Rhetorical Analysis of “Gravity”
So You Think You Can Dance has brought many of the most controversial subjects and statements to the forefront, through dance, which would have never been addressed on such a public platform otherwise. The show has shed light on many of the taboo subjects in our culture, such as biracial dating, mental illness, and drug addiction. For twelve seasons, each and every season becomes more progressive as America does. It is a televised dance competition series, and many of its stunning performances, including “Gravity” from season 5, can be found on YouTube. This piece about addiction hits the spotlight in the summer of 2009, and it receives all around rave reviews from the judges. The So You Think You Can Dance performance of “Gravity” choreographed by Mia Michaels and performed by Kupono Aweau and Kayla
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Her artistic choices range from her music choice, and costume designs and makeup, all contributing to her goal for each character. Michaels uses the song “Gravity” by Sara Bareilles to enhance her choreography’s purpose. It’s a slow and smooth song with lots of swells in the volume and tempo. This song choice is ideal for her portrayal of addiction because of the unexpected soft and comforting sound the song has. An addict will often feel less tense and comforted even after using a drug, just as the music is comforting. Both are unexpected. Also enhancing the performance is the strong and emotional lyrics: “Something always brings me back to you, it never takes too long” (Bareilles). These, along with others, are appropriate to describe the relationship an addict has with his or her addiction. It is impossible for Radomski to get away from Aweau. She wants to be “set free” and out of Aweau’s “gravity”, but the unavoidable attraction is too hard for her to leave as she is always forcefully pulled back
John McPhee used similes throughout his essay “Under the Snow”. One of his similes was him describing how a researcher put the bear in a doughnut shape. It was to explain to the audience that the bear was wrapped around with room between her legs for the bear cubs to lay when they are in hibernation. He describes the movement of the bears and the bear cubs like clowns coming out of a compact car. The similes help the audience see how the moved and how they were placed after the researcher moved them.
Jonathan Kozol revealed the early period’s situation of education in American schools in his article Savage Inequalities. It seems like during that period, the inequality existed everywhere and no one had the ability to change it; however, Kozol tried his best to turn around this situation and keep track of all he saw. In the article, he used rhetorical strategies effectively to describe what he saw in that situation, such as pathos, logos and ethos.
As a result of the successful mission that landed the first men on the moon, called the Apollo 11 mission, many people were inspired to provide commentary on this landing. Although these texts describe unique individual purposes about this landing, they all effectively support their purposes through the use of several rhetorical devices.
...ess for our country than to land on the moon first, before the Soviet Union (We Choose to go to the Moon).
In this excerpt from Moonwalking With Einstein, Foer uses relatable examples and contrasting diction to persuade the audience of the natural brilliance of the human mind without the complexities of modern day lifestyles. Foer addresses the common business man/woman who is required to recall “word-for-word instructions from their bosses” as well as the average high school student who has been enrolled in “the Advanced Placement U.S. history curriculum” in order to provide an example that resonates with the general population. Foer’s specific examples aids the reader in remembering the struggles that modern humans deal with. This effective targeting has an impactful appeal on the audience by forcing them to recall emotions related to the stated
Pollan’s article provides a solid base to the conversation, defining what to do in order to eat healthy. Holding this concept of eating healthy, Joe Pinsker in “Why So Many Rich Kids Come to Enjoy the Taste of Healthier Foods” enters into the conversation and questions the connection of difference in families’ income and how healthy children eat (129-132). He argues that how much families earn largely affect how healthy children eat — income is one of the most important factors preventing people from eating healthy (129-132). In his article, Pinsker utilizes a study done by Caitlin Daniel to illustrate that level of income does affect children’s diet (130). In Daniel’s research, among 75 Boston-area parents, those rich families value children’s healthy diet more than food wasted when children refused to accept those healthier but
Today’s economy and the environment are hurting due to the lack of nurture we have been providing. Conventional farming rules the world of agriculture, but not without a fight from organic farming. Organic farming is seen as the way of farming that might potentially nurture our nature back to health along with the added benefit of improving our own health. With her piece “Organic farming healthier, more efficient than Status Quo,” published in the Kansas State Collegian on September 3, 2013, writer Anurag Muthyam brings forth the importance behind organic farming methods. Muthyam is a senior at Kansas State University working towards a degree in Management. This piece paints the picture of how organic farming methods
Jack Shakley’s “Indian Mascots- You’re Out” published on the op-ed page of the LA times, he impacted readers about the argument over professional and college sport teams whose mascots are using Native American names. Shakley is the former chair of the Los Angeles city/county Native American Commission. The author describes the history of using Indian mascots and how it hurt a group of people. He wants readers to know that it is necessary to remove Native American names and mascots from college and professional teams. Jack Shakley uses three strategies to present his argument to show his attitude to remove Indian mascots in teams.
