Exploring

Rhetoric
with

SPACE
CAT
Speaker
P urpose
Audience
Context
E xigence

Choices
Appeals
T one
SPEAKER
• Who wrote this?
• What do we know about them?
• What DON’T we know about them?
• Does this text have a particular
meaning because of WHO
wrote/said it?

• Examples: A President giving a

speech, a citizen sending a tweet, a
newspaper staff writing an editorial
SPEAKER
• How does the author present him/herself?
• Is he speaking on behalf of another entity?
• Why is this message important to the author?
• How does he establish credibility?
• Does he seem knowledgeable? Fair?
• How does he treat people who disagree? People who agree?
• What are the author’s professional affiliations?
• How might these impact the argument he/she makes?
SPEAKER
• Does he use stereotypes? Does he reveal prejudice?
• What are the author’s personal affiliations?
• How might these impact the argument he/she makes?
• How does his reputation influence the reception of his message?
• How might he have insight into the subject that the audience doesn’t have?
• How might his understanding of the subject be limited?
• How does he appeal to the audience?
• What is his tone/attitude about the subject?
 PURPOSE
• What is the speaker hoping to
accomplish by putting this out into
the world?
• Remember that the message itself ≠
the purpose.

• Examples: to inform, to persuade , to

inspire, to convince, to call to action,
to condescend
 PURPOSE
• What is the author’s intention?
• What does he hope to accomplish?
• What is he trying TO-DO for the audience?
• How does the author’s relationship with the audience limit or support the purpose?
• Does this text effectively meet its purpose?
• Does the author make a call to action to readers—individually or collectively?
• Is that call realistic? Idealistic? Achievable?
• Would readers be able to affect the desired outcome?
 PURPOSE
• Purpose verbs: accuse, add, address, advise, affirm, allude, amplify, attack,
balance, blame, characterize, clarify, communicate, compare, contradict,
contrast, condemn, defend demand, describe, diminish, dismiss, entertain,
evaluate, evoke, excuse, flatter, guide, honor, identify, illustrate, imply, insult,
introduce, lead, link, maximize, pacify, persuade, plead, portray, present,
protest, question, reaffirm, reflect, reinforce, reiterate, relate, represent,
reveal, scare, shock, signify, strengthen, suggest, support, taunt, teach,
trace, urge, validate, warn.
AUDIENCE
• Who was the actual audience
of this text? Was that the
intended audience?
• What did the speaker assume
about their audience? How
does that impact what they say
and how they say it?

• Examples: TV viewers watching

a debate, readers of a
newspaper, a crowd gathered
at a rally
AUDIENCE
• Who is the primary audience for this text?
• Who is the secondary audience for this text?
• What values does the audience hold that the author seeks to appeal to?
• What is the audiences’ relationship to the subject of the text?
• How does the author anticipate the audience’s needs?
• How does the author anticipate the audience’s response?
• What are the experiences shared by the author and the audience?
• What are the values shared by the author and the audience?
• How might the audience perceive the author’s intention?
• Does the author make assumptions about the audience that hinder the
argument?
• Does the writing have a wide appeal?
 CONTEXT
• What was going on in the world
when this text was produced?
• What were the biggest issues on
the speaker’s mind, which they
might be directly or indirectly
addressing?
• How would this same text be
received differently by a different
audience in or in a different time?

• Examples: MLK’s “I Have a

Dream” Speech is given in the
context of the Civil Rights
Movement
 CONTEXT
• What is the cultural / historical context for this text?
• What does the author celebrate or criticize in the culture? ( i.e., family
traditions, economic and political structures, the arts, food, or religion.)
• Does the author wish to preserve or reform the culture? If reform, what and
how? Either way—by instigating change or by maintaining the status
quo—what would be gained or what would be at risk?
• What are the problems or issues raised? Are they personal, spiritual,
societal, global, political, economic, medical, scientific?
• Does the author draw implications for the future?
• Are there long- or short-term consequences to the issues raised in the
book? If so, are they positive or negative? Affirming or frightening?
• Does the author offer solutions to the issues raised in the book?
• Who would implement those solutions? How probable is success?
EXIGENCE
• Why “NOW” for the speaker?
• What was the spark or catalyst
that moved the speaker to act?
• Note that context is “happening”
all the time, but usually an event
serves as exigence.

