Rhetorical Power - Essay Example

Introduction

An argument shall be considered a rationally strong argument if it provides a reason to believe the audience, while on the other hand, rhetorical power refers to the mixing of identity and personal characteristics of the speaker with the subject, with less rationality supporting the argument. In other words, Rhetorical power is more about expressing personal views, while rationality in arguments comes from the analytical skills of the individual.

Analysis

The letter to the editor, under consideration, is too direct in its tone and has very little background of the exact scenario and circumstances under which it might have been drafted. However reading the opening part of the letter, the author seems to be rational in his ideas as he quotes concrete evidence of whatever that he perceives. The author has based his understanding of the situation upon hardcore facts and not mere assumptions. In this case, it can be said that the argument presented by the author is rationally strong as it provides the readers with a reason to believe.

However, as we move to the next passage of the letter, it can be observed that though the author has build up his argument in a rational manner once again, this argument contradicts the preceding one. In this case, though, the readers have strong evidence and reasons to believe in what is being communicated, but the contradiction in the overlapping passages may go on to bewilder the readers and lead to a state of irresolution (Sellnow 185).

The penultimate passage is followed by a conclusive one. Ironically, the conclusive part of the letter leaves the readers with a question, unanswered. In this paragraph, the author has used his rhetorical power to get his message across to the audience. The author incorporates a personalized tone to the message and indicates the inception of personal influence in the conclusion that the author has drawn himself, inspired by his personal experiences and perceptions of various stimuli in the world.

The final lines of the letter are analyzed to be rhetoric because the author does not provide solid evidence or basis for the reader to believe in what is being said. The reader is left with the freedom to either believe in what is being said or simply leave it. This is the specified characteristic of rhetorical arguments; they leave the reader in an indecisive state and let them make their own opinions. However there is a strong likelihood of readers agreeing to what is being communicated and base their opinions on those of the author, but this depends upon how convincingly the author has presented his thoughts and ideas (Sellnow 145).

In the case of the piece of writing under consideration, it can be said that the rhetorical power of the letter is weaker as compared to the rational arguments presented in the abstract. Though the audience has been provided with sufficient evidence to believe in what is being said, due to the weak rhetorical power of the author, the readers cannot reach a conclusion or judge the author (Sellnow 118-121).

Exigence is also an important factor that strengthens the rhetorical component of a piece of writing. This refers to the occurrence of specific events or situations that led the author to arrive at the argument that he is basically presenting. In this case, no sufficient information is provided regarding the background under which the letter has been written and thus the reader has to make his own judgment about the subject.