Rhetorical Analysis on Lauren Ridloff’s Quiet Power: ‘My Life Has Changed in Every Way’

The author, Michael Paulson, speaks to his audience, Broadway fans about the upcoming actress, Lauren Ridloff and the special qualities and characteristics which have made her unique and successful. His main message is to inform the audience of Ridloff’s past and present on the Broadway stage, as well as persuade the audience that Ridloff’s performance is one that is brilliant and new to the Broadway stage.

  Paulson does this by writing about Ridloff’s perspective and how she reacts when she finds out about her award nominations. It’s the sequence in which he chooses to introduce her side of the story that makes her good character and ability to act so convincing. The strong introduction is the most persuasive factor of this review, however. Paulson begins by listing a handful of short quotes from top-notch, and reliable newspapers and journals.

 

Paulson, Michael. “Lauren Ridloff’s Quiet Power: ‘My Life Has Changed in Every Way’.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 11 May 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/05/11/theater/lauren-ridloff-children-of-a-lesser-god.html.

 

Rhetorical Analysis on Chapter Two of Soon I Will Be Invincible, by Austin Grossman

 

  In the second chapter of SIWBI, Fatale, the main character introduces herself and the heroes team, to which she is a new member. It is an informative chapter, because the reader also, is just beginning to learn about the characters of the team. We, as readers observing from Fatale’s “newbie” perspective, also get to pick up on certain actions and dialogue that shape each character of the team. Black wolf, when talking to Lily about Doctor Impossible, he carefully picks his words. “‘He knows us. He won’t talk to us. Unless you think you could do better?’ Blackwolf’s tone is even, genial; he’s watching to see how she’ll take it” (31). Here, we can see that there is obviously some history between Lily and Doctor Impossible, which the author successfully writes out through the dialogue.

Grossman uses Fatales voice to properly introduce the theme of insecurity, as well as imperfections to his young adult audience, while providing a detailed observation on each superhero and touching on all of their imperfections, despite the idea of being an idolized superhero.

Grossman, Austin. Soon I Will Be Invincible. Vintage Books, 2008.

 

Rhetorical Analysis on Cochlear Implant Video

 

The message of the video is to apply to EVMS while expressing the positive effects of a cochlear implant.

In the video, the oral narrator emphasizes lines such as, “now she LISTENS to those who need care”, to further promote the product. The narrator also lists names of medical schools, just to give the positive effects of a cochlear implant more adequate. There are also visual effects made to send this message; The footage changes from black and white to color, to visually highlight the good qualities of cochlear implant.

The narrator is trying to reach those who are deaf, as well as those who applying to be medical students. There is also the possibility that the video is meant to be seen by deaf prospective medical students.

 

Rhetorical Analysis on El Deafo First Scenes

In El Deafo, the narrative is written from the perspective of Cece Bell, a young girl who learns to live and identify as a deaf person among a hearing society. If the narrative was written form the mother’s perspective, however, it could possibly sound something like this:

Why doesn’t she at least look at me, is she not my daughter? Isn’t her name Cece? Don’t kids at least look at their parents when they talk? A slight nod would be enough too. But nothing. She’s ignoring me, did I do something wrong? Her face is still, she wouldn’t even flinch if a rubber ball hit her head. Maybe I should sit next to her and talk to her. I take a seat on the couch.

“Cece, is everything okay? What’s going on?”

She slowly lifts her head, and stares at my lips. Her eyebrows lift up as if she’s confused.

“Cece?”

She makes a noise and continues playing.

What just happened? It’s as if she didn’t even understand me, but I’m her mom. We’re supposed to understand each other the most.

The mom, throughout the story, probably feels guilty for Cece’s struggle. The beginning, when Cece was first diagnosed, must’ve been the worst, especially because she probably thought Cece just wasn’t listening to her. What stays the same is the fact that both characters are going through some emotional distress, just a different type. The mom is struggling with her guilt and worry for her daughter, while Cece is literally struggling to hear.

Bell, Cece, and David Lasky. El Deafo. Manitoba Education and Advanced Learning, Alternate Formats Library, 2015.

Rhetorical Analysis on Countee Cullen’s “To A Brown Boy”

Countee Cullen writes this poem to remind the male gender of the beauty in women of color. He refers to these women as “brown girls” and speaks of their swagger and their skin. Countee Cullen essentially is trying to advise young men to not reject their instinctual desire to women of color, just because they have darker skin. He uses phrases like “Pride in clean brown limbs” to explain that it’s important to be confident in one’s attractions rather than being unsure, just because of color.

Cullen, Countee. “To A Brown Boy.” PoemHunter.com, 29 Mar. 2010, www.poemhunter.com/poem/to-a-brown-boy/.