I chose the following essay to include in this portfolio because it addresses rhetoric from a different perspective. In this rhetorical analysis essay, I observed the contextual dimensions of rhetoric, rather than the overt textual aspects. To do this, I observed the "The Truth" anti-smoking ad campaign. Rather than commenting on the rhetoric of one commercial they had, or of their website which would produce a more textual analysis, I focused my analysis on the rhetoric of their entire ad campaign, using their anti-smoking advocacy as a basis for observation of contextual elements. I will note, however, that when I first submitted this piece to my professor, I realized that a large portion of the essay was focused around the appeals to ethos, logos, and pathos. However, after revisiting the work for a second time, I decided that the essay would be better suited contextually if those elements were not explicitly stated. The inclusion of these elements in my essay became tangential to my ultimate goal. Unlike many ad campaigns that sell a product, "The Truth" actually sells an exigence--a social problem that can be changed through rhetoric. My goal of the essay was not to claim the fact that "The Truth" campaign effectively uses the appeals to ethos, logos, and pathos. This analysis would lend itself more to textual elements. Rather, I claim that "The Truth" effectively sells a smoke-free lifestyle through rhetoric, in which the subliminal usage of such appeals is naturally included. Overall, this essay portrays my writing abilities in terms of style, word choice, and clarity. In the revised version below, the development of the analysis is also improved and simplified so as to magnify the contextual dimensions of rhetoric in the ad campaign considered.
Rhetorical Analysis Essay
