PERSUASIVE
NON-FICTION
POINT OF VIEW
• Point of view refers to the way a story is told, the
perspective or angle of vision, or the position from
which the events are narrated for the
reader. Sometimes the author "tells" the story;
sometimes one of the characters does so. Sometimes
this narrator knows all about everything; sometimes the
narrator is limited in her or his knowledge and
outlook. These methods of storytelling and the
examples of point of view are detailed below.
POINT OF VIEW
First Person
• First-person point of view uses "I" or "we."
First person is often used when someone is
stating an opinion or sharing a feeling.
• example:
• I like my freshly-painted bedroom so much that
I want to jump for joy!
POINT OF VIEW
Second Person
• Second-person point of view uses the word "you."
Second person is a good choice when giving directions
or anytime you're speaking directly to someone.
Second person is almost never used to tell a story.
example:
• "You should really come and join the group because
you would probably like it a lot."
POINT OF VIEW
Third Person
• Third-person point of view uses "he," "she," or "they."
Sometimes, "it" is used when talking about a thing
instead of a person.
example:
•
Sally rode home as fast as she could. Then she
jumped off her bike and ran into the house to see what
was going on.
POINT OF VIEW
Third-Person Limited
• In third-person limited point of view, the narrator
is a non-participant but only knows the thoughts
and feelings of a single character. In other words,
the narrator's knowledge of the situation
is limited only to one character.
example:
•
Marco felt like he had done something good for
the community. He felt like a helper and wanted to
do more good things to assist those in need. But
how did everybody else feel? How did Hannah and
Zach feel about their work? He would have to talk
to them to find out.
POINT OF VIEW
Third-Person Omniscient
• In the third-person omniscient point of view, the writer is a nonparticipant but is able to see into and have unlimited knowledge
about any or all of the characters. From this angle, the author can
roam anywhere, see anything, and comment on or interpret events
at will.
example:
•
Marco felt like he had done something good for the community. He felt like a
helper and wanted to do more good things to assist those in need. Marco wouldn't
know it until he talked to them, but Hannah and Zach felt the same way, too.
Hannah had not been able to sleep. She was excited at the thought of expanding
their project. She was sure they could provide even more toys for the children
next year! Zach was already planning ways to raise more money and get more
people involved. He had even had a dream about how to do it!
THE FUNCTION OF COUNTERARGUMENT
•
The Oxford English Dictionary defines counterargument as “An argument on the
opposite side, or against anything.” Imagine that for every argument there is at least
one counterargument, or natural antithesis.
•
One practical example of counterargument in Supreme Court decisions occurs when
a dissent counters the majority decision. For the purposes of developing a fair
counterargument to another piece of writing requires you to first read the piece as
generously as possible in order to understand how that writer came to her
conclusions. Just as you would not want someone to argue vehemently against your
position without understanding it, you want to understand first and question
second. It may help to imagine that the writer is alive and present in the room with
you—and that you are having a conversation with one another. What might you say
to acknowledge the other writer’s position? What would be a fair response? How
might you verbalize a critique afterwards? For instance, if your friend argues that you
do not need to study for your exams in order to pass a class, a strong
counterargument might be that you want to do more than simply pass the course
(even if you could pass without studying), and that you are aiming for not only a good
grade but also for an understanding of the material.
TYPES OF EVIDENCE
•
Evidence is a term commonly used to describe the supporting material in
persuasive writing. Evidence gives an objective foundation to your arguments, and
makes your writing more than a mere collection of personal opinions or prejudices.
Evidence includes:
•
facts and figures
•
examples
•
narratives
•
testimony
•
definition
•
All are used to convince readers to accept the arguments and recommendations the
writer is presenting.
•
Because you are asking your readers to take a risk when you attempt to persuade
them, audiences will demand support for your assertions. Search for evidence that is
relevant and timely and that comes from sources your audience will respect and
accept.
