Cabrera 1

Guillermo Cabrera
Dr. Erin McLaughlin
Multimedia Writing and Rhetoric 13300
7 October 2016
Happy: Rhetorical Analysis of inspirations to happiness
The ability to pursue happiness has become basically a mandatory right that all human
beings must be able to have. But what's the formula to it? The answer relies in each human being
and what makes each one of them happy. Although many controversies are seen in the whole
world regarding what builds happiness, like for example the idea that wealth and pleasure derive
on happiness or that material wealth and social well-being are key aspects for happiness, it
ultimately relies on each one to successfully be able to pursue happiness (Csikszentmihalyi 823).
The documentary Happy directed by Roko Belic was released the 9th of April of 2011. The film
explores human happiness along 14 different countries by basing its content in a variety of real
life examples, which differ from one another in the context behind each one. Happy relies
heavily on presentations of poverty and hardship in order to persuade viewers through emotional
appeals. Cinematographic techniques, real life examples, and ones own relationship with nature
and community are factors that evidence the films persuasive purpose.
It is important to define the audience, which the film targets, to highly understand the
analysis of the thesis. As Herrick states, all rhetoric is planned with an audience in mind and
they make up one of the five distinguishing characteristics of rhetorical discourse. (7) Thus
audience in all films, works or pieces that have a purpose behind is really important. The
audience in the Happy film is middle and high class Americans. I can state that since evidence at
the beginning of the movie suggest that. The film starts with a phrase from the constitution of the

Cabrera 2

US regarding pursuit of happiness. Then within a couple of seconds after there is a short shot of
the front cover of The Economist newspaper that states Unhappy America. Finally to
successfully target viewers, emotional sensibility needs to go in hand with an audience in which
these examples are rather new or surprising and the best audience for that is the middle and high
class that has no relationship with poverty and overall hardship.
One way the film emphasizes poverty and hardship is through its use of personal
testimony and specific human examples. Viewers emotional sensibility is targeted by the feeling
of sadness that triggers a thinking that compares viewers, that have everything all resources
needed to live and have not really suffered, to human beings that can struggle everyday in some
aspect of their life but that are still and probably more happy than any middle and high class
Americans watching the film. This potential persuasive maneuver is important for filmmakers
since it can lead to a sense of guilt, feeling of sorrow or sadness that can potentially lead to a
change in behavior. The scene at the beginning of the film that describes a very poor Indian
family struggling everyday to survive is an evidence of that. Manoj Singh is a rickshaw driver
but he does not use any mean of transportation for it, he drives it by walking. Yes as incredible
as it sounds he walks people around carrying the heavy rickshaw. He described the following,
Some passenger abuse us, especially those who are drunk, but I never quarrel with them
because if I do, then tomorrow they will not ride in my rickshaw (1:30 - 4:00). Even with the
abuse he lives with, Manoj Singh as the voice in the film states, was found to be as happy as an
average American. Even with the constant pain he supports in the summer with the intense heat,
he still describes himself as happy person with a good house (although the conditions of the
house were really extreme). Family is one thing that holds him tight and coming back after work
and hearing his children call him daddy, daddy is something he really values and makes his

Cabrera 3

day fill with joy. The description of this man's daily life can lead viewers to compare their own
lives with this man life and get this feeling of inspiration as he, being a man that struggles to live
everyday, is actually as happy as an average American so the feeling of sadness combined with
positive pride targets viewers inspirational side. Moreover this specific example of poverty
leading to happiness is critical for the engaging of the audience with the film since this example
can be rather new or shocking for them due to the fact that is something they never presence in
their daily lives. This scene is practically situated at the beginning of the film and that is
important as it automatically targets the emotional side of viewers and it is easier to maintain it
all along the documentary that is something very valuable for its desirable success. Emotional
sensibility through hardship and poverty is seen through this first scene of the film and that is
shown as well through other use of other examples.
The way the personal testimonies and real life examples are framed invite a specific
emotional response from viewers. Close-ups of different humans emotions indirectly make
viewers feel the same way as the person being videotaped. As Lancioni states, Long takes, slow
pans, and tight close-ups invite viewers to explore images, reflect on their possible meaning, and
wonder how that meaning is arrived at (109). In the film there are a couple of example of
humans living in nature that were notoriously less economic wealthy than humans living in the
city, and how they seemed so much happier than the urban population. The close-ups and long
takes in these scenes specifically focus on each of their emotions and indirectly as said, make
you feel what each person is feeling and at the same time be more impacted by what they are
stating. Within Roy Blanchards example we are introduced to long panoramic shots of beautiful
landscape possibly in the jungle. The first words Roy say out loud are, This is paradise to me,
this is why I love it so much. The moment he is stating these words the camera changes to a

