Rhetorical Analysis Essay Draft

Introduction

As Americans, we share a unique set of civic duties, whether it is the duty to vote, the duty to serve as a public official, or the duty to serve in the military. None of these duties are exactly mandatory, but they are essential for us to enjoy the freedoms that we hold dear. Americans share a unique patriotism that inspires this duty. The United States is notorious for its patriot inspiring symbols and icons. Just as the elephant and donkey remind us of our duty to cast our vote, the famous Uncle Sam “I Want You” poster has been used for generations for military recruitment.

Thesis: Through the use of strong patriotism and large appeals to ethos and pathos, the “I Want You” poster was and still is successful in inspiring Americans to enlist in the U.S. Army.

History

Many only know Uncle Sam from the posters that originated during the first world war, but its origins go over a century deeper, into the War of 1812.

  • The name is associated with Samuel Wilson, a New York meat packer that supplied beef to the troops during the war of 1812.
    • His barrels were marked with “U.S.” for the United States, but soldiers began referring to it as Uncle Sam’s.
    • A newspaper wrote the story and eventually gained popularity as Americas nickname.
  • The nickname gained more popularity in the 1860s and 70s when cartoonist Thomas Nast created images of Uncle Sam in his political cartoons.
    • Nast developed uncle same with a beard and stars and stripes suit as he appears today.
  • The most famous portrayal of Uncle Sam, the “I Want You” poster, was created by artist James Montgomery Flagg during WWI. (added top hat)
    • Originally published in the July 1916 edition of Leslie’s Weekly
    • Was used as an army recruiting poster for WWI and over 4 million copies were printed between 1917 and 1918 and was very successful in inspiring enlistment.

Audience and Commonplaces

The commonplace used in this poster is wartime America, where every effort was taken to inspire each citizen to do their part to help the war effort.

  • Very patriotic image related to the American citizens that it was created to inspire
  • The audience of the poster is young white males who can serve in the army
    • Due to the lingering presence of segregation in WWI era America, the majority of soldiers were white males
    • Uncle Sam is portrayed as a white male to relate to this audience
  • He is also an older man to portray him as an authoritative “father figure” telling the younger viewer what they should do.
  • The Kairos is the world wars
    • America was looked at to save other countries from tyranny (kind of as an Uncle looking after them)

Appeal to Patriotism

              The most obvious reason for the success of the Uncle Sam poster is the appeal that strikes every American deep: patriotism.

  • Uncle Sam is a direct representation of the U.S. (same initials)
    • Viewer feels as the United States itself was calling them to action
  • The poster uses bold red, white, and blue inspires patriotism in the viewer and makes them think of their civic duty to their country.
  • The patriotism makes the viewer think of the freedoms that they enjoy as an American and it inspires the duty to protect these freedoms.

 

Appeal to Pathos

              Pathos is the most dominant appeal, the image of Uncle Sam pointing puts a face to the country and creates a personal feel with the viewer.

  • With Uncle Sam looking directly at the viewer and pointing, the viewer feels as though he is speaking directly to them.
  • The old word “YOU” adds to the directness of the poster
  • Personal feel makes the viewer feel as though their country is relying on them and cannot fight this war without them.
    • Inspires a sense of guilt and duty, making them feel obligated to enlist

Appeal to Ethos

              The backing for the U.S. government and the portrayal of Uncle Sam himself present a credibility within the poster that father draws attention to its purpose.

  • During the World War eras, there was a high confidence in the U.S. military and government
    • Most people trusted that if the military told them they were needed, they must be important for the cause.
    • People were united in fighting the war on all fronts (home and away)
    • Reference to the nearest recruiting station
  • Portrayal of Uncle Sam as a stern elderly man adds to the ethos (respect)
    • People generally associate age with wisdom
    • Seen as a father figure who knows what is best, thus they are more willing to take his advice and enlist in the army
  • This add might not be as effective outside of its era due to this reliance on ethos
    • Especially during Vietnam era, when the military was extremely unpopular
    • Even today, the country is more divided and many people have low confidence in the government

Conclusion

From 1812 and through both world wars, Uncle Sam’s “I Want You” poster has been an effective tool for military recruitment and uniting the country. It inspires Americans not simply to enlist in the U.S. Army, but to be patriots and do whatever they can to help their country. This iconic poster united the country in some of the most devastating eras in history. Maybe Uncle Sam should be looked back at from today and used to reunite our divided country to allow people to live in peace, equality, and freedom.

Civic Artifact Draft

Introduction

When we turn 18, most of us register to vote. It is the civic duty of Americans to cast their opinion in the ballot box. As we make a decision, we each typically choose a path, we either follow the donkey or the elephant (or independent or third party). The symbols of the two major American political parties are recognizable to almost every American. They represent the platform on which the party is built, uniting people based on common morals and showing the civic duty of the U.S. government.

History

  • Both symbols have been around since the 19th century and were originally created as an insult to their political parties.
    • The donkey began when political opponents of Andrew Jackson(D) called him a “Jackass” for populist views
      • Jackson was actually amused by this and used it on his campaign posters in the 1828 election
    • Later, an elephant labeled Republican appeared in a political cartoon by Thomas Nast.
      • The elephant was clumsy, unbalanced and ready to fall into a pit, symbolizing the lack of control within the party at the time.
    • Both animals were used extensively by cartoonist Thomas Nast, who is credited for their current popularity as political party symbols.
    • Nix, Elizabeth. “Election 101: How did the Republican and Democratic parties get their animal symbols?” com. 7 July 2015. Web. 20 Sept. 2017

Meaning Today

  • Both parties took the insults from the cartoons and opponents and turned them into a unifying symbol of their party and the platform it is built upon.
    • They reversed the insults and used the animals as their symbol
      • Donkey for its strong will and humble origins, as an ode to the common man
      • Elephant for its strength and wisdom
    • They represent the beliefs of the parties themselves, the party platforms
      • Republicans- Small government, Free market, Nationalist, etc.
      • Democrats- Large government, regulated market, globalist, etc.

