Rhetorical Analysis
Good morning representatives and members from the Board of Studies,
As a year 12 student my peers and I are intrigued as to why we study a compilation of speeches that were delivered before our time to audiences in contrasting contexts? And how this has any form of relevance to a contemporary audience studying the HSC in 2013? Through study I have discovered the answer is that these carefully selected speeches all deliver universal themes that are significant despite the period in time and the audience to which they are delivered or in our case, studied. They challenge their audience’s perception of society and inspire them to ask questions and seek answers. In order for a speech to achieve textual integrity it must have ongoing contextual …show more content…
Magaret Atwood’s ‘Spotty Handed Villainesses’ (1994) and Aung San Suu Kyi’s keynote address at the Beijing World Conference on Women (1995) both achieve textual integrity as they present universal values that are not contextually bound such as aspiration for equality, feminism and freedom from oppression. As the image behind me suggests the speeches inspire women worldwide that ‘we can do it’, that is break free from the societal stereotypes in both literature and reality to forge new relationships with the world relieving the oppression from society and contribute to their full potential. Through the analysis of rhetorical devices and the context in which they were delivered parallels can be drawn between values, ideas …show more content…
Atwood’s ‘Spotty Handed Villainesses’ celebrates literature in an entertaining and casual manner whilst integrating the topical themes of feminism and the role of literature reflecting reality. The image of the famous American wartime propaganda poster with me today provides a visual representation and support of Atwoods speech as it was later used to promote feminism in the 1980s. The woman in the poster ‘Rosie the Riveter’ breaks gender stereotypes by wearing manual work wear which is then supported by the caption ‘we can do it’ inspiring freedom from oppression and commencing the feminist movement. The speech resonates with a contemporary audience as the role of women in both literature and reality is an ongoing issue within modern society. Atwood’s speech achieves the enduring power to persuade and invoke a personal response from her audience due to its intellectual and artistic qualities. Her simple use of rhetorical techniques and utilising an unorthodox approach to addressing the themes, allows her to engage her audience, ensuring a speech of timeless relevance. Atwood uses a plethora of colloquialisms such as flogging a ‘few dead horses’, ‘bumped off’ and ‘juicy parts’ to further her argument and to entertain. Atwood successfully uses a series of humorous metaphors throughout her speech to draw it together cohesively.
As a year 12 student my peers and I are intrigued as to why we study a compilation of speeches that were delivered before our time to audiences in contrasting contexts? And how this has any form of relevance to a contemporary audience studying the HSC in 2013? Through study I have discovered the answer is that these carefully selected speeches all deliver universal themes that are significant despite the period in time and the audience to which they are delivered or in our case, studied. They challenge their audience’s perception of society and inspire them to ask questions and seek answers. In order for a speech to achieve textual integrity it must have ongoing contextual …show more content…
Magaret Atwood’s ‘Spotty Handed Villainesses’ (1994) and Aung San Suu Kyi’s keynote address at the Beijing World Conference on Women (1995) both achieve textual integrity as they present universal values that are not contextually bound such as aspiration for equality, feminism and freedom from oppression. As the image behind me suggests the speeches inspire women worldwide that ‘we can do it’, that is break free from the societal stereotypes in both literature and reality to forge new relationships with the world relieving the oppression from society and contribute to their full potential. Through the analysis of rhetorical devices and the context in which they were delivered parallels can be drawn between values, ideas …show more content…
Atwood’s ‘Spotty Handed Villainesses’ celebrates literature in an entertaining and casual manner whilst integrating the topical themes of feminism and the role of literature reflecting reality. The image of the famous American wartime propaganda poster with me today provides a visual representation and support of Atwoods speech as it was later used to promote feminism in the 1980s. The woman in the poster ‘Rosie the Riveter’ breaks gender stereotypes by wearing manual work wear which is then supported by the caption ‘we can do it’ inspiring freedom from oppression and commencing the feminist movement. The speech resonates with a contemporary audience as the role of women in both literature and reality is an ongoing issue within modern society. Atwood’s speech achieves the enduring power to persuade and invoke a personal response from her audience due to its intellectual and artistic qualities. Her simple use of rhetorical techniques and utilising an unorthodox approach to addressing the themes, allows her to engage her audience, ensuring a speech of timeless relevance. Atwood uses a plethora of colloquialisms such as flogging a ‘few dead horses’, ‘bumped off’ and ‘juicy parts’ to further her argument and to entertain. Atwood successfully uses a series of humorous metaphors throughout her speech to draw it together cohesively.