The Rhetoric of Aristotle (Essay Sample)

Communication
Name
Institution
Course
Date
The rhetoric of Aristotle
Jim Carey’s speech at Maharishi University in Lowa is one that perfectly appealed to me. This is mainly because I believed in the credibility of the source of the information among other factors. Jim Carey is a respectable actor which made what he was saying something worth listening to.
His motivational and clear choice of language largely appealed to my emotions. In his emotional commencement speech, he urged the audience to walk their own path and never settle. This persuasive language made me change my views on the general principles of life because I could easily relate to what he was saying.
The logic he employed in his speech was excellent. He used facts to substantiate his claims. For instance, he gave a poignant story about his father which enabled the audience realize that most of their decisions were based on love or fear which makes it difficult for them to achieve their goals.
The speaker had his thoughts well arranged and included appropriate figures of speech and other rhetorical techniques. He effectively selected and assembled his thoughts in a coherent manner. This arrangement facilitated clarity and understanding of his thoughts.
I liked his mode of delivery that included perfect use of gestures, tonal variation and pronunciation of words. He used the plain, middle and high styles to instruct, move and please the audience. Generally, the speech was effective as Jim Carey excellently employed the five canons of rhetoric.
Narrative paradigm
Due to societal influence, I had grown to link Islamic religion and practices to terrorism. This is due to the various terrorist attacks that had occurred worldwide including the September 11th attack on the Twin towers alongside other high profile attacks that were linked to Muslims. In January 2014, I met a friend, Raheem Ahmed, who was a staunch Muslim. The experiences and tales Ahmed always narrated to me made me realize that Islamic religion was, in fact, peaceful and promoted many positive virtues in society. Contrary to my earlier assumptions, Islamic religion discourages bloodshed and pushes for unity within humanity.
The change in my viewpoint upholds the concept of Walter Fisher that a story is an important tool that enhances communication between the listener and the narrator. The past experiences of individuals can influence our general behavior and enhance our need for communication.
Cultivation theory.
This theory suggests that the more one spends more time watching television, the higher the chances that they are likely to believe that the ideas promoted in television are true in the real world. I am an ardent follower of The Big Bang Theory. This is a television show about a group of friends who are exceedingly smart. The movie is based around the day to day life and experiences of these individuals. The characters in the television show are majorly based on general assumptions about highly intelligent people. The numerous stereotypes in the movie about intelligent individuals made me have a negative view towards the smart people around me.
Spiral of silence theory.
I conducted a research on alcohol abuse and its effects on the society. In the research, members of the society claimed that abuse of alcohol has led to many social vices such as family breakages and theft. I presented these views to the regular alcoholics and asked them to respond to the claims. This was done in different settings where the alcoholics were asked to give their views while they were alone and also in the presence of non alcoholics. The general observation was that the alcoholics were less enthusiastic in giving their views on the subject in the presence of non alcoholics as compared to when they...