Rhetoric analysis of an image
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Rhetorical analysis of an image
The image described eloquently illustrates a black and white photo of a man and a woman sitting on a bus. The man and woman are dressed modestly, and this plus the fact that the photo is in black and white signifies that the photo was taken many years back. The photographer captured the use of public transport. The man and woman are nearby but don’t seem to be conversing. The man is seated upright ad his posture articulates the confidence he has. He is bold and confident. On the other hand, the woman doesn’t seem to be present; she is looking outside and seems to have been deep in thought, stressed or troubled by something. The way she holds on to herself signifies that she is cautious about herself. Whatever message the author is trying to convey must have something to do with social gender roles. This essay discusses the effectiveness of the author’s use of rhetorical appeal, given the rhetorical situation and argues whether or not the author has effectively conveyed his message. This essay illustrates that the use of an image on its own is not an effective rhetoric situation.
The circumstances under which the photograph was taken can tell a lot about the reason as to why the author chose this photograph. The man and the woman in the story tell us that the audience consists of Gender. The fact that they are using public transport goes well to explain that the audience can be citizens of a particular country. The author has used several strategies to ensure that the audience gets the message. The author has only used the image to try to convey the message. In my opinion, this may not be as powerful since the audience may have many different claims and logics that explain the photograph. The author should have combined the use of typography (words or texts together) with the photo to convey a clearer message. The author would have convinced the audience by the use of both typed words and the photograph to create a clearer and vivid picture in the viewer’s mind.
The author has made good use of pathos in the way an audience can view the image. The characters in the image portray different emotions. It signifies just how unique social gender roles are. The physical looks of the characters are portrayed, and therefore the audience can indicate the circumstances. The character may not be well known to the audience; their expression and pose are what informs the audience. However, the author does so little to convince the audience. Other rhetorical appeals should have accompanied the photo.
Other than that, another way in which a rhetoric situation can be analyzed is through the use of ethos. And in this case, the author has failed to provide the necessary information that would prove the credibility of the message they may be trying to convey. The authors have not established his or her credibility. This is not effective for the rhetorical situation for the given audience since the photograph might be biased.
The rhetoric exigence is an issue that prompts an author. The image does not quite explain the issue or the problem that the author was trying to illustrate. Every rhetorical situation requires a controlling exigence that specifies the real audience. Exigence promotes a change In the mind of the audience.
The social, economic state of the characters in the photo can be perceived. The author may have chosen this particular black and white photo to indicate that the photo has a history. The use of public transport can tell about the economic class of the characters. The occasion cannot be well indicated, but the two characters are the only passenger seen on the bus. The photo may be taken to illustrate a bus boycott.
When analyzing a rhetoric situation, three important aspects that can be used to persuade an audience include the audience, context and purpose. In this case, the author failed to provide enough evidence that would persuade an audience. It is important to note that the context is important in the understanding of a rhetoric situation.
From the essay, it is clear that the use of an image on its own is not enough t persuade an audience. To effectively communicate, the author needs to use various elements that would create a significant impact on the audience. The author can use pathos to show the emotion of the characters, logos to persuade the audience through reasoning and eths to show credibility. The image failed to provide significant elements, thus leaving the audience with unsettled claims. Claims provide for different perspectives to the audiences. The authors work lacked credibility; there’s the credibility of the photograph can be questionable and bias the author should have combined the image with a text persuade and inform the audience.
Works cited.
Kramer,Olaf, and Markus Gottschling Recontexualized Knowledge. Rhetoric? Situation? Science Communication Walter de Gruyter &Co.,2020
(Kramer et al.)