Final Paper: Rhetorical Analysis of a Political Ad
In this class we studied rhetoric. The most basic definition of rhetoric was given
by Aristotle. Aristotle wrote: Rhetoric is the art of persuasion. By studying rhetoric,
we learn how to use rhetorical strategies to convince others. Knowing how to persuade
others will be important in your future careers, even if your careers have nothing to do
with politics. Rhetoric is a constructive force in society because we must convince and
motivate each other to work toward common goals.
We have also seen, however, that rhetoric has a dark side. Rhetoric can be used
for good or evil. It can be used to motivate us toward our best impulses, or it can
manipulate our basest instincts. We hope that you do not choose to use the dark side of
rhetoric. Instead, we hope that being aware of rhetoric will help immunize you to its
insidious intents. This is particularly important in a democracy. Knowing when you are
being unfairly manipulated makes you a more informed and critical citizen. By looking
closely, and often, at how political ads work, we free ourselves from their persuasive
sway and are better able to consider issues dispassionately.
In our final assignment, we are going to use all the rhetorical analysis skills we
have acquired. To start, choose any political ad.
our task is to write a rhetorical analysis of a political advertisement. In our
class, we covered two types of rhetorical analysis: Aristotelian analysis and metaphor
analysis. Your paper may focus on one or both of these methods. Use whichever type of
analysis helps you best explain the rhetorical strategies of the political ad.
our papers introduction, you will likely put the advertisement in context
and explain the rhetorical situation of the ad. Consider audience and rhetorical
situation.
The body paragraphs should break down the ad and reassemble it to make your
points about how the ad is persuasive. Consider Aristotelian appeals like ethos, pathos,
and logos. Consider metaphors and their rhetorical implications. Lastly, your paper
should have some element of synthesis in it as well. It should incorporate ideas from the
following list of class readings:
Lakoff and Johnson, “Metaphors We Live By.”
Osborn, Michael, “Archetypal Metaphor in Rhetoric: The Light-Dark Family.”
Geary, James, Excerpt from I is an Other, “Metaphor and Politics.”
Fowles, Jib, “Advertising’s 15 Basic Appeals.”
Lakoff, George, “Don’t Think of an Elephant”
Your conclusion will comment on whether your ad was rhetorically effective and
why. Spend most of your time on how the ad operates, but in the conclusion, this is
your chance to consider the ethical implications of the ad, such as are the ad’s
persuasive methods legitimate, and fair, or does the ad use distortion, personal attacks,
etc. in a way that crosses a line into illegitimate appeal and argument? You might
consider what impact the broader context of the ad in contributing to legitimate
political debate or the debasement of our political culture.
Lastly, be sure to post a direct URL link to your ad after your name on the paper!
https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/politics/nra-hypocrite-hillary–campaign-2016/2016/08/12/64ef1e46-60cc-11e6-84c1-6d27287896b5_video.html
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