The Dark : The Evolution Of General Rhetoric, By George A. Kennedy

John F. Kennedy’s Visions of an Improved Way of Life in America In the election year of 1960, two very qualified candidates, John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon, each with very different views of the world fought to win the hearts of Americans. One specific advertisement narrated by John F. Kennedy was able to do just that. He captured the hearts of millions ranging from young to old, black to white, rich to poor. John F. Kennedy had many opinions on current American issues and new ideas on how to fix these ongoing problems, in ways Americans could unify and work together.

Rhetoric is a course in which students are taught the values of persuasion. And yet, behind this course is the utmost power to corrupt the world, changing it into a world of our own policies. This power, even though seldom discussed, has lead to many intriguing discoveries. One such discovery is how people are able to shape the world they live in simply by choosing the right words. Therefore those who would want the world to be a better place must protect this power. If in the wrong hands this power could cause serious damage. Several authors have striven to protect rhetoric and its power. Few agree on the matter of defining rhetoric, but they know that they must protect rhetoric from dark souls. A single definition of rhetoric must maintain a simplistic nature while incorporating every aspect of rhetoric. However, I argue that rhetoric is a means of persuading audiences of a situation and a particular reality through language and personal appeal. In order to prove this definition I will discuss how rhetoric creates a situation, the shaping of a different reality, the audience, the use of language, and the personal appeal. Finally, I will demonstrate the absolute need for rhetoric.

Abraham Lincoln’s “Second Inaugural Address” and Emily Dickinson’s “Success is Counted Sweet,” are two inspirational pieces of art that fall under two different types of discourses. The “Second Inaugural Address,” is a great example and definition of what Rhetoric is. It encompasses all four resources of languages- argument, appeal, arrangement, and artistic devices. “Success is Counted Sweet,” doesn’t cover the four resources of language that apply to rhetoric; therefore, it is categorized as a poem.

Although Bitzer continues in the third section of his essay, by outlining the general characteristics or features of a rhetorical situation, it is his discussion of sophistical rhetoric that is most interesting. (11) He notes that a sophistic situation is one where a contrived exigence is, “asserted to be real... alleged constituents are due to error or ignorance,... and [it derives] from fantasy in which exigence, audience, and constraints may all be imaginary objects of a mind at play”. (11) He concludes that, “rhetoric is distinguished from the mere craft of persuasion which, although it is a legitimate object of scientific investigation, lacks philosophical warrant as a practical discipline”. (14)

Robert F. Kennedy did use a lot fo support for his claims with strong evidence, he used ethos, logos, and pethos. There is an argument but not in what he's saying, he said "the vast majority of white people and the vast majority of black people in this country want to live together, want to imporve the quality of our life, and want justice for all human beings that abide in our land", in paragraph 10. He is stating facts, he knows that all everyone wants is peace and the right to live their lives like everyone else. He also persuaded them to stop rioting that day by connecting with them, he knew what everyone was going through. He and eveyone else that listened to him knew that his he dedicated his life to the lives of the people who needed

As Commander-In-Chief of a nation emerging from a recession, President John F. Kennedy addresses the hike in steel prices to the American public and steel companies to stigmatize the nation’s leading steel companies for their unnecessary decision to increase steel prices. Within his speech, Kennedy’s use of rhetorical strategies to enhance his purpose is dominated by his dichotomous diction to separate himself from the affluent and align with the suffering American people, parallelism and anaphora to emphasize the equal magnitude of previous American crises to the rise of steel prices, and cause and effect organizational mode to highlight the numerous detrimental effects on the American public caused by the steel companies’ hike in steel prices.

Florence Kelley delivered a speech to the National American Woman Suffrage Association. The reason Florence Kelley delivered this speech was to convince the women of the asscocitation to abolish child labor.

United States social worker and reformer, Florence Kelley, in her speech to the convention of National American Woman Suffrage Association attempts to convince the audience that child labor laws should be abolished. Kelley adopts a shaming tone in order to persuade the members of the Woman Suffrage Association that child labor laws are wrongful. Florence Kelley begins her speech by conveying the idea of underage children around America, who are currently working under harsh conditions. She first appeals to the listener’s logic using logos by referring to the children that are ages six and seven and who work “in the cotton mills in Georgia” as well as eight, nine and ten year olds who work “in the coal-breaking of Pennsylvania” (paragraph 1,

On the night of April 4 1968, people gathered to listen to the wise words of Robert F. Kennedy. What many thought was going to be a political speech soon took a twist, and the news of Martin Luther King’s assassination was announced and out to the public. Gasps and tears quickly erupted while everyone was gathered around Robert Kennedy’s pickup truck as he stood high above all trying to bring hope and comfort to those who lost someone that fought for their equality, rights and freedom. Kennedy's speech was powerful and successful because of the way he showed empathy to the crowed. He related the tragic scenario to his own life bringing comfort to the many broken hearted and showed both sides of the situation using contrasting forms. Lastly, Kennedy’s speech consisted of repetition with the use of anaphora.

Rhetoric Review is an academic interdisciplinary journal of rhetoric. The journal issues in all areas of rhetoric and writing, and delivers a professional debate for its readers to reflect and discuss the topics and issues. The journal issues texts that investigate the extent and complexity of the discipline. We can conclude from the information that Porter’s main audience were college students mainly in writing classes. Porter’s motive could be helping college students by claiming that once the author knows how to write for a particular audience, they will be more likely to become a successful writer. Porter talks about how students should learn to write for a discourse community instead of writing to

Rhetoric can push users farther than the normal argument, and past the habits of the natural human mind. When one comes to understand the theory of words, argument and how opposition thinks, then can the situation fully be revolved for their favor and their future. Rhetoric is a valuable skill that should be taught in schools in order to assist in high school environments, and help prepare for a future in the workplace.

Obviously due to recent public events dealing with our political figures, and things we see on social media, when we hear the word rhetoric we often cringe. Yet there are very few that actually have a true grasp of the words meaning. When we first started the semester we heard rhetoric being described as “mere crookery”. Rhetoric is simply the process of making messages and messages made by that process, and these messages are used to influence social attitudes, the values and even actions of the intended audiences. If we look at it in the same lens of Aristotle, rhetoric is to lead us to the best possible truth.

An African-American, Alfred M. Green, in his speech, convinces his fellow African-Americans to prepare to enlist in the union army. Green’s purpose is to persuade his fellow African-Americans to join the union forces; despite them allowed to fight. He adopts a persuasive tone and the use of parallelism, allusion, and metaphor in order to appeal to his fellow African-Americans and to convince them to join the fight and win the civil war.

On January 20, 1961, John Fitzgerald Kennedy became the youngest man to possess presidency in the United States of America. As a young, wealthy man Kennedy rapidly climbed the political ladder by initially representing a working class Boston district in the United States Congress, then continuing on to the House of Representatives, followed by the United States Senate, and ending with the victorious defeat of his presidential opponent, to become the 35th president of the United States. According to theatlantic.com, Kennedy was so admired by the public, that “in the eyes of the world, this reticent man became a charismatic leader who, in his life and in his death, served as a symbol of purpose and hope.” As a result of John F. Kennedy’s

The first chapter introduced the reader to the art of rhetoric. He describes how rhetoric works through real life examples. He demonstrates ways that rhetoric persuades us like, argument from strength, and seduction. He tells the reader that the sole purpose of arguing is to persuade the audience. He showed that the chief purpose of arguing is to also achieve consensus, a shared faith in a choice.