Running head: RHETORICAL ANALYSIS 1

Rhetorical Analysis

Denisse Paola Santiesteban-Villegas

University of Texas at El Paso

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Rhetorical Analysis

The author was tactical in producing a desired state of persuasion amongst the audience

through a keen usage of rhetorical devices. In Jim Burke's written guide towards English as a

taught discipline, Burke's writing ranges from the credible links between his profession and

writing, to personal anecdotes, as well as the corroboration of extensive research behind the

composition of his book. These strategic devices appeal to the rhetorical categories of ethos,

pathos and logos.

Audience

Due to the rhetorical devices that are used by the author it is evident that the exigence

behind the authors writing is to convince teachers as well as student audiences to challenge and

refine the way that English is taught and approached in the classroom. While the audience that is

mainly targeted compiles the premises of a discourse community such as a high school

classroom, the impact of Jim Burke's assertion may extend to foreign environments such as

secondary educational levels or other communities that may indirectly or directly affect the

educational system. The interconnection amongst audiences within educational domains may be

drawn towards the purpose behind Burke's writing by the way that the rhetorical strategies that

rest within the book serve as identification and push factors towards the best practices for the

classroom, curriculum and profession of the English discipline.

Ethos

While the author is not a proclaimed professor, the credibility of his argument is justified

in the fact that his piece of work is written for high school teachers and students and the author is

a high school teacher. In order to properly access his ethological credibility one must use the

entirety of his book. The back cover of his book provides the reader with autobiographical
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information that justifies the experience that Burke has in managing the study of English. His

extrinsic ethos begins with the autobiographical statement that is made about Burke in the fact

that in order to complete his book, “he began his search in his own classroom at Burlingame

High School”. The back cover continues to share an abundance of this author’s experience by

stating that Burke has also shared his experiences in other sources that have been granted

“bestselling professional titles” proving that his credibility is not only acceptable but goes

beyond the expectation to ensure a high level of academic as well as commercial status. The

autobiographical excerpt also provides the reader evidence that Burke does not limit his research

and claims to himself, but has also founded the English Companion Ning in an attempt to further

his knowledge by looking for answers amongst his peers; his foundation has also been

“described by Education Week as “the world’s largest English Department””. As a way to

solidify his own credibility, his autobiographical information ends with more evidence of his

acclaim by stating that “Jim has helped to identify and promote best practices in adolescent

literacy” through his exertions “with the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College

and Careers (PARCC) and the Advanced Placement English Literature and Language Course and

Exam Commission” and holds “his position as a senior author on the Holt McDougal Harcourt

Literature series”.

Pathos

The author uses devices such as pathos in the introduction in order to connect with his

audiences and be able to grab their attention in order to justify his claim. Burke initially creates

appeal with pathos by introducing his backstory as to why he decided to create a new edition of

The English Teacher’s Companion. The pathos that is mostly used can be found in the sense that

Burke says that he essentially rewrote his guide for the betterment of the teacher profession; he
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encourages the audience to not “think of this book as less; instead think of its fewer pages as

more” which proves that a tool that Burke uses in order to chain his audience down is by catering

to the feelings of teachers which is the major demographic of his audience. Burke continues his

quote by saying that “more is said in fewer words, more time for you to think since it asks you to

spend less time reading it”, with this quote Burke is able to secure the attention of his audience

as well as any teacher that may question the new version of his book. Due to the phenomenal

usage of introductory pathos, the audience is forced to listen to the claims of the author, even the

possible opposing side; as for the more vulnerable portion of his audience, Burke also turns

directly to them by stating that “if you are a new or student teacher, I hope it will be the

“lighthouse” you need to guide you through the sometimes rough waters of the early days we all

experience”, at this point the pathos of his writing has solidified Burke as the guiding light of the

English teaching profession. Through this quote, Burke shifts his methods to justify his claim by

introducing a sense of unity. In his introduction he often uses methodical words such as “we”,

“us”, and often speaks on behalf of “you and I” which serves as a strategic tool of pathos in order

to break the barrier that separates the communicator and the audience by including himself as a

part of them.

Logos

Statistical data is provided throughout the book in the form of graphs, tables and distinct

figures to show that the claim made by the author has undergone extensive amounts of research

and validates his positions. One of the most important figures that Burke includes as a part of his

research is Figure 1.3 which is “The Academic Essentials Matrix”, a tool that is provided for

teachers that comprises everything that the students of the audience must be presented to in order

to obtain success “in middle/high scool, the workplace, and college” (Burke, Figure 1.3). After
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inaugurating the essentials for the teaching profession, the author extends the logic behind his

writing by incorporating yet another figure. Prior to reaching this figure, Burke proves the extent

of his research by using logic in order to persuade the audience once again by citing outside

sources as a way to prove that his logic is shared by other credible sources. The second figure

that is discussed in his book is Figure 2.2 which is named as “America’s Leaky Education

Pipeline” and is a “portrait of a failing system” which incorporates data from the NCEE’s

graphics. The credibility behind the outside source of logic comes from James Hunt and Thomas

Tierney from the “American Higher Education: How Does It Measure Up for the 21st Century?

National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education © 2006”. The logic behind Burke’s

wrriting is presented through many figures that not only reiterate his expertise and validation of

his points, but also instructs the audience in what must be done in orde to achieve the end goal of

their teaching careers, which is the entire purpose behind guide that Burke created.

Conclusion

After being provided with a world of information that is clear, concise, and easy to get

through, it can be concluded that the rhetor, Jim Burke, is outstandingly successful in persuading

his audience of the rhetoric that he intended to communicate. While the exigence behind the

author’s writing is to guide English teachers into their profession, his writing demonstrated that

elements of each rhetorical appeal, which where ethos, pathos and logos where used in his

writing, which consequentially seales the persuasion of the intended audience.

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References

Burke, J. (2003). The English teacher's companion: A complete guide to classroom, curriculum,

and the profession. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.