A Rhetorical Analysis of Perspectives and Approaches

People all around the world take everyday things that they have for granted. A roof over their head, food to eat, and water to drink are all things that not everyone is able to enjoy. People all around the world have been stuck by poverty. Poverty is the state of being inferior in quality or insufficient in amount (cite). There are hundreds of thousands of people all around the world who live life day by day without any food, water, or a home. A man named Eli Khamarov once said that “Poverty is like punishment for a crime you didn't commit ”(cite). Poverty is an epidemic that plagues the whole planet, but in some places more than others such as Africa, the Caribbean, and South Asia. The real issue is that everything that can be done to put an end to this situation is not being done.

In Genevieve Cotter’s, Five Glorious Senses, which is a creative non-fiction story, she speaks on “her coming of age”, and how poverty and struggle in her early life had shaped her into the person that she was (cite). The subject of Cotter’s essay, is clearly about the struggles she endures during her early life; poverty. By cotter pouring her emotions and heart into her essay she appeals to the emotions of the reader with her word choice and tone. For example, she states that, 'We were so poor, I think my mother thought we would starve to death. We were nine kids.' Her statement directly appeals to the emotions of the reader, and directly affects the mood which can evoke a feeling or sympathy and depending on the reader even a feeling of empathy. She is addressing a sympathetic audience of people who want to see change in the world. The people who care about what it is like living through poverty and want to learn more about the issue. This is even further evident with the type of language Cotter uses to get a reaction out of the audience that she intends. Words such as poor, starve, and death, all have affected the well being of a person. The mention of her and her siblings being raised by their mother alone, will more so affect females than males. The author's reasoning for using such words, is to improve the efficacy of the story she is trying to tell, and the message she is trying to deliver. When it comes to the mood of cotters creative nonfiction, it is set as indicative and remains that way through her whole story. Throughout her story she expresses statements that are factual from her perspective.

There aren’t enough people in the world who are moving to extinguish the spread of poverty. In Kathrine Ross’ blog post, she explains how there can be more done to assist and help poverty stricken parts of the world (cite). She explains and goes into great detail about the many opportunities that can be taken to improve the conditions of others. The subject of her matter was a balance between the dramatic change in climate and the tragic growth of poverty around the world. When it comes to who ross was addressing as her audience, as a reader one can pick up that she is addressing a more formal or professional audience. By her usage of formal language and more than enough statistics to prove her point, one can detect who the targeted audience is. The main purpose of ross addressing these matters in her blog post, would be to raise awareness of the dreadful matter of poverty, and the effect that it has on the planet and the global population as a whole. This blog post was directly based on fact, and statistical proof, with little to no personal input from the author, where as in the creative non-fiction, the whole piece was strictly on the feelings of the author.

In a transcribed speech given by America’s 36th president, Lyndon B Johnson, he talks about how America is, “one of the richest, and most fortunate nations in the history of the world” (cite). This just goes to show that we as humans, have the power to make change if we really tried, and came together to save the human race from being swallowed by poverty. The subject of his speech was, to gain total control/ victory in the war he wages against poverty. Due to his informal language usage, a reader can detect that president Johnson is addressing an informal audience. Evidently the purpose of president Johnson's speech is to persuade, and educate on the matter. Mid way through the transcribed speech, he rhetorically asks, “what does this poverty mean to those who endure it?”. The whole purpose of rhetorical questions that are asked in literature is to subtly influence their way of thinking on the matter. Asking rhetorical questions acn trigger internal thoughts, which work in favor of the speaker who initially intends to persuade their audience.

To conclude, poverty is infatact an epidemic that plagues this planet and will play a role in the destruction of the human race, if nothing is done about it. Humans have the power to do anything, whether it be to improve the terrible weather and climate change conditions that the planet itself is enduring, or to come together to heal the human race of poverty. Each of these three individual forms of writing all have a different effect on its audience. The approach is different yet all have the same topic. The creative non-fiction appeals to the emotions of the reader by provoking a feeling of sympathy. Where as the blog post is factual and includes statistical facts to inform the audience on the matter. Finally the transcribed speech focuses more on the tone of the speaker themselves. Using both statistical and factual information, while at the same time also appealing to the emotions of the audience by the tone and use of persuasive language.