Cabrera 4

close-up so we can clearly see his emotions and how happy he is. This of course has a positive
effect on the audience that as Lancioni affirms, reflect on their possible meaning, which in this
case is understand how Blanchards synonym of happiness is nature. The next scene features
different close-ups of different landscapes of nature for example it shows a close-up of birds
flying freely in the jungle or a close-up of an alligator in the log with a joyful instrumental kind
of music in the background. Then that specific example of Blanchard ends with a beautiful
landscape of the sunset in the jungle. The close ups and the long pans in this case invite the
viewers to carefully explore the beauties of nature and as the film presents this in such beautiful
way, the audience is inspired by these images and can easily be convinced that nature can be key
for happiness. In this example sounds also plays an important role in persuading the audience by
inviting them to specifically focus on the camera angles the film employs and can contribute to
the idea of targeting emotional sensibility through camera angles. Frame in this example is
fundamental for showing value to the personal testimony and successfully engaging the
audience. Roy Blanchards example is a key demonstration of how a less economical wealthy
person that lives in nature with not many amenities is extremely happy with the life he has. His
overall smile throughout the entire interview and the shots of his family sharing a meal together
and laughing in a really modest house with barely a table and some chairs, makes the audience
really be admires about how in that conditions one can show extreme happiness and joy of living
life (26:00 27:50). In this case the way the shots are chosen is significantly important to the
viewers reasoning and emotional effect, which is one of the many cinematographic techniques,
used by Belic throughout the film.
Close-ups also play an important role throughout the entire film. They not only let
viewers see more clearly specific things as in the example above, but also transmit strong

Cabrera 5

emotions. Some of the real life examples can get to be really emotional. In a specific scene the
famous comedian and educator Michael Pritchard within his speech in a middle school invited to
the podium a really short boy named Joey. Joey tells his story about how his peers constantly
bully him by his shortness. While Joey tells his story, his voice starts to crack and tears flood his
face. He becomes really sensible and silence fills the auditorium. Pritchard is very clever to point
out Joey's bravery and the next thing that happens is that the auditorium fills up with claps and
they even carry Joey through the exit. Joey from feeling humiliated went to feeling totally
emotional and happy by the behavior of his peers (53:30 - 59:00). This shows not only how one's
emotions can change so fast, but also shows how love is so powerful that it can many times lead
to happiness. Pritchard substantiates this key point. Of course Pritchard was really smart in
choosing this example of hardship since he new Joeys peers would react in a more shocking and
active way than any other example since what he was experiencing was directly occurring in
every kids own Middle School. Moreover, the films director was able to understand that if the
kids at the Middle School were impacted by what Joey said, the viewers that are older and
mature would definitely be intrigued by this example of hardship and even abuse. Belic cleverly
chose to portray this example to build on pathos and the emotional sensibility again of viewers.
On the other hand the use of the close-up specifically when Joey becomes emotional and tears
start to fall make a specific emphasize on that part of the scene. Viewers of course react more
than they would have reacted if it was a long shot since what Joey is feeling is basically felt by
the own viewers who as Lancioni states, are invited to reflect on their possible meaning. In other
words, to understanding why Joey feels how he feels and what was the consequence of him
becoming happier which connects ultimately with the films goal that is to target viewers

Cabrera 6

emotional sensibility in a way they can be persuaded to seek their own happiness. Relationships
are many times critical for building on happiness and that is something to take in consideration.
The film also devotes a considerable amount of time to targeting how ones relationship
with the community (specifically in a nature open setting) affects overall happiness. Humans that
lived in harmony with each other in small communities and helping each other constantly
voluntary most of the time seemed to be much happier. That said, these feelings of gratitude,
compassion, caring and love that are expressed by the films choice of scenes, directly target
emotional aspects of the viewers, making them really feel that cooperation is key to their own
development and growth. Gratitude and compassion has no other best way of being noticed than
by helping the most needed, the poor. That growth directly goes in hand with happiness. Andy
Wimmer, an interviewee in the film, is one clear example of how helping others in need and
poverty can increase overall happiness. Before he got involved in helping other people, he had as
goal becoming the greatest bank manager; he spent a lot of money and earned a considerable
amount of money. One day he met someone that worked at the home of the dying Mother
Teresa community in India and decided to see how it was. From that day one he has been a
volunteer in the community in India for 17 years now. He has devoted his entire life to helping
other (1:07 - 1:10). In this example we can clearly see what Herrick defines as the art of rhetoric;
the systematic study of intentional practice of effective symbolic expression (Herrick 7). The
expressions and how Wimmer describes his daily life in the community of Mother Teresa is
incredibly positive. Positive in the sense that everything going on and shown by the camera
which can include an old house, people really sick and a poorly sanitized setting, he sees as
positive. Even with the poor conditions in which he decided to live in, he transmits through
expressions nothing more than satisfaction, gratitude and happiness. He persuades the audience