• Examples: The #MeToo

movement taking off after high
profile reports of misconduct
EXIGENCE
• What issue, problem, or situation prompted someone to write or speak?
• What events or occasions created a need or opportunity for this text?
• Is there a sense of urgency?
• A problem that requires attention right now?
• A need that must be met?
• A concept that must be understood?
• What is the literal REASON the speaker HAD to speak?
 CHOICES
• This is a large category of all the
little ways that authors try to enrich
their writing.
• Why does the writer make each
choice?

• Examples: organization, diction,

structure, figurative language,
syntax
 CHOICES
• What patterns exist in the author’s word choice?
• How does the author use diction to emphasize information that supports the
argument? To minimize information?
• What patterns exist in the author’s sentence structure?
• How does the author use syntax to emphasize information that supports the
argument? To minimize information?
• What information do the longest sentences in each paragraph convey?
How do they develop the argument?
• What information do the shortest sentences in each paragraph convey?
How do they develop the argument?
• Does the text tend to be concise or verbose? How does this impact the
conveyance of meaning?
 CHOICES
• Is the author’s approach to central idea objective or subjective?
• What rhetorical devices are used? What is their effect?
• Is the language formal or informal?
• How does this meet/not meet the audience’s needs?
• Does the author use satire? What is its effect?
• Does the author omit but imply key words, phrases, or ideas? What effect
does this have on the meaning of the text?
• Are the descriptions/images concrete or abstract? How does this
contribute to the argument?
• What is the arrangement of the argument OR how is the work organized?
 CHOICES
• What rhetorical methods are used to develop the argument
(problem/solution, cause/effect, narration, etc.)?
• Does the organization of the text complement the subject? The purpose?
• What concepts are repeated? How does this develop the argument?
• Is the argument inductive or deductive?
• If concessions are made, where in the organizational structure do they
occur? What is the effect of their placement?
• How does the conclusion reinforce or extend the purpose?
• How does the conclusion involve the audience?
•
 APPEALS
• Appeals to ethics or credibility
• Appeals to emotion
• Appeals to logic or reason

• Examples: Bringing up one’s

expertise with the topic
(credibility), telling a moving story
(emotion), stating facts or
statistics (logic)
 APPEALS
• Does the writer use logical appeal by providing reasons?
• Evidence? Facts and figures? References to current events? Testimony?
• Allusions to history, literature, mythology?
• Does he cite authorities? Quote research? Provide statistics?
• Demonstrate cause and effect? Define?
• Does the writer use an ethical appeal in which he gains the trust of the
audience?
• Make connections to the audience? Appear knowledgeable?
 APPEALS
• Provide other points of view? Appear respectful in tone?
• Avoid exaggeration? Demonstrate research? Present himself as reliable?
• Use first person plural pronouns (we, our, and us)?
• Does the speaker appeal to emotions by including sensory (imagery)?
Memories? Nostalgia?
• Does the speaker appeal to emotions by including sensory (imagery)?
• Memories? Nostalgia?
• Charged diction? Personal anecdotes? Appeal to the audience’s physical,
psychological, or social needs? Use figurative language? Experiment with
informal language?
 TONE
• What is the speaker’s attitude at
different places throughout the text?
• How can you tell this is their attitude?
• Where does the tone shift in the
piece?

• Examples: A religious eulogy may

begin with a mournful tone, then move
into a comforting or inspirational tone.
 TONE
• What are 2-3 words that describe the tone of the text?
• Are there shifts in tone? At what point(s) do(es) shift(s) in tone occur?
• What is the function of the shift(s) in tone?
• What is the effect of the tone at the beginning of the text?
• What is the effect of the tone at the middle of the text?
• What is the effect of the tone at the end of the text?
• How does the tone impact the author’s credibility?
• How does the tone impact the audience’s reception of the message?
• What is the overall effect of the tone?
 WHEN TO CALL
ON SPACE CAT?
• Rhetorical analysis requires you to
read and understand what matters
about a text (SPACE) and comment
on what specific features make it
rich or effective (CAT).

• Don’t panic when exploring a new

or difficult text…

SPACE CAT will guide you into the

unknown!