Malcolm Gladwell Small Change Rhetorical Analysis

1217 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The role of social media in protest movements

Jake Carlson Dr. Elaine Cullen EngC 1101-33 Essay 1, Final Draft, 1/22/17 1170 words Rhetorical Analysis “Small Change: Why the Revolution Will Not Be Tweeted” by Malcolm Gladwell is an article published in the Annals of Innovation, by The New Yorker magazine. Gladwell starts with an example of true activism. He opens the article with a depiction of how the Greensboro sit-ins contributed to the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement. Then the author supplies two examples of protests that have taken place in recent years that some people have said were started and organized on Twitter. He then goes on to clarify why Twitter was not a factor in these events and how media and government can distort certain truths about social media’s role in protests. The author continues the article by explaining why communication and relationships were more efficient before the era of social media and then compares social networking from the past and now. He uses this strategy to illustrate social media’s effect on how we interact and our commitment towards one another. Gladwell goes on to explain the organization of activist groups of the past and its …show more content…

He does so by first using an emotional appeal. He uses storytelling to depict a historical protest that many readers may hold an emotional attachment to. This helps draw in his audience. The author then utilizes a logical appeal in his article by creating sections of the text that clearly flow from one subject to the next to better illustrate his attempt at logically exploring the issue. A third appeal Gladwell uses is language. By using repeated keywords and exquisite transitions the author effectively used a proper chose of language to establish his stance on the issue. Finally, through facts and statements from others he ethically supports the credibility of his arguments. Overall, this system works in his

Show More
Related

  • Brave New World Rhetorical Analysis

    425 Words  | 1 Pages

    The tone during the whole plot of in Brave New World changes when advancing throughout the plot, but it often contains a dark and satiric aspect. Since the novel was originally planned to be written as a satire, the tone is ironic and sarcastic. Huxley's sarcastic tone is most noticeable in the conversations between characters. For instance, when the director was educating the students about the past history, he states that "most facts about the past do sound incredible (Huxley 45)." Through the exaggeration of words in the statement of the director, Huxley's sarcastic tone obviously is portrayed. As a result of this, the satirical tone puts the mood to be carefree.

    Read More

  • Black Lives Matter Summary

    1028 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Stephens article, he tells how “Social media could serve as a source of live, raw information. It could summon people to the streets and coordinate their movements in real time. And it could swiftly push back against spurious media narratives with the force of a few thousand retweets”. He explains how technology can be used to push to change problems in our society and encourage us to get up and do something about it. Being able to use our capabilities if technology to fullest is “A huge reason for all this success is that, perhaps more than any other modern American protest movement, they’ve figured out how to marshal today’s tools”. In McKinnon’s explanation, she states how “To their credit, some companies such as Apple, Microsoft, Google and Facebook have joined forces with civil liberties groups in an attempt to persuade the Obama administration not to push anti-encryption measures that would enable government and law enforcement officials to access our secure communications”. This is goes with how technology can be used to make a difference just like what Stephen was saying in order to inform people on what’s going on. McKinnon explains how our social media servers have also taken a disagreement on invading our private lives. As it stands, any individual or

    Read More

  • How Does Gladwell Use Rhetorical Strategies

    510 Words  | 2 Pages

    Gladwell shows how, using strategies and old tricks can change the way people think. He introduce his third desirable difficulty; when you know that you have nothing to lose, it gives you the freedom to use any type of strategy to achieve your goal. He uses the story of Martin Luther King and his fight against social inequality, to show how to use a few old tricks and the freedom that gives us having nothing to lose, help us in achieve our goals.

    Read More

  • Writing Techniques In Malcolm Gladwell's Argument

    430 Words  | 1 Pages

    Malcolm Gladwell, in order to make his argument seem credible, utilizes specific writing techniques. Gladwell frequently uses anecdotes about successful individuals as examples to further strengthen his argument. Gladwell write that, “One warm, spring day in May of 2007, the Medicine Hat Tigers and the Vancouver Giants met for the Memorial Cup hockey championships in Vancouver, British Columbia” (Gladwell 15). Frequently, Gladwell starts each chapter with a story about an individual group. These stories showcase the events and lives of successful people and are followed by Gladwell’s analysis of their success. By using specific, descriptive anecdotes, Gladwell is proving the credibility of his argument. Instead of just reciting his analysis,

    Read More

  • Examples Of Satire In Fahrenheit 451

    518 Words  | 2 Pages

    While the tone may range from playful to angry, satire generally criticizes in order to make a change. Exaggeration, parody, reversal, and incongruity are satirical devices. Author’s use satirical devices to strengthen their central idea.

    Read More

  • Malcolm Gladwell, Small Change: Why the Revolution Will not be Tweeted

    1494 Words  | 3 Pages

    Malcolm Gladwell’s article "Small Change: Why the Revolution Will not be Tweeted" raises a significant question about the prospective contribution of web-based social networking to the advent of progressive social movement and change. Gladwell bold declaration that "the revolution will not be tweeted" is reflective of his view that social media has no useful application in serious activism. Contrasting various elements of the “high-stakes” lunch-counter protests in Greensboro, North Carolina in the 1960’s with the “low-stakes” activism achieved through social media, Gladwell concludes that effective social movements powerful enough to impose change on longstanding societal forces require both “strong ties” among participants and the presence of a hierarchical organizations. In contrast, Gladwell characterizes the social networks as an interwoven web of "weak ties" that is inherently devoid of a hierarchy. Gladwell’s prerequisites for social movement are firmly based in strong body of sociological evidence, but his views regarding the nature of online social networks are laughably lacking in foresight and obstructed by a misleadingly selective body of evidence.