A FEW NOTES ABOUT EVIDENCE
•
Have more facts and figures than you think you will need.
•
Have the latest facts and figures—make sure your data is up to the minute.
•
Emphasize factual examples.
•
When appropriate, use powerful examples.
•
Use narratives to create identification—to draw your audience into your subject and
reinforce their stake in the outcome.
•
Emphasize expert testimony. It carries more weight than prestige or lay testimony. Be
prepared to document the qualifications of the experts you use, if they are unfamiliar
to your audience.
•
Use multiple sources of evidence.
COMPARE AND CONTRAST INFORMATION
When we are presented with two passages, they may be
similar or different. It is important to recognize these
similarities and differences.
• Comparing Information
• When we compare two types of information, we are
looking for similarities between them. In other words,
we want to see how the two are alike.
• For example, Batman and Spider-Man are similar in the
respect that they are comic book superheroes.
COMPARE AND CONTRAST INFORMATION
Contrasting Information
• When we contrast two types of information, we are looking for
differences between them. Contrasting means showing how two
things are different.
• For example, Batman wears a bat costume, drives the Bat
mobile, and has an arch-nemesis named The Joker. Spider-Man
wears a spider costume, swings from buildings with spider
webbing, and has an arch-nemesis named The Green Goblin.
CONTRASTING INFORMATION
• Scope: the range of observation; the extent or time
frame
• Treatment: the manner of treating a subject in
literature
• Organization: the structure, or order, of a passage
• Story Variants: the small details in the texts which
change the meaning or offer new information
• Theme: the subject, topic, or repeating focus
AUTHOR'S INFLUENCE
Bias
• A person who prefers one thing above another has a bias. As you read, see if
you can find any author bias. Does the author seem to favor, or like, some
things more than others? Maybe the author has written about several famous
athletes, but you can tell the author really likes one of the athletes the best.
The author is showing a bias.
Propaganda
• Propaganda is a technique used to influence people. If you feel an author is
trying to influence you in a certain direction by telling you "Everybody else
owns and enjoys riding a scooter," or "These popular singers wear our brand
of clothing," or something along those lines, the author is probably using
propaganda.
AUTHOR'S INFLUENCE
Stereotype
• Stereotyping is taking a quality of one individual and applying it to every
individual in the group. Let's say you have a friend who wears glasses and is
very interested in science. If you decide that all people who wear glasses are
interested in science based on your one friend, you are stereotyping. Be on
the watch for stereotypes authors might use on purpose or without even
knowing it.
Media Technique
• Have you ever watched a commercial for a candy bar and suddenly felt a
craving for chocolate? Have you ever watched a movie and been startled by
a sudden loud bang? People who create audiovisual presentations can use
special colors, camera angles, and sounds to influence you. Be aware of
different media techniques used to affect you in a certain way.
AUTHOR'S PURPOSE
When reading, it is always important to figure out the author's purpose and
attitude. Since the author may not come right out and say his or her purpose, the
reader must look for hidden meanings. A good reader thinks about the words an
author uses to make his or her point. When possible, it is also helpful to think
about the author's life and what events might have made him or her feel a
certain way.
Questions to ask yourself about the author's attitude:
•
What is the author's purpose in writing? (to entertain, inform, express, or persuade)
•
Has the author presented all sides of an argument?
•
If so, is the article balanced toward all points of view or biased toward one point of view?
•
Are there enough facts to support each side?
•
Can you trust what the author says?
•
Does the author use words that have a lot of emotion?
AUTHOR'S PURPOSE
What is writing purpose? Writing purpose is the reason that an author writes a
certain piece. A writer might write a piece to entertain readers. A writer might
write a piece to give readers information. Sometimes a writer writes just to
express a thought or feeling. And sometimes a writer writes to try to influence
readers to think, feel, or act a certain way.
Here are some hints that will help you decide what the purpose of a passage is.