Success. Seven letters, two syllables, and essentially, the goal of almost every person to walk the planet. The interesting thing about success is that it isn’t a set in stone goal, but an ideology. With each person, success is redefined, argued, and tried. Success comes in different forms and levels, but at the end of the day every person who has been deemed successful mentions one word: failure. Yet, it isn’t failure in of itself that produces success, but the determination and desire to work through it. Failure can only indoctrinate when an individual decides to work past it and improve from it. Often, however, the strenuous process of failure and grit is glamorized, and the true factors that play into success are forgotten. For example,
In a quote by John Mill, “Does fining a criminal show want of respect for property, or imprisoning him, for personal freedom? Just as unreasonable is it to think that to take the life of a man who has taken that of another is to show want of regard for human life. We show, on the contrary, most emphatically our regard for it, by the adoption of a rule that he who violates that right in another forfeits it for himself, and that while no other crime that he can commit deprives him of his right to live, this shall.” Everyone’s life is precious, but at what price? Is it okay to let a murderer to do as they please? Reader, please take a moment and reflect on this issue. The issue will always be a conflict of beliefs and moral standards. The topic
The movie trailer “Rio 2”, shows a great deal of pathos, ethos, and logos. These rhetorical appeals are hidden throughout the movie trailer; however, they can be recognized if paying attention to the details and montage of the video. I am attracted to this type of movies due to the positive life messages and the innocent, but funny personifications from the characters; therefore, the following rhetorical analysis will give a brief explanation of the scenes, point out the characteristics of persuasive appeals and how people can be easily persuaded by using this technique, and my own interpretation of the message presented in the trailer.
Addiction to drugs is very common in most music artist today. Society stresses the need for better music to vibe to, so music artists turn to an easier way to deal with it. It has damaged many music artists over the years and hasn’t gotten any better today. Most artists are faced with developing a bad addiction problem. Those who admit they have an addiction problem, seeks help and continues the rest of their musical career. As for the artists who do not choose the rehab rout, is faced with ruining their entire career and possibly their life.
The Letter from Birmingham Jail was written by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in April of 1963. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was one of several civil rights activists who were arrested in Birmingham Alabama, after protesting against racial injustices in Alabama. Dr. King wrote this letter in response to a statement titled A Call for Unity, which was published on Good Friday by eight of his fellow clergymen from Alabama. Dr. King uses his letter to eloquently refute the article. In the letter dr. king uses many vivid logos, ethos, and pathos to get his point across. Dr. King writes things in his letter that if any other person even dared to write the people would consider them crazy.
In a persuasive essay, rhetorical appeals are a very important tool to influence the audience toward the author’s perspective. The three rhetorical appeals, which were first developed by Aristotle, are pathos, logos, and ethos. Pathos appeals to the emotions of the audience, logos appeals to the facts or evidence and ethos exhibits the credibility of the writer.
These three dancers helped to revolutionise contemporary dance and express their interpretation of it, all unique but adding layers to the genre. A range of movements that originated from these dancers are exhibited throughout the dance ‘Addiction’, choreographed by the eminent Mia Michaels and danced by two well-known dancers, Kayla and Kupono. A range of contemporary dance actions performed by the two talented young dancers successfully made Michael’s piece world famous, now regarded as an effective example of contemporary dance. The stretching all over Kayla’s body by Kapono’s hands demonstrates sharp, precise movements that are normally seen in this style of dance.