that the odds of dying in battle were 34.7% if I saw a crazy guy with a sword running at me. Therefore, I believe that Aragorn's argument was sufficient, typical, accurate and relevant for his audience. After all, they did follow right behind him into the heat of battle. That would qualify as effective.
Showing posts with label Retorical Analysis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Retorical Analysis. Show all posts
Sunday, April 13, 2008
RA add analysis of truck add
The advertisement that I choose to analyze was actually on the side of a big home furnishing truck of a large local retailer. It took up the entire side of the semi. The picture had no text other than the company name. And it showed a an over head of a living room it had “the mom” laying on one half of the corner couch with “the daughter” sitting on the other side of the corner couch, with “the husband” getting a back scratch from the wife as he sits on the ground with “the son” sharing a huge bowl of popcorn. Laughing and giggling while all watching a huge big screen TV. So that is the ad.
The analysis of this ad tells me that this add is targeting women, and while the couch that the wife was using was as a product, was being sold as much as the TV as a product was being sold in the ad. But a deeper analysis shoes that the advertisement was not selling the furniture at all to the wife it was selling the family experience. It was selling that the husband would spend more quality time with the kids (if you bought the furniture), and the husband would be happier (if you bought the furniture) and you would be more comfortable, less stressed, more relaxed (if you bought the furniture). That is from my perspective what the advertisement was trying to sell.
For home theater in general women are harder to sell than men, which is why they are targeted in this add. If this add had been selling to men. It would have focused more on the equipment and hit up the high definition and how all of your buds are going to want to come over to YOUR house to watch the game ect. It was interesting to be able to analyze these aspects of the adds I see.
The analysis of this ad tells me that this add is targeting women, and while the couch that the wife was using was as a product, was being sold as much as the TV as a product was being sold in the ad. But a deeper analysis shoes that the advertisement was not selling the furniture at all to the wife it was selling the family experience. It was selling that the husband would spend more quality time with the kids (if you bought the furniture), and the husband would be happier (if you bought the furniture) and you would be more comfortable, less stressed, more relaxed (if you bought the furniture). That is from my perspective what the advertisement was trying to sell.
For home theater in general women are harder to sell than men, which is why they are targeted in this add. If this add had been selling to men. It would have focused more on the equipment and hit up the high definition and how all of your buds are going to want to come over to YOUR house to watch the game ect. It was interesting to be able to analyze these aspects of the adds I see.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
RA Movie: I am Legand with Will Smith
Now that blue ray has finally won out over HD DVD, and the Home HD experience is upon us. I did it........ I purchased my first SD (standard Definition) DVD. Am I behind the times or what?
I must admit that I don’t watch much TV, if at all in a week, but Do love movies, And I am a frequent patron to the red boxes around Provo. This week I came to the realization that I once you add all of my late fees to the mix. I am paying almost as much as if I had just bought the DVD. So when My brother and sister were in town this past week and their suggested movie " I am Legend" was not a Red Box or Hollywood video, I went out and bought it. And I don’t regret it. If you have not seen it, stop here and go and see it, if you have please read the remainder of this post for my Rhetorical analysis of the movie.
I am going to analyze how effective the makers of this movie were able to persuade, or pull you into the movie's reality.
First the Plot: In New York a doctor comes up with a cure for cancer and it has cured 10006 of its 10006 test subjects, however as you learn through flashbacks there are dire consequences, you turn into a zombie like creature. Through their flash backs you learn that the disease became airborne, and also passed from infected to uninfected. The government sealed off NY Island by exploding the bridges. The disease killed 98% of its hosts and the rest are zombies, except will smith and his dog who he has protected from the disease.
All of the above information was given through flash backs as the present of th Movie, Will Smith is alone in Long Island, hunts from his mustang, the deer that run the streets. and Will Smith in his basement is trying to come up with a way to transfer his immunity to the infected.
What worked:
In the city shots when will smith was out and about, the city was supposed to look as if it has stayed still for 3 years, there are weeds growing up through the cracks in all of the streets, and all of the cars that were once jam packed trying to get out of the city are still in the streets. Everything had a dusty look to it. Some of the buildings had plastic wrapped around them with the Bio hazard symbols on it. I first though that the plastic was to keep the infection out, but when i thought more about it, it was to keep the infection from getting out of the building. All of these Computer effects were effective in pulling me into the movie because if the way they created a logical, landscape for the situation, they also used emotion through specific examples of families that were infected, to generate fear of the disease and to reinforce its reality.
Some things that did not work:
Despite the strong pull for logic in the NY Cityscape, during the movie, I realized that there were some significant flaws that detracted me from completely believing their reality and that was the city was in far to good of shape. There were no sighs of looting, damage, fire, bones, broken glass or anything that would indicate that there had been a massive disturbance of the city. AKA every one is running for or defending their lives. not to mention the fact that there are millions of zombies that come out at night and look for food..... and they are not very calm or peaceful creatures.