    Read More

  • Malcolm Gladwell Analysis

    1899 Words  | 4 Pages

    Malcom Gladwell, is an author of numerous New York Times Best Sellers, who uses several techniques in his writing to clarify and support his argument. Gladwell’s techniques are using stories to appeal to the reader’s emotions. Using scientific facts and research to logically strengthen his argument. Also, writing about controversial issues to establish credibility with the readers. These techniques are found in “Offensive Play”, “Small Change”, and “Harlan, Kentucky”, works by Gladwell.

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Ap Language By George Orwell

    922 Words  | 2 Pages

    1) The device Orwell uses to introduce his thesis are chiasmi. The first chiasmus is “A man may take to drink because he feels himself to be a failure, and then fail all the more completely because he drinks” and the second chiasmus is “It becomes ugly and inaccurate because our thoughts are foolish, but the slovenliness of our language makes it easier for us to have foolish thoughts.” Both sentences are examples of chiasmus since they reverse key terms in their clauses, the key terms being “drinking” and “failure” in the first, and the state of the language and “foolish thoughts” in the second sentence.

    Read More

  • Fahrenheit 451 Rhetorical Analysis

    617 Words  | 2 Pages

    A phoenix, in all of its scarlet glory, is thought to live for 500 hundred years before being consumed by fire and born again. Ray Bradbury, the author of Fahrenheit 451, demonstrates that the oppressing of information will backfire regardless of circumstance. Like a phoenix, the society that Bradbury created goes through a never ending cycle of creation and destruction. He asserts that the obstruction of knowledge through censorship in order to “protect” the public, will ultimately lead to violent consequences, therefore defeating its original purpose.

    Read More

  • Small Change By Malcolm Gladwell Analysis

    1567 Words  | 4 Pages

    Technology has had a negative impact on this generation- we have lost and forgotten many things because of it. In Malcolm Gladwell’s “Small Change: Why the Revolution Will Not Be Tweeted”, he discusses the difference between social media activism and “real” activism and the loss of human connection that he has identified. He believes that with social media activism, we lack the connections a community should have because we don’t get together in person- we are satisfied with being connected through technology. He also thinks that as time goes on, we will only get worse when referring to the ideas that we are delusional because the issues we fight about (such as getting phones taken away) aren’t as important as we think.

    Read More

  • A Place In The Sun Rhetorical Analysis Essay

    926 Words  | 2 Pages

    The great outdoors is a term many hear and think of the generic outdoorsy man, however many do not realize that woman of color in particular have never been seen as the outdoorsy type. This view gave many women the idea that no matter what gender, color, or race an individual is, they can make the outdoors part of their lives too. This lead to the creation of the nonprofit to let these women express themselves in a fresh and lively matter. In Molly Simms article “A Place in the Sun” from the September 2017 issue of The Oprah Magazine, she successfully uses ethos and personal experiences to promote the mission of the OA nonprofit and to connect women of color to the great outdoors. Simms begins her article by portraying how personal experiences

    Read More

  • Essay Comparing Gladwell And Nicholas Carr

    716 Words  | 2 Pages

    Gladwell’s essay discusses the developments of the social media and how it has changed social activism.”The platform of social media is based on weak ties”(Gladwell, page 174). He discusses how the Civil Rights Movement was based on strong ties among people who knew each other.People would rise up and join the revolution if they saw their friends, peers or neighbors in the news or newspapers. There is not much of a risk

    Read More

  • A Modest Proposal - Rhetorical Analysis Essay

    737 Words  | 2 Pages

    In 1729, Jonathan Swift published a pamphlet called “A Modest Proposal”. It is a satirical piece that described a radical and humorous proposal to a very serious problem. The problem Swift was attacking was the poverty and state of destitution that Ireland was in at the time. Swift wanted to bring attention to the seriousness of the problem and does so by satirically proposing to eat the babies of poor families in order to rid Ireland of poverty. Clearly, this proposal is not to be taken seriously, but merely to prompt others to work to better the state of the nation. Swift hoped to reach not only the people of Ireland who he was calling to action, but the British, who were oppressing the poor. He writes with contempt for those who are oppressing the Irish and also dissatisfaction with the people in Ireland themselves to be oppressed.

    Read More

  • Response To Blare's No Need To Call By Sherry Turkle

    910 Words  | 2 Pages

    Gladwell strongly believes that activism was viewed in a much different way before technology took over the world. In the 1960’s protests, and boycotts spread rapidly but usually only among friends. Today, information spreads to thousands of people in seconds due to social media. Gladwell believes traditional activism formed strong-ties whereas today 's movements and protests form weak-ties because of social media. People are motivated when they have close friends with them in a movement, not just through a text message. As Gladwell states, “where activists were once defined by their causes, they are now defined by their tools.” (Gladwell 408) Gladwell believes these tools can’t really help a social activism movement, but he does acknowledge the speed of social media networks. But, without news and social media how will the information spread? Anything placed on the internet can be broadcasted to a large audience within seconds. Gladwell writes: “Social networks are effective at increasing participation—by lessening the level of motivation that participation requires.” (Gladwell 408) Gladwell makes a good point but how will the motivation ever be there without people receiving information? Nevertheless social media has many flaws, but with other tools

    Read More

  • The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

    1359 Words  | 3 Pages

    This summer if you were on social media you heard about the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. The concept was simple, just film yourself dumping a bucket of ice water over your head, challenge your friends to do the same, and donate ten dollars to the ALS Association. Opt out and donate one hundred dollars (Madison). Many Americans did not know what ALS was and by putting this challenge on social media has brought tons awareness to this devastating disease. Activism used to be taking action to bring social change, people in the 1960s used to gather in front of community centers and protest and or speak about their issue or cause. Now even though people still gather together it is much easier to use the internet. Hundreds of social media applications

    Read More

More about Malcolm Gladwell Small Change Rhetorical Analysis

Open Document