Transcript Analysis Strategies

Rhetorical Elements:
Analysis Strategies
Exigence, Persona,
SOAPStone and DIDLS
Exigence
 Why did the author write this? What was
“getting under his/her skin”? What was
he/she thinking about? What emotional
reaction was the author having?
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Shakespeare and Macbeth: New
Scottish/English king who believed in the
supernatural as elements of the devil. In
addition, this king also happened to be the
patron of Shakespeare’s acting company.
Exigence continued:
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Martin Luther King and “I Have a Dream”: He
wanted to inspire the people in the civil rights
movement; he also wanted to present the idea
of a country without prejudice to the US as a
whole
Mark Twain and The Adventures of Huckleberry
Finn: He had a successful “boys’ book” in Tom
Sawyer; as the writing of the book continued,
he became disgusted with certain aspects of
society, including violence, gullibility, and greed.
Later part of the book reflects this.
Persona
 The role the author chooses to play. Not the same
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as the author.
Similar to point of view in fiction
To Kill a Mockingbird: Scout’s role
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: Huck’s role
A Modest Proposal: Swift is playing the role of a well
educated, thoughtful Irish politician who believes he
has a practical solution to poverty in Ireland.
The author can “be” him/her self yet still play a role.
Parents can “play” dumb, tough, etc. Politicians can
“play” family person, hero, villain, common
person,etc.
SOAPStone—an overview
 S—Speaker
 O—Occasion
 A---Audience
 P---Purpose
 S---Subject
 T----tone
S--Speaker
 The individual or collective voice of the text:
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Is it the author’s own voice?
Is it a certain persona the author chooses?
Is it reflecting a group?
Is it reflecting a governmental body? (“We the
people……”)
Most likely it is a combination of all or some of
these
O--Occasion
 The event or catalyst causing the writing of
the text to occur
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“The Declaration of Independence” by Thomas
Jefferson
“Second Inaugural Address” by Abraham
Lincoln
“The Gettysburg Address” by Abraham Lincoln
“Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther
King, Jr.
“We Have Nothing to Fear….” by Franklin
Delano Roosevelt
A---Audience
 The specific group of readers to whom the
text is directed
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Marc Antony and Brutus: Roman citizens
Macbeth’s letter: Lady Macbeth
Atticus’s closing argument: the jury –but a
specific jury
Thomas Paine, “The Crisis”—Revolutionary
War Soldiers
Patrick Henry, “Speech to the Virginia
Convention”—a colony largely opposed to war
P--Purpose
 The reason behind the text
 What the author wants us to do with the
exigence placed before us
 A certain verb…..
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To free the prisoners
To find the defendant not guilty
To kill Duncan
To mutiny against Brutus, Cassius, and the other
conspirators
S--Subject
 The general topic and/or main idea:
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Today’s campaign messages: our candidate and
why he/she is the best choice
NFL Sunday Football: Football is cool, great,
exciting, fun, etc.
Gary Larson Cartoons: Life’s more interesting
through a unique perspective
Brutus and Antony: Caesar is dead; what are we
going to do about it?
T--Tone
 The attitude of the author/persona toward his
or her subject:
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Lincoln: somber—Gettysburg Address
P. Henry: urgent---Speech to the Virginia
Convention
Lady Macbeth: disgusted—her husband is a
coward if he doesn’t kill Duncan
Marc Antony: hesitant at first; then strong
Atticus: practical—it makes sense to believe
Tom’s version of things
DIDLS—an overview
 D—Diction
 I----Images
 D-----Details
 L----Language
 S----Sentence Structure
Diction
 What words does the author use?
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“The evil that men do lives after them, the
good is oft interred with their bones.”
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“The question before the house is one of awful
moment to this country.”
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“Yesterday, December 7, 1941: a day that will
live in infamy.”
Images
 What images does the author create?
 Visual, olfactory, auditory, tactile, gustatory,
kinesthetic
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How do these images imbue (permeate) the
piece with sensory images?
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“I would, while it was smiling in my face, have
plucked my nipple from his boneless gums
and dashed the brains out, had I so sworn as
you have done to this.”
Details
 Which details does the author include and
omit?
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Lady Macbeth mentions he had made a promise
(which he had not)….
Atticus points out Tom can only use his right
hand, while Mr. Ewell writes left handed
Lincoln mentions “four score and seven years
ago”
Language
 What type of language does the author use?
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“All right, then, I’ll go to Hell.”
“Ask Not what your country can do for you, ask
what you can do for your country….”
“We are apt to listen to that siren till she turns us
into beasts…..”
“You are not wood, you are not stones, but
men…….”
Sentence Structure
 Simple, compound, complex, compound-
complex
 Use of phrases
 Sentence variety
 Vivid verbs, etc.
 Active or passive voice
Additional element: Design
 Dictionary definitions:
verb (used with object)
to prepare the preliminary sketch or the plans for
(a work to be executed), especially to plan the
form and structure of: to design a new bridge.
 noun
the combination of details or features of a
picture, building, etc.; the pattern or motif of
artistic work: the design on a bracelet.
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Design: as it applies to media
 The overall look, feel, and sound of the piece:
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Color?
Camera angles?
Use of pausing?
Music and/or sound effects? (soundtrack)
Special effects?
Key question: what design choices did the
director make to convey certain ideas?
Example: Shindler’s List—the girl in the red
dress
Design
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Example: Schindler’s List—the girl in the red
dress