What Does It Mean To Analyze? Essay, Research Paper
What does it mean to analyze? By definition, to analyze is to study a problem and break it down into its various parts. When analyzing, one breaks a problem of some sort down to its simplest elements. When analyzing an element of rhetoric, one must break the piece down into smaller pieces to truly understand the meaning. By analyzing rhetoric we can truly understand what is being conveyed from rhetor to the audience. In the chosen piece of rhetoric, “You Expect Results From A Billion Dollar Global Partnership” one can truly understand the meaning of the rhetoric by analyzing, and reducing it to its simplest elements. Deciphering and picking out the important elements from the less important ones is the true task. Through the use of Contextual Analysis Categories, as designed by Robert C. Rowland, I will attempt to translate the significance of the rhetoric: “You Expect Results “. In this analysis, I will point out goals of the rhetoric, strategy categories, and other important components such as: roles of the rhetor, linguistic tone and implied audience.
How can one identify the goals of a piece of rhetoric? Is there any possible way to know for sure what the rhetor was thinking when they were composing their piece? Not really, so we can only guess what the goals were from analysis and our good sense. A goal is the aim stated or implied in the rhetoric (Rowland 17). Goals, in this case will be broken down into two smaller categories; themes, and requested actions. In the rhetoric “You Expect Results from a Billion Dollar Global Partnership” the theme is quite clear. It was conveyed to me, the audience, that the main points of this piece was to promote the companies mentioned, MAP International, and America s Pharmaceutical Companies. These two companies are trying to show us that because they have produced so many results from their actions, that they are justified in being a billion dollar partnership. They mention, “Together, we have provided more that $1 billion in medical humanitarian aid to the world s poor ” It almost sounds like there may have recently been an accusation that these two companies were too well off, but that is just a guess since no research was conducted. The advertisement goes out of the way to stress all the good accomplished by the companies. The theme in the rhetoric is obviously suggesting that companies with a lot of money should help support the less fortunate, and simply that s what they claim to have done. The theme converges in with the requested actions of this rhetoric. Requested actions are: what the rhetor wants to be done and what they want to audience to do to in order to achieve that aim (Rowland 18). The requested actions in this piece being; the company claims to be good and virtuous and compassionate and humane, so people should not scare from supporting them. They request; support us! We are a good company with good causes and morality.
Another feature of analysis in rhetoric is breaking a piece down into its strategy categories. Defining strategy categories of a piece of rhetoric is important to figuring out how the audience was or was not persuaded. Identifying the strategy categories is the most important and interesting part of breaking down a element of rhetoric. Two clues for identifying main strategies are emphasis and distinctiveness (Rowland 24). Anytime the rhetor uses emphasis, such a repetition, one should take note and be able to identify that this is most likely an important feature of the rhetoric. In addition, the more distinctive that a given component of rhetoric is, the more likely it is that the component reflects an important strategy in the work (Rowland 24). Such categories that will show themselves when looking for emphasis and distinction are; rational argument, narrative, aesthetic, needs values and symbols, credibility and confrontation. These are the six main strategy categories. The rational argument present in the piece in question, “You Expect Results “, is evidence oriented. Evidence-oriented argument relies on the citation of evidence to persuade the audience (Rowland 25). “You Expect Results ” Gives many cited examples to help persuade the audience that Map International and America s Pharmaceutical Companies is a corporation of merit. For example, “MAP International distributes medicines and medical supplies, donated by America s Pharmaceutical companies, to people in over one hundred developing countries.” The argument is structured around events that actually occurred, rather than emthymematic or refutitve argument. The next strategy used is narrative. Narrative is deciphering if the rhetoric tells a story or not. Narrative features draw upon the emotions of the audience. Narrative features also use identification between the characters in the story and the audience. One could say that the add tells a narrative with the headlines and the picture. Basically the picture shows 5 children smiling beautifully, and with the Headline “You expect Results from a billion Dollar Global Partnership” and the picture, then “These are ours.” Thus, suggesting that MAP International and America s Pharmaceutical Companies put those smiles on those children s faces (with all the medical treatment they have received from the cooperation). This reaches out to the audience s emotions, and creates identification between the smiling children and the audience. The next strategy category to be looked at is aesthetic. Identifying aesthetic in rhetoric means looking for things of beauty, whether it be in language or through pictures etc. The purpose of aesthetic is again, to persuade the audience. The aesthetic used in the “You Expect Results ” add is the large bold letters in the introduction and the picture of the smiling children. Identifying the values, needs and symbols when breaking down a element of rhetoric into its strategy categories is also a very important component of understanding the rhetoric. “You Expect Results ” appeals to our emotions which is the goal of the needs values and symbols category. It appeals to our value of security and happiness by telling the audience “Nearly half of the world s population still lacks regular access to basic health care ” This draws heavily upon the audience who reads this. This add also appeals to our needs of life and health. This ad also has symbolic features that draw upon our compassion and humanity factors. Such as the mentioning of only half of the world s population receiving regular health care. Another Strategy category used in “You Expect Results ” is the credibility factor. Credibility is crucial in persuasion (Rowland 26). The credibility in this advertisement is considerable since it usually is ok to assume that a company knows what is talking about in its own line of work. Published magazine ads, as this appears to be, however, can go either way. Since no research has been conducted, it is difficult to know if they are credible. Having not ever heard of the two companies in question, it is difficult to assume anything other than credible. Most times when someone is talking about their line of work, it is safe to assume that they know what they are talking about. The final strategy category, confrontation, in which the rhetor attacks the audience to evoke emotion, instead of appeasing them, is not used in “You Expect Results “. In conclusion, strategy categories can be usefully used to break down a element of rhetoric to further understand what the rhetor is trying to convey to the audience.
There are several important components to analyzing and breaking down rhetoric to better understand the message. Some of them are roles of the rhetor, linguistic tone and implied audience. All three are very important, and must be used skillfully by the rhetor in order to convey the message fittingly.
In analysis of rhetoric, the piece in question gets picked at, scrutinized and put under a magnifying glass. All in which to help the critic understand the piece better. Understanding what the rhetor had to say in “You Expect Results from a Billion Dollar Global Partnership” is saying is very important. When breaking down rhetoric we begin to understand exactly what is being conveyed and how. In breaking down this advertisement we realize certain things that may not have been originally accounted for had we not looked at all the component separately. Through identification of the goals, strategy categories and other important components such as; role of rhetor, linguistic tone and implied audience one can truly begin to understand a element of rhetoric.