Getting Started
This chapter explores how writers use style to shape the way an audience perceives them. You will learn to analyze how specific choices in language create a writer's unique voice, establish their stance on a subject, and build their credibility. Mastering this skill is crucial for rhetorical analysis, as it moves you beyond simply identifying what a writer says to explaining how their way of saying it makes their message persuasive.
What You Should Be Able to Do
Analyze how a writer's word choice and sentence structure contribute to their voice and stance.
Explain the relationship between a writer's tone and their overall credibility.
Evaluate how stylistic choices can either build or damage an audience's trust in the writer.
Connect a writer's persona—their voice, stance, and credibility—to their overall purpose and message.
Key Moves and Effects
The Writer's Persona: Voice, Stance, and Credibility
In every piece of writing, an author constructs a persona—the version of themselves they present to the audience. This persona is a key component of ethos, or the appeal to character and credibility. We can break this persona down into three interconnected elements:
Credibility: This is the degree to which an audience trusts the writer. Credibility isn't just about having impressive credentials; it's built within the text through careful, knowledgeable, and fair-minded expression.
Stance: This is the writer's attitude toward their subject. A writer’s stance can be critical, supportive, objective, skeptical, or something else entirely. It signals to the audience how they should approach the topic.
Voice: This is the writer's distinct personality as it comes through in their writing. A writer's voice can be academic, witty, passionate, reserved, or informal. It’s what makes one writer’s work sound different from another’s, even if they are discussing the same topic.
These three elements do not exist in isolation. A writer with a confident, expert voice and a balanced, objective stance will likely have high credibility. Conversely, a writer with an angry voice and a biased stance may struggle to earn the audience's trust.
Analyzing Style to Understand Ethos
Your job as a rhetorical analyst is to investigate how the writer builds this persona. You do this by examining their style, which refers to the specific linguistic choices a writer makes. The most important stylistic choices that shape voice, stance, and credibility are:
Diction (Word Choice): Are the words formal or informal, technical or simple, abstract or concrete? Precise, academic diction can build credibility, while conversational language can create an approachable voice.
Syntax (Sentence Structure): Are the sentences long and complex, or short and direct? Complex sentences can convey a thoughtful, intellectual persona, while short, punchy sentences can create a sense of urgency or confidence.
Tone: This is the writer's attitude toward the audience or a subject, as conveyed through their language. A writer might adopt a sarcastic, reverent, or concerned tone, which directly shapes their stance and voice.
Connecting Style to Purpose
Never analyze style in a vacuum. Always connect your observations back to the writer's purpose. Ask yourself: Why did the writer choose this particular style for this audience and this situation?
For example, a scientist writing for a general audience might use analogies (a stylistic choice) to create an accessible, helpful voice (ethos) in order to make complex information understandable (purpose). An activist might use short, declarative sentences and passionate diction (style) to establish a bold, urgent voice (ethos) in order to move the audience to action (purpose).
Data and Organization Tools
Use the following matrix to connect specific stylistic choices to their effects on the writer's persona. This tool helps you move from simply identifying a device to explaining its function in building ethos.
Style-Ethos Matrix
| Stylistic Choice | Example from a Text (Generic) | Effect on Voice / Stance | Effect on Credibility |
|---|---|---|---|
| Formal Diction | "The ramifications of this policy are manifold." | Creates a scholarly, serious voice and an objective stance. | Builds credibility by suggesting expertise and careful thought. |
| Informal Diction | "This whole plan is just a huge mess." | Establishes a relatable, candid voice and a critical stance. | May enhance trust with some audiences but risk seeming unprofessional to others. |
| Complex Syntax | "Although the initial data suggests a positive trend, we must, before celebrating, consider the underlying variables." | Develops a thoughtful, nuanced voice, suggesting a cautious and analytical stance. | Increases credibility by showing the writer has considered multiple angles. |
| Simple, Direct Syntax | "The system is broken. We need change. We need it now." | Creates a confident, forceful voice and an urgent, action-oriented stance. | Builds credibility through clarity and conviction, appealing to an audience seeking decisive leadership. |
Device and Evidence Bank
Here are key stylistic elements to look for when analyzing a writer's voice, stance, and credibility.
Diction: The specific words a writer chooses. Look for patterns: are the words consistently formal, technical, emotional, or plain?
Syntax: The arrangement of words into phrases and sentences. Notice sentence length, structure (e.g., simple, compound, complex), and patterns like parallelism or repetition.
Tone: The writer's attitude as conveyed through their language. Words like "cynical," "optimistic," "urgent," and "somber" describe tone.
Figurative Language: Non-literal comparisons like metaphors and similes. These can make a voice more vivid or an idea more accessible, enhancing credibility by demonstrating creative intelligence.
Punctuation: The use of commas, dashes, semicolons, etc. A dash can create a conversational or emphatic tone, while a semicolon can link ideas in a way that suggests a logical, ordered mind.
Sentence Length Variation: A mix of long and short sentences. Consistent use of one type can create a specific effect, but variation often creates a more engaging and dynamic voice.
Pronoun Choice: The use of "I," "we," or "you." "I" can create a personal voice, "we" can foster a sense of community and shared credibility, and "you" can directly address and engage the audience.
Skill Snapshots
Here are three examples of how to connect a stylistic strategy to its effect on ethos in a rhetorical analysis paragraph.
Strategy → Effect 1: The author’s consistent use of technical jargon, such as "quantitative easing" and "fiscal multipliers," → establishes a highly specialized, expert voice. This academic style signals to the audience that the writer is an authority on economics, thereby bolstering their credibility and encouraging readers to trust their complex analysis.
Strategy → Effect 2: Through a series of short, parallel sentences ("We saw the problem. We heard the warnings. We did nothing."), the writer → creates an emphatic and accusatory tone. This direct, rhythmic syntax projects a voice of moral clarity and conviction, establishing a firm stance against inaction and building credibility with an audience that shares the writer's frustration.
Strategy → Effect 3: The writer’s choice to begin with a personal anecdote, using informal diction like "I was stumped" and "it hit me," → crafts a relatable and humble voice. This self-effacing approach lowers the audience's guard and builds trust not through authority, but through shared human experience, making his subsequent, more formal argument feel more authentic and credible.
Common Misconceptions and Clarifications
Misconception: Credibility only comes from a writer's job title or list of accomplishments.
Clarification: While external credentials help, credibility in rhetorical analysis refers to the trust a writer builds within the text itself. A writer creates credibility through their fair-minded tone, logical organization, and precise language.
Misconception: Voice and tone are the exact same thing.
Clarification: Tone is a component of voice. Tone describes the attitude in a specific section or toward a specific subject (e.g., sarcastic, solemn), while voice is the writer's overarching personality that is consistent throughout the piece (e.g., witty, academic, prophetic).
Misconception: Style is just "fluff" or decoration added to an argument.
Clarification: Style is inseparable from meaning and persuasion. The choice to use a simple sentence instead of a complex one, or a formal word instead of a casual one, fundamentally shapes how the audience receives the message and perceives the writer.
Summary
A writer's style is the foundation of their relationship with the audience. Through deliberate choices in areas like diction, syntax, and tone, a writer constructs a persona defined by its voice, stance, and credibility. As an analyst, your task is to move beyond identifying these choices and instead explain how they work together to build a trustworthy, compelling ethos that serves the writer's ultimate purpose. By understanding this connection, you can more effectively analyze the art of persuasion and appreciate the craft behind any powerful argument.