• Entertain: Does the writing make you laugh? Tell you stories? Keep you
interested? Talk about imaginary people and events?
• Inform: Does the writing give you information? Does it answer questions that
you have? Does it contain facts?
• Express: Does the writing share a belief or opinion with you? Does it use
feeling words? Does it use the word "I"?
• Persuade: Does the writing try to make you think a certain way about a
topic? Does it ask you to change your mind, support an idea, buy something,
or act in a certain way?
PROPAGANDA: PERSUASIVE TECHNIQUES
Propaganda is the systematic spread of information that reflects or supports a
certain viewpoint or bias. Governments will often use propaganda during a war
to rally citizens to oppose the enemy. Below is a list of some basic propaganda
techniques.
Bandwagon
• The bandwagon technique basically says, "Everyone else is doing it, so you
should, too." Since few of us want to be left behind, this technique can be
quite successful.
Emotional Appeal
• Writers may appeal to fear, anger, or joy to sway their readers. They may
also add climax or excitement. With this technique, the author tries to make
the reader feel a certain way. This technique is strongly connected to the
essay's mood.
PROPAGANDA: PERSUASIVE TECHNIQUES
Euphemisms
• A euphemism is a mild, indirect, or vague term that is substituted for one
considered harsh, blunt, or offensive. It is used to pacify or calm an
audience. "Defense Department" is a euphemism for "War Department."
"Visually challenged" is a euphemism for "blind."
Glittering Generality
• Glittering generality is the opposite of name-calling. It involves using positive
words like "good," "proper," "right," "democracy," and "patriotism" to get the
audience to approve a person or idea. It also keeps the audience from
examining evidence.
PROPAGANDA: PERSUASIVE TECHNIQUES
Loaded Words
•
Loaded words and phrases are those which have strong emotional overtones or
connotations. They are used to trigger an emotion in the reader. Words like "weeds"
and "oppression" are loaded with negative associations. The following sentence is
used to make the reader feel dislike toward lawbreakers: "These lawbreakers are
weeds that need to be pulled out of our society!"
Name-Calling
•
The name-calling technique is used when a person, or an idea, is called something
negative. The object of using this technique is to get the audience to reject the person or
idea based on this negative symbol. It keeps the audience from looking at available
evidence. Calling someone a "terrorist" is an example of name-calling.
PROPAGANDA: PERSUASIVE TECHNIQUES
Peer Pressure
• Peer pressure happens when a friend or social peer tries to convince you to
do something based on your relationship with them. The friend may threaten
to end the friendship if you do not agree.
Plain Folks
• Plain folks is a technique that tries to convince the audience that a person or
an idea is "of the people." The technique is used by both advertisers and
politicians. Recent American presidents have been very wealthy, but they try
to portray themselves as ordinary people. For example, Al Gore prepared for
speeches in his home state of Tennessee by growing a beard and acquiring
a southern accent. Both were missing in his subsequent speeches
elsewhere.
PROPAGANDA: PERSUASIVE TECHNIQUES
Testimonial
•
The testimonial technique involves using a third-party endorser to speak on
behalf of an idea or a cause. The testimonial device often involves phrases
beginning with "my doctor said," "Tiger Woods said," "the Chicago Tribunesaid,"
etc. Testimonials are often used in ways that are unfair and misleading. The most
common misuse of the testimonial involves quoting individuals who are not
qualified to make judgments about a particular issue. For example, a Hollywood
star may not be qualified to speak on the merits of a political candidate.
Transfer
•
The transfer technique is used when the authority or prestige of something
generally respected is transferred to something the propagandist wants the
audience to accept. For example, many people respect doctors. If the
propagandist succeeds in getting a doctor to approve a product, he or she is
transferring the doctor's authority to that product. Therefore, the audience would
accept a product that may otherwise be rejected.
MAKING JUDGMENTS
http://prezi.com/3r7pc5cgu3v8/making-judgements/