Nonfiction and Argumentation

Are these objective or subjective?• The average test score was 56/70.• The scores were good.• The overall average score is higher than on the previous test.• Number 24 was the question missed more than any other

question.• “Everyone failed the test!”• “The test sucked!”• The test covered the information in a fair and balanced way.• The test was too hard.

1.Childlike, Youthful, Childish, Young

2.Disabled, Crippled, Handicapped, Retarded

3.Relaxed, Laid-back, Lackadaisical, Easy-going

4.Slim, Skinny, Slender, Thin

5.Cheap, Frugal, Miserly, Economical

6.Young, Immature, Juvenile, Youthful

7.Inquisitive, Interested, Curious, Convivial

8.Confident, Secure, Proud, Egotistical

9.Lovely, Knockout, Beautiful, Stunning

10.Talkative, Conversational, Chatty, Nosy

Parallelism - an arrangement of the parts of a composition so that elements of equal importance are balanced in similar constructions. This arrangement may be applied to words, phrases, clauses, sentences, paragraphs, or complete units of compositions. Parallelism is a rhetorical device.

• We are going to fight! We are going to win! We are going to celebrate!

• Jack hopes to visit his parents and see his old friends when he goes home.

• She advised me to find some new friends and forget about the event.

• This wealthy car collector owns three pastel Cadillacs, two gold Rolls Royces, • and ten assorted Mercedes.

• Peter felt that he had made an excellent deal and that he had bought a masterpiece.

• He enjoys playing tennis and working out.

Propaganda: Information, esp. of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view. Can be for good or bad.

Gun Control Propaganda

Health Care Propaganda

Rhetoric is the art used to deliver the content; the art can be used to help define of amplify the content or it may be used to distract from the truth. The word rhetoric can have a negative connotation.

For Good: From “I have a Dream” by MLK: “…With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood.”

For Bad: From Senator Joe McCarthy's “Enemies From Within”: “Today we can almost physically hear the mutterings and rumblings of an invigorated god of war. You can see it, feel it, and hear it all the way from the Indochina hills, from the shores of Formosa, right over into the very heart of Europe itself.”

RHETORIC

Rhetoric

Bias: These three headlines are all about the same topic.

Bias can occur by design—some news sources live for it (it’s called propaganda); other sources may lean slightly one way or another, and much bias is unintentional and often unavoidable.

A rhetorical question is a figure of speech in the form of a question that is asked in order to make a point. The question is used as a rhetorical device, posed for the sake of encouraging its listener to consider a message or viewpoint.

• "If your friend jumped off the bridge would you do it too?"

• "You don't think I'm that stupid, do you?"

• "Are you kids still awake?"

• "What business is it of yours?"

• "Aren't you ashamed of yourself?”

• "You're not really going to wear that, are you?"

• "Are you stupid?"

• "Can you do anything right?"

Notice that most

rhetorical questions are

loaded.

Loaded Words/Loaded Language (and more about connotation)“Obamacare” instead of “Affordable Health Care Act”

“Socialized Medicine” instead of “Universal Health Care”

“Gun Control” instead of “Gun Safety”

“Pro Life” (infers the other side if pro death) rather than “Anti-Abortion”

“Defense of Marriage Act” (implies marriage is under attack)

“The Patriot Act” (Implies anyone against it is not a patriot)

“Family Values”

“Suicide Bomber” vs. “Homicide Bomber”

“Moral Majority” vs. “Religious Right”

“Liberal” vs. “Progressive”

“Runaway Slave” vs. “Freedom Seeker”

“Foreign Language” vs. “World Language”

Conjecture / Opinion / Argument

Can you name each?

All professional athletes all make a bunch of money.

Skittles are my favorite candy.

Most people cheat on homework.

I saw on the news where a man stole a car What a loser.

Cloudy days are awesome.

Homework has no value.

Society would, be better serves of we improved school rather

than built prisons.

The speed limit on the highway should be 75 m.p.h..

If the speed limit were 75, I bet more accidents would happen.

If the speed limit were raised to 75, highway congestion would

be alleviated and gas would be saved.

And, don’t forget that the use of rhetoric can include all those literary techniques:

imagery, simile, metaphor, etc.—and idiom• That is so cool. He is so hot.• Sick• In deep trouble / in hot water• Beating around the bush• Driving me up the wall• Playing with fire• Asking for trouble• A sunny personality• Head around an idea• On the fence• Don’t B. S. me.