The seven elements of descriptive analysis:

From: Campbell, Karlyn Kohrs and Thomas R. Burkholder. Critiques of Contemporary Rhetoric. 2nd ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 1997.

 

Elements of the rhetorical action.

1. What is the rhetorical act's thesis/purpose?

A. What is the thesis, the central idea or major conclusion?

B. How is the subject limited or narrowed?

C. What audience response is desired? What beliefs and actions from the audience are sought?

2. What is the rhetorical act's tone?

A. What is the expressed attitude toward the subject? Celebratory, somber, angry, etc?

B. What is the expressed attitude toward the audience?

i. Are audience members addressed as subordinates?

ii. Are audience members addressed as peers?

iii. Are audience members addressed as superiors?

3. What persona does the rhetor assume?

4. Who compose the target audiences?

A. What must you know, believe, or value to participate in this act?

B. Who are the relevant agents of change?

C. What roles, if any, are audience members invited to assume?

5. What kinds of supporting materials/evidence are used?

A. Which of the following are included?

i. Examples

ii. Statistics

iii. Authority

iv. Analogies

B. How is evidence adapted to audience members?

C. How is the selection of evidence adapted to the purpose?

D. What evidence is evoked from the audience?

6. How is the discourse structured?

A. What does the introduction do?

B. What kind of organization is used to develop ideas? Is it one of the following, or a combination of them?

i. Chronological

ii. Topical

iii. Logical

iv. Narrative

v. Taxonomical

vi. problem/cause

C. What does the conclusion do?

D. What efforts are made to create relationships among ideas?

7. What other strategies are used? Strategies are reflected in the rhetor's selection of language, appeals, arguments, and evidence and adaptation of these to particular audiences, issues, and occasions.

A. What is the style of the rhetorical act?

i. How does the language reflect the rhetor's role?

ii. How odes the language reflect the relationship between rhetor and audience?

iii. How is the language adapted to the complexity of the subject?

B. How are appeals made to the needs, desires, drives, and cultural values of the audience?

C. What strategies are used to assist in proof?

D. What strategies are used to animate ideas?

E. What strategies are used to alter associations and attitudes?

F. Specific discursive and aesthetic techniques may include"

i. refutation

ii. enthymemes

iii. a fortiori argument

iv. Allusion

 

Obstacles and resources arising from the rhetorical situation

1. Subject/purpose

a. Is the subject technically complex? taboo? controversial, with clearly defined sides?

b. What is the subject's cultural history?

c. What is the cost for the audience of participation in the speech and in the requested action?

d. Is sustained action by the audience needed to achieve the purpose?

3. Audience

a. Is the target audience reachable? Are they attentive?

b. Is the audience likely to misperceive or misinterpret the message?

c. Is the subject salient? Is the audience motivated?

d. Does the audience believe it can take action? Must inertia be overcome?

4. Speaker

a. What is the speaker's reputation prior to the speech?

b. Is the speaker able to demonstrate ethos in the speech?

c. What is the speaker's relationship to the audience?

d. What is the rhetor's appearance?

e. How is the rhetor introduced to the audience?