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Rhetorical Analysis Of The Declaration Of Independence

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Rhetorical Analysis Of The Declaration Of Independence
My initial thought toward writing a paper for the argumentative methods in The Declaration of Independence, written by Thomas Jefferson, was one of confusion and nervousness. I had no idea how I would write a paper on the document’s structural elements and not focus on its history; however, once I did some research it became clear to me how I would write this paper. The Declaration of Independence is an influential document with argumentative writing techniques that appeal to the reader’s emotions. This document also contains persuasive methods that strengthen the organizational design and the purpose of the text. For instance, the design and purpose of The Declaration are effectively presented to the audience through its syntax; the sentence …show more content…
This method connects the reader with the text in an emotional way by explaining and establishing the ideas of the document. For instance, The Declaration of Independence maintains a successful argument throughout its material due to logos that convinces readers of their rights and allows them to view the irrefutable words of the writer. Irrefutable language makes the document’s material seem true and undeniable. This is an influential method that is effective in holding the reader’s attention. For example, The Declaration provides logic and reasoning to influence the reader with information that grabs his or her …show more content…
A successful argumentative text must include or incorporate an effective person who is worth listening to. In The Declaration of Independence, ethos provide the reader with a sense of ease knowing that the author is a credible source. As reported by Alexander Tsesis’s analysis, this document is constructed around the idea of having a government that protects its citizens through laws made by authoritative figures (154). For instance, The Declaration is a credible source because it has an authoritative author that people can relate to. An authoritative figure is determined by evaluating the text for signs of a biased writer as well as the variety of his or her sources. Someone who is unbiased does not have opinions that are based on reason; however, a biased person bases ideas off of reason and logic. For example, in The Declaration, there are several examples and reasons that support the main argument of this document: “In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injuries” (Jefferson 7). This is achieved by appealing to the emotions of the reader. To illustrate, the reader’s attention is grabbed by commas and capital letters. A comma tells the writer to slow down and reflect on the text;

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