Read Article 'The Look' and Identify Rhetorical Techniques (Coursework Sample)

Rhetorical Analysis of ‘The Look.’
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Introduction
A good writer is the one who knows the methods of appealing to his readers. Plain texts that do not use any techniques to appeal to potential readers are often fail to pass the message because the readers get bored halfway. The article under analysis is called ‘the look’ by an ex- con named Larry Lehna. The phrase ‘The look’ refers to two kinds of faces according to the writer. The first look is that mask of toughness that many inmates wear. The look implies a no- nonsense individual who is not afraid to accost anybody that messes with him. The first look simply represents a person who does not care about the consequences of their action because they do not have much to lose in life. The second look refers to the face that people make when they discover that somebody is a felon. The look represents dislike and distrust. This essay is a rhetorical analysis to the article by examining three main rhetorical skills the author used for effectiveness.
Appeal to pathos
Appeal to pathos aims at creating a favorable emotional affection in the audience. The writer appeals to the emotional aspect of the audience in order to persuade them to his point of view. Appeal to pathos works even better when the audience can emotionally relate to what the writer is talking about. The writer can elicit emotion through the selection of his words, the chronology of his ideas, or the tone of the article. In addition, appeal to pathos requires a skilled writer. The writer needs to elicit emotion intentionally through the careful selection of words and figures of speech.
In the article, several instances reveal the writer’s attempt at appealing to the emotion of his readers. The writer begins by highlighting the many instances in which the members of society rejected him immediately he got out of prison. Rejection is an emotional subject and he uses it to bring out a problem in the society- stigma towards ex- convicts. He then goes ahead to describe how the guidance and counselling officer of a community college decided to give him a chance despite his financial woes. The use of vivid description paints an emotional picture in the mind of the reader. He then describes how he broke down to tears when he got home because of the kindness of the woman. The writer uses this segment to advance his objective of integrating ex-cons into society. Despite what the society thinks, felons are still human beings with emotions. Any kind gestures accorded to them will never go unappreciated.
The Audience
A good piece of writing is intended for a particular audience. The target audience may be divergent or a single group of people. No matter the diversity of the target audience, the writer should device a way to carter for all their interests. The writer should use a language that is conversant with the target audience. Some forms of lingo are common with a particular group of people. It will only be wise if a writer uses such lingo while associating with this particular group of people. The importance of establishing a writer’s audience beforehand is to identify the most appropriate language and features of style to use in his article.
The secondary audience for this article is the society that has maintained stigma towards ex-convicts (Lehna, n.d). The primary audience for this piece of writing is all the ex- convicts who have passed through rejection in their bid to rejoin the society. Another group of people that forms the primary audience is all those members of the society who have gone out of their way to help ex-...