Rhetoric
Everyday we run into all types of persuasion: advertisements, articles, commercials, etc. We can determine the exigency, what is wanted to be accomplished with the persuasion, by looking at the rhetoric devices used.
· Rhetoric: using language persuasively
There are three types of rhetoric: ethos, logos, and pathos. Ethos refers to the character using ethics, morals, and right from wrong to persuade. Logos, however, uses logic to persuade. This would include facts, logical reasoning, and evidence. Then there is pathos which appeals to the emotions of the audience. This works the best because it can be related personally to the viewer and has a more influential effect on them.
Along with rhetoric, Steve Martin and Robert Cialdini explain in their video “Secrets from the Science of Persuasion,” the six shortcuts of persuasion. These six include:
- Reciprocity:
- Scarcity
- Authority
- Consistency
- Liking
- Consensus
In Devil in the White City by Erik Larson, there are many examples of rhetoric. The main characters, Burnham and Holmes show us many examples. One, for instance, takes place on page 26 when Burnham uses logos to convince his family that the house he wanted was the best choice. His logical reasoning made the family think that this was the best choice for him. Holmes uses pathos when comforting Mrs. Holton after the death of her husband. The widow was calmed by Holmes attention to emotion when “he touched her arm. He could ease her burden, he said” (37). Although he is a murderer, Mrs. Holton is persuaded by his strategies. The Devil in the White City is full of rhetoric and can be easily identified with the knowledge of ethos, logos, and pathos. For more help, you can check out Martin and Cialdini’s video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFdCzN7RYbw .
Cialdini, Robert and Steve Martin. “Science of Persuasion.” Youtube. 26 November 2012. 10 January 2014. Web.
Larson, Erik. The Devil in the White City. New York: Random House, Inc., 2003. Print.
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