RhetoricalAnalysisFWord

Rhetorical Analysis : 

Rhetorical Analysis Anna Quindlen’s “Still Needing the F Word”.

Audience : 

Audience The piece was originally published in Newsweek, in 2003. What can we gauge about audience, using just this information?

Audience, continued : 

Audience, continued Characteristics we “guesstimate” – the readership is quite large, interested in current events, and probably somewhat broad. Characteristics we can identify through research of the publication: The audience for news magazines is aging - more than for most other magazine genres. News magazine readers are also more affluent than magazine readers . Readership figures from Mediamark Research, the leading U.S. provider of syndicated consumer magazine audience data, indicate that since 1995 the entertainment and pop culture genre has gained popularity.1 Interest in the news and business genres has remained flat . The average reader of Newsweek is male (but there’s still a large female audience), 44.4 years of age, and has an annual income of $66,739 and $65,69 Figures come from http://www.stateofthenewsmedia.org

Title : 

Title What do we expect the article to be about, given the title? What does the phrase imply (“still” needing the F word)

Title, continued : 

Title, continued The title is intended to speak to two things: 1) that feminism is still necessary even though it’s not as popular or accepted as it once was, and that 2) feminism is often regarded as a dirty, controversial term, often not to be uttered aloud or to define oneself by.

Introduction : 

Introduction How does Quindlen draw the readership in? Why do you read on? What is the purpose of the repetition of the “F” word?

Body Paragraph 1 : 

Body Paragraph 1 Which strategies do you notice in this paragraph? Can you name any?

Body Paragraph 1 : 

Body Paragraph 1 Here, Quindlen conflates common, general knowledge with specialized knowledge: the research at Duke University. She uses these to CONTRAST the difference. We might call this an APPEAL TO AUTHORITY, at some level, as well as, simply, the use of STATISTICS. Quindlen, who experience the second-wave feminism of the late 50s , early 60s, can certainly speak from experience, but she clearly doesn’t expect her audience to be convinced solely by PERSONAL NARRATIVE.

Moving On . . . : 

Moving On . . . Uses the definition of the word, literally, to show that society is not living up to it. Goes on to continue COMPARE AND CONTRAST both the feminism of second-wave and third-wave (post-feminist) and the unrealistic or sexist expectations of women that both these feminisms are meant to respond to. She also uses JARGON, or specialized language, to talk about feminism (these terms would be primarily familiar to academics and perhaps to those who are especially interested in women’s issues/rights.) Along the same lines she ALLUDES to a major, if not the major, feminist text of second-wave feminism. This says something about a “niche “ audience . . . What is it?

Finishing Up : 

Finishing Up She refers to more general cultural knowledge (the 2003 gubernatorial election) and INTERPRETS the results in a way that supports her main or central point (“the world hasn’t changed as much as we like to tell ourselves” – thus, we still need the “f” word, and needing the word means we need the movement. As such, she uses METONYMY (the use of a part to represent a whole).

Other strategies : 

Other strategies The main strategies Quindlen uses are compare/contrast, metonymy, reference (to the election), statistics (as part of a larger appeal to authority) and REPETITION (CONSONANCE as well as repetition of words, sentence structure, and ideas.) Do you notice any other strategies at work?

Other strategies, continued : 

Other strategies, continued Tone – casual, authoritative but not overbearing; concerned, thoughtful, reflective. Tone can be described in multiple ways. Diction – word choice. All texts use diction, SO IF YOU HIGHLIGHT THIS STRATEGY, YOU MUST BE VERY SPECIFIC (Avoid statements like “This essay uses diction.” What essay doesn’t?) The diction in this essay is largely informal, even when referencing academic studies, aside from the minimal use of jargon. This diction appeals to a wide audience – which Quindlen has.