If the movie makers would have addressed these issues in their logical argument for the films reality they would have pulled more viewers into the movie. As it currently sits I would give the movie a 8 out of 10 for its effectiveness, to pull in the viewers.
I must admit that I don’t watch much TV, if at all in a week, but Do love movies, And I am a frequent patron to the red boxes around Provo. This week I came to the realization that I once you add all of my late fees to the mix. I am paying almost as much as if I had just bought the DVD. So when My brother and sister were in town this past week and their suggested movie " I am Legend" was not a Red Box or Hollywood video, I went out and bought it. And I don’t regret it. If you have not seen it, stop here and go and see it, if you have please read the remainder of this post for my Rhetorical analysis of the movie.
I am going to analyze how effective the makers of this movie were able to persuade, or pull you into the movie's reality.
First the Plot: In New York a doctor comes up with a cure for cancer and it has cured 10006 of its 10006 test subjects, however as you learn through flashbacks there are dire consequences, you turn into a zombie like creature. Through their flash backs you learn that the disease became airborne, and also passed from infected to uninfected. The government sealed off NY Island by exploding the bridges. The disease killed 98% of its hosts and the rest are zombies, except will smith and his dog who he has protected from the disease.
All of the above information was given through flash backs as the present of th Movie, Will Smith is alone in Long Island, hunts from his mustang, the deer that run the streets. and Will Smith in his basement is trying to come up with a way to transfer his immunity to the infected.
What worked:
In the city shots when will smith was out and about, the city was supposed to look as if it has stayed still for 3 years, there are weeds growing up through the cracks in all of the streets, and all of the cars that were once jam packed trying to get out of the city are still in the streets. Everything had a dusty look to it. Some of the buildings had plastic wrapped around them with the Bio hazard symbols on it. I first though that the plastic was to keep the infection out, but when i thought more about it, it was to keep the infection from getting out of the building. All of these Computer effects were effective in pulling me into the movie because if the way they created a logical, landscape for the situation, they also used emotion through specific examples of families that were infected, to generate fear of the disease and to reinforce its reality.
Some things that did not work:
Despite the strong pull for logic in the NY Cityscape, during the movie, I realized that there were some significant flaws that detracted me from completely believing their reality and that was the city was in far to good of shape. There were no sighs of looting, damage, fire, bones, broken glass or anything that would indicate that there had been a massive disturbance of the city. AKA every one is running for or defending their lives. not to mention the fact that there are millions of zombies that come out at night and look for food..... and they are not very calm or peaceful creatures.
If the movie makers would have addressed these issues in their logical argument for the films reality they would have pulled more viewers into the movie. As it currently sits I would give the movie a 8 out of 10 for its effectiveness, to pull in the viewers.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
English RT
For this blog I picked to write on Vincent Van go’s “Starry Starry Night.” I picked this because I felt that it applies to large audience. Some background on the painting and Van go the painting was the scene from Van go’s mental institution bedroom. Van go was thought to be bipolar and at the time he lived in they didn’t know much about the dieses. Therefore Van go was thought to be crazy. How this applies to us as the audience and our day and time?
Van go’s painting were very color based, in his paintings the colors blue and yellow mean faith and hope. The painting “Starry Starry Night” is covered in blue in yellow. The other interesting thing about this painting is that it is more sky than earth. This is often to be a sign that Van go was looking to the heavens for guidance’s. I believe that because Van go was truly in a time of despair and trial his emotions were very much on the surfaces and it was easy for him to apply those to his work. I believe that everyone at one point and time has had some trial that was more than they could take and as a result they looked to the heaven for guidance. I know that I when I look at Van go’s work that it brings back all of the times that I have recalled on my heavenly father for times of trials. It tells me that there is still faith and hope in times when we I may not feel that way myself. I feel that if Van go’s “Starry Starry Night” can make me fill this way then it can do the same to any of one else.
Van go’s painting were very color based, in his paintings the colors blue and yellow mean faith and hope. The painting “Starry Starry Night” is covered in blue in yellow. The other interesting thing about this painting is that it is more sky than earth. This is often to be a sign that Van go was looking to the heavens for guidance’s. I believe that because Van go was truly in a time of despair and trial his emotions were very much on the surfaces and it was easy for him to apply those to his work. I believe that everyone at one point and time has had some trial that was more than they could take and as a result they looked to the heaven for guidance. I know that I when I look at Van go’s work that it brings back all of the times that I have recalled on my heavenly father for times of trials. It tells me that there is still faith and hope in times when we I may not feel that way myself. I feel that if Van go’s “Starry Starry Night” can make me fill this way then it can do the same to any of one else.
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