Commonplaces

  • The political party symbols unite people on multiple levels. They unite people as Republicans and Democrats, and as Americans.
    • The obvious common places are Democrats and Republicans
      • Unite people based on their common morals and draw them together to support their opinion.
    • All of America is also a commonplace because they represent our democratic government, which unites us no matter what side we stand on.
      • Both symbols have red, white and blue design calling to patriotism
    • Both symbols and the parties they represent are a call for Americans to vote
      • Voting is a civic duty of all Americans

Conclusion

The donkey and the elephant are not glamorous animals, and neither is government. These animals represent the civic duty of government. The duty of public service by our elected officials, and our own civic duty to cast our vote. So, no matter if you choose the path of the elephant or the donkey, you have a duty as an Americans to voice your opinion and cast your vote during elections.

 

It’s What I Do #3

In part II of Lyndsey Addario’s It’s What I Do, we notice a shift. After 9/11, the situation in the Middle East changed dramatically. After the attacks, it became a much more hostile area, especially to Americans. This is portrayed at the very beginning of the section, where the title of chapter 4 is “You, American, Are Not Welcome Here Anymore.”

This hostile theme sticks throughout part II and matches her change in writing, as it becomes more intense and rushed. All leading up to the ending of part II, when Lyndsey gets kidnapped for the first time. While traveling on a smugglers route in Iraq their car is stopped and surrounded by armed insurgents. The gravity of the situation is immediately portrayed when Lyndsey repeatedly says, “we are going to die.”

Addario, no stranger to near death experiences, gives us insight into her own fear. She uses dialogue and a plethora of imagery to allow her reader to vividly picture the situation from her view. She describes the insurgents, saying that one young boy has a rocket launcher on his back, repeatedly mentioning that they constantly have AK-47s pointed at them. She stresses the danger around her, keeping her readers on edge.

This use of vivid imagery and compelling word choice allows us to see deeper into Addario’s passion. We feel her fear for ourselves as if we are a part of her passions. Seeing the great danger she faces makes the reader wonder why she puts herself through that. The answer lies in the title, simply because it’s what she does, it’s her true passion.

Although my own passion doesn’t necessarily involve near death experiences, I can still learn from Addario’s compelling writing. By using vivid imagery and lively word choice, I can allow my readers to dive deeper into my passion and share in my excitement. I want my readers to feel like they are a part of my passion as Addario does with hers.

RCL #2

In one section of her book, It’s What I Do, Lynsey Addario recounts a story of Nina, her grandmother, and her missed chance for love. Nina ponders the passion that she missed by not marrying Sal, and warns Lynsey not to do the same.

Addario includes this not only to describe her own love life at the time but to describe her philosophy on her passions overall. At the end of that section, she says “I never forgot that story. And I never wanted to regret the kisses I missed.” I believe that the “kisses I missed” can be used as a metaphor for opportunities for her passion, such as photographing a new place or documenting a world changing event. She never wants to look back at missed opportunities with regret.

This same idea of no regrets was also revealed to me with my passion, sports, during the football season of my junior year. About the third game of the season, my passion came to a grinding halt. During the chaos of an offensive play, an opposing player tumbled on the side of my knee. I heard a pop, and next I knew I had to be crutched off the field by two teammates.

I had a minor tear in my meniscus and missed the rest of that game and the next week (luckily it wasn’t as detrimental as it could have been). Sitting on the sidelines, unable to do what I love, was extremely difficult. Every bone in my body, except for my knee, wanted to be on that field. It was then that I realized, like Addario, that I never want to feel that regret. I never want to look back and say I could have done more, I want to play every play like it’s my last, for it very well could be. I want to live out my passion to its fullest potential without regretting the “kisses I missed.”

My Passions

We all have passions. Something that makes us feel alive, like ourselves, and truly happy. Some enjoy the adrenaline rush of skydiving, while others live for leisurely walks in the park. Personally, I find my happiness in sports and the outdoors, the stereotypical “manly hobbies”.

Coming from an extensive family of athletes and sports fanatics, I was practically raised by sports, spending my childhood in the hockey rink or the football stadium. I had two older brothers who played hockey and football and inspired me to do the same. I played both sports through high school and loved every second of it. Now that those high school glory days are behind me and I no longer play organized sports, my passion has shifted. I now get my sporting fix by bleeding black and gold and cheering on my hometown teams; Steelers, Penguins, and Pirates.

Thus, it only makes sense that my first passion blog idea is about all things Pittsburgh sports. I can talk about what’s going on in the Burgh world of sports such as scores, stats, and important news. As the seasons change, my focus will shift from baseball to football, and eventually to hockey season, while maintaining important offseason news and maybe upsetting some Philly fans in the meantime.

Other than sports, my other passion is the great outdoors. Growing up in the mountains of western PA, I find much happiness in activities like hunting, fishing, and camping. My other idea for my passion blog is an outdoor blog where I can talk about outdoor sportsman activities. I will post about the best local fishing spots or this seasons trophy buck. I could include a more personal tie in this blog because I still participate in these activities and can include pictures and details of my own adventures.