Analyzing the Rhetorical Situation

 Persona – the writer/speaker of the text. How does he/she want to be perceived? What does he/she presume about the audience? What is the most compelling evidence?
 Intention – the purpose, or why, something was written.
 Genre – the literary type: speech, novel, political article, newspaper ad, etc.
 Subject – general topic/main idea
 Audience – group of readers/listeners/viewers the whom the piece is directed.
 Context – the time and place (setting); the event causing the writing/speech to occur.

 Has your ever been asked WHY the author used a certain type of repetition, or WHY a certain type of diction was used, etc.?
 PIGSAC will help you to discover what is called the rhetorical situation, which must be done before the analysis of rhetoric.
 In other words, to go beyond merely identifying devices, you need the idea for which you attach your analysis – the WHY.

Persona –
Intention –
Genre –
Subject –
Audience –
Context –

 Persona –Red Cross; presumes audience has decency and sense of humanity; “Together we can save a life”
 Intention – urges the giving of blood; elicits donations, volunteers.
 Genre – poster, advertisement
 Subject – public health, giving blood, saving lives
 Audience – everyone, potential volunteers
Context – United States; 2004; shortage of blood; life-threatening

 Use the information provided and your handout to PIGSAC the sermon
 After you PIGSAC the argument, begin working on your rhetorical analysis essay