I'm sure there are some of you looking at this rhetorical analysis essay and thinking "What am I supposed to do with this? I've never done anything like this before!"
I hear you. I consider the rhetorical analysis essay to be the toughest assignment we tackle in this class, no question.
Why? It's not something we're used to doing.
So I've put together a list of pointers I think will help. And the text we will analyze is one you're probably familiar with, and is my favorite part of The Book of Mormon: The Book of Enos.
In 27 verses, Enos tells us a story that's remarkably like the change essay you've just finished writing.
Just as a refresher, we're going to talk about these rhetorical concepts, and how Enos uses (or doesn't use) them in his writing. We also have to remember that what we're reading was likely edited by Mormon or Moroni, so we'll see if we can spot any signs of that too and look at the rhetorical concepts they introduce.
Here are the concepts:
Ethos -- Appeals to credibility or character, meant to establish the speaker's authority on the subject.
Pathos -- Appeals to emotion, through either storytelling or emotional language.
Logos -- Appeals to logic, facts, and reason. This can include quotes from others knowledgeable on the subject.
My thoughts are in italics, sprinkled among the verses below:
1 Behold, it came to pass that I, Enos, knowing my father that he was a just man—for he taught me in his language, and also in the nurture and admonition of the Lord—and blessed be the name of my God for it—
A little logos, a little pathos. He begins by bearing his testimony, in part, of God, and talks about what he learned from his father. That helps me as a reader reflect, "Yeah, I learned a lot from my Dad too." Maybe he's dropped this in here to help us remember the things our fathers (and mothers) have taught us, so as we read the rest of the story we can reflect on what we know, compare it to what he tells us, and maybe remind ourselves that we could work a little harder at being righteous ourselves.
2 And I will tell you of the wrestle which I had before God, before I received a remission of my sins.
I have always loved the word "wrestle" here. It's vivid. We know what wrestling is. We've probably had our own wrestles, physical or intellectual. Setting us up for a story, clearly. Lots of pathos.
3 Behold, I went to hunt beasts in the forests; and the words which I had often heard my father speak concerning eternal life, and the joy of the saints, sunk deep into my heart.
4 And my soul hungered; and I kneeled down before my Maker, and I cried unto him in mighty prayer and supplication for mine own soul; and all the day long did I cry unto him; yea, and when the night came I did still raise my voice high that it reached the heavens.
5 And there came a voice unto me, saying: Enos, thy sins are forgiven thee, and thou shalt be blessed.
6 And I, Enos, knew that God could not lie; wherefore, my guilt was swept away.
7 And I said: Lord, how is it done?
8 And he said unto me: Because of thy faith in Christ, whom thou hast never before heard nor seen. And many years pass away before he shall manifest himself in the flesh; wherefore, go to, thy faith hath made thee whole.
The pathos floodgates have opened. We see Enos in a vulnerable moment, and we can feel both his anguish and his relief as he prays and receives his answer. I'm sure this is not the only time he prayed about his "wrestle:' we're getting hit with the time the answer comes through clearly.
Another thought hits me: Enos is a regular guy. Yes, he's a prophet of God. But he's also out there in the wilderness, hunting, trying to provide for his family. Sure, his mind probably isn't on the actual hunting, but on his wrestle. This reminds me of President Holland's recent admonition to pray more. than we've ever prayed before. If Enos can pray while he's hunting, trying to provide for his family, I ought to be doing that too as I face frustrations with my stupid, stupid desk job, which I have so I can provide for my family.
But there's a little logos there too. He says he "knew that God could not lie." He states it as a fact, probably from the things his father taught him. But we see the pathos that surrounds this fact, and that makes the fact even more powerful.
9 Now, it came to pass that when I had heard these words I began to feel a desire for the welfare of my brethren, the Nephites; wherefore, I did pour out my whole soul unto God for them.
10 And while I was thus struggling in the spirit, behold, the voice of the Lord came into my mind again, saying: I will visit thy brethren according to their diligence in keeping my commandments. I have given unto them this land, and it is a holy land; and I curse it not save it be for the cause of iniquity; wherefore, I will visit thy brethren according as I have said; and their transgressions will I bring down with sorrow upon their own heads.
Pathos, yes, but more logos this time. God preaches a sermon we've all heard: Diligence in keeping the commandments is what invites God's presence with us, through the Holy Ghost. He reminds them that they live in a land of promise, and that it is not cursed unless those who possess it are wicked. This is all also stuff that Enos learned from his father, but to hear it from God himself is reaffirming, to Enos and to us as well.
11 And after I, Enos, had heard these words, my faith began to be unshaken in the Lord; and I prayed unto him with many long strugglings for my brethren, the Lamanites.
12 And it came to pass that after I had prayed and labored with all diligence, the Lord said unto me: I will grant unto thee according to thy desires, because of thy faith.
Enos' empathy expands. He employs more ethos in his appeal for the Lamanites. But there is logos there. This isn't just an idle prayer. He states he's worked as a missionary among the Lamanites. He knows what he's up against and is appealing for help. A great reminder to us when we're facing our own personal Lamanites, whether they're the human kind or the kind we've got in our heads.