Cabrera 7

simply by describing all he had before and what he decided to give up in order to become a
happier person. He rejected living a wealthy life and decided to help others even though it meant
that he had to live in poverty. What he felt deep in his heart and the emotions attached were what
he realized were going to make him happy. He learned to value life and every second of it and
that is how poor are able to succeed in feeling pure happiness. The way Wimmer describes his
experience and his facial expressions go in hand with what he describes and that is fundamental
in creating validity. With that in mind and looking at how he talks about his daily tasks, middle
and high class viewers are not only intrigued by this, they are also motivated to find happiness
within gratitude, compassion, caring and love. Danny Wimmers example is a crazy example that
definitely is successfully able to hook the viewers due to the fact that it describes someone pretty
much at the same social level than viewers, but that rejected living the good-life in order to
seek for happiness in a context where people value life to a great extent since they, the poor,
know that in anytime it can be taken away from them. It is definitely a unique and powerful
example, which was carefully chosen by the film to hook audiences attention.
Even though the film basically targets the emotional appeal of readers, or Ethos, the film
also devotes a considerable amount of time to expert's testimony about positive psychology. With
this in mind one could easily state that the film specifically targets the reasoning side of viewers
(logos) by making them be influenced not specifically by the emotions of each real life example
of hardship and poverty, but by the reasoning that goes beyond each experts interview or
testimony that could appeal significantly to one viewer's perspective. Each example of poverty
and hardship is either backed up by expert testimony, or introduced by it before even showing
up. That means that the viewers could value expertise descriptions more than what their emotions
say and one could eventually say that the examples or poverty and hardship are just random and

Cabrera 8

not carefully chosen as much as psychological experts testimonies are. Although one could build
on this idea, the purpose of using such diverse real life examples and giving so much time and
importance to them (basically all the film is based on testimonies), has a meaning behind and
that meaning can only be powerful if one was focusing in that power and how it can get
transmitted to viewers through emotions. Experts testimony probably make up 1/5 of the film
while the poverty and hardship examples at least 3/5 of the film showing a clear difference on the
importance Belic puts on each one. It is clear though that Belic has a purpose behind every scene
and every shot and that is why he is successful in targeting viewers.
Rhetoric has been used since the time of Aristotle that in fact was the one who introduced
the idea of rhetoric or the ability to persuade or influence people. What I am stating about how
emotions can influence one's behavior or reasoning is important since one many times has a
slightly mistaken perception of how documentaries are created or their sole purpose of them.
Most viewers expect documentaries to be a representation of a specific point or argument. That
many times is not the case. Lancioni exclaims in her article that, documentary films invoke in
viewers, an activation of belief that they are seeing the real world (Lancioni 107). This can be
related to the film since as I mentioned already, Belic has a purpose behind every example. That
purpose again is being able to persuade viewers to seek their own happiness by emotional
sensibilities that these examples of poverty and hardship can build on based on the feelings of
admiration and guilt. Guilt in the sense that viewers that are economically well can get to feel
remorse due to the fact that there are people suffering that are happy while many times they are
not. Happys success depends on many factors but the way it employs its organization and
develops each example with great techniques makes each one of them really powerful and easily

Cabrera 9

able to influence audiences who probably were introduced to many new ideas and concepts not
common in their daily society that is middle and high class.

Works Cited
Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly. If We Are So Rich, Why Aren't We Happy. Claremont Graduate
University , Oct. 1999. 821-827. Print.
Happy. Dir. Roko Belic. Academy Awards, 2011. DVD.
Herrick, James A. "An Overview of Rhetoric." The History and Theory of Rhetoric: An
Introduction. 2nd ed. Boston: Allyn and Beacon, 2001. 1-23. Print.
Lancioni, Judith A. "The Rhetoric of the Frame: Revisioning Archival Photographs in The Civil
War." Rhetorical Analysis and Historical Documentary: A Case Study of The Civil War.
Philadelphia, PA: Temple U, 1994. 105-15. Print.