13 And now behold, this was the desire which I desired of him—that if it should so be, that my people, the Nephites, should fall into transgression, and by any means be destroyed, and the Lamanites should not be destroyed, that the Lord God would preserve a record of my people, the Nephites; even if it so be by the power of his holy arm, that it might be brought forth at some future day unto the Lamanites, that, perhaps, they might be brought unto salvation—
14 For at the present our strugglings were vain in restoring them to the true faith. And they swore in their wrath that, if it were possible, they would destroy our records and us, and also all the traditions of our fathers.
15 Wherefore, I knowing that the Lord God was able to preserve our records, I cried unto him continually, for he had said unto me: Whatsoever thing ye shall ask in faith, believing that ye shall receive in the name of Christ, ye shall receive it.
16 And I had faith, and I did cry unto God that he would preserve the records; and he covenanted with me that he would bring them forth unto the Lamanites in his own due time.
Even more ethos. He's worked hard on preserving the records and recognizes their worth. And he obtains the promise that the records will be preserved. But he also receives another promise in Verse 15 that we've heard echoed again and again in the gospel: If we ask in faith, believing we will receive in the name of Christ, we shall receive. That's ethos and logos in a neat little package.
17 And I, Enos, knew it would be according to the covenant which he had made; wherefore my soul did rest.
18 And the Lord said unto me: Thy fathers have also required of me this thing; and it shall be done unto them according to their faith; for their faith was like unto thine.
19 And now it came to pass that I, Enos, went about among the people of Nephi, prophesying of things to come, and testifying of the things which I had heard and seen.
20 And I bear record that the people of Nephi did seek diligently to restore the Lamanites unto the true faith in God. But our labors were vain; their hatred was fixed, and they were led by their evil nature that they became wild, and ferocious, and a blood-thirsty people, full of idolatry and filthiness; feeding upon beasts of prey; dwelling in tents, and wandering about in the wilderness with a short skin girdle about their loins and their heads shaven; and their skill was in the bow, and in the cimeter, and the ax. And many of them did eat nothing save it was raw meat; and they were continually seeking to destroy us.
21 And it came to pass that the people of Nephi did till the land, and raise all manner of grain, and of fruit, and flocks of herds, and flocks of all manner of cattle of every kind, and goats, and wild goats, and also many horses.
22 And there were exceedingly many prophets among us. And the people were a stiffnecked people, hard to understand.
23 And there was nothing save it was exceeding harshness, preaching and prophesying of wars, and contentions, and destructions, and continually reminding them of death, and the duration of eternity, and the judgments and the power of God, and all these things—stirring them up continually to keep them in the fear of the Lord. I say there was nothing short of these things, and exceedingly great plainness of speech, would keep them from going down speedily to destruction. And after this manner do I write concerning them.
24 And I saw wars between the Nephites and Lamanites in the course of my days.
The storytelling -- the ethos -- continues from a distance. There's some logos in there as well, as he delivers facts to us about how both peoples are living.
25 And it came to pass that I began to be old, and an hundred and seventy and nine years had passed away from the time that our father Lehi left Jerusalem.
26 And I saw that I must soon go down to my grave, having been wrought upon by the power of God that I must preach and prophesy unto this people, and declare the word according to the truth which is in Christ. And I have declared it in all my days, and have rejoiced in it above that of the world.
27 And I soon go to the place of my rest, which is with my Redeemer; for I know that in him I shall rest. And I rejoice in the day when my mortal shall put on immortality, and shall stand before him; then shall I see his face with pleasure, and he will say unto me: Come unto me, ye blessed, there is a place prepared for you in the mansions of my Father. Amen.
He ends with ethos. I'm only 54 but experiencing some of the feelings of mortality he expresses. So maybe ethos here for different folks.
Also of note: Enos, I believe, relies on pathos almost exclusively here. He uses logos and ethos a little bit (and maybe you notice it more than I do, and that's fine) but he really wants to tell us a story and how it affected him. He uses gospel concepts he hopes his audience is familiar with. He demonstrates the importance of prayer, of missionary work, and of enduring to the end -- all likely things his father taught him -- without pausing at all to remind us what these concepts are. He knows what they are, and sincerely hopes his audience knows what they are as well. Had his audience been different -- maybe if he were telling his story of wrestling with God to the Lamanites -- he's pause more to define terms and help them understand the concepts of prayer, of faith, etc. But here he doesn't, because he believes he doesn't have to. He's recording his thoughts in scripture, which he implores God to protect, in the hopes that it will be preserved and function as an emotional story in part of a larger work that explains the concepts he mentions.
This is not, of course, a perfect analysis. I whipped it out in about fifteen minutes. Had I spent more time, there's probably more I would notice. So I recommend, as you work on your own analyses, to take the time to read your selected speech more than once. Take notes, whether digital or in pen and ink. Use whatever method works for you, but take lots of notes. Re-read the speech and your notes.
And pray more than you've ever prayed before. That's something I'm working on as well.
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