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English 111
October 1, 2014
Writers Reflection
In my essay, a rhetorical analysis of the advertisement for Mockingjay, Part 1,
I tried to illustrate the complexity and the seemingly flawed success of its argument. I
chose this commercial for its dramatic nature, seeing a lot of potential for the use of
rhetoric. Upon further investigation, I found that the appeal is mostly pathological,
with the occasional use of ethos as well. I picked apart, in depth, the effect of the
music, the fonts of writing and various logos that appear, and the visual qualities of
the scenes strung together. In each of these elements, the main focus was on an
emotional and thematic appeal, reinforcing the strength of the pathological appeals.
In the beginning of my writing process, I had some good thoughts down on paper,
but I struggled with making the paragraphs flow together. To remedy this, I added in
a couple of tidbits and transitions to create unity throughout the essay and pull it
together. I originally thought that maybe I should cut out some of the details and add
other elements that can be analyzed. However, looking back through my writing, I
found that I only needed to elaborate on some points. I furthered these thoughts to
make them into complete ideas and really flesh them out. I then decided to add more
examples from the text to support my analysis. I finished my editing process with a
read-through to check for basic grammar and mechanic mistakes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_Tsj_wTJkQ
general public. Their approval at the beginning gives the showing of the
advertisement reliability. Then the viewer is assured that the commercial is
worthwhile by the appearance of the producers logo, drawn out in heavy block
letters against a black background. This gives the impression that the company is
stable, trustworthy, and adds drama to the opening scene of the commercial. The
viewer immediately is convinced that this is a legitimate argument and is intrigued by
the consistent eerie feel of the opening few seconds.
The timing of the advertisement is also important, reinforcing the credibility of
the commercial itself through kairos. It was released a month before the first showing
of the movie, which gives viewers ample time to get excited and spread the word
about the upcoming movie. However, a month is short enough that the viewers of
the commercial wont forget about the movie by the time it comes out in theaters. In
perfecting the timing of the advertisement, the viewer is likely to be more
enthusiastic about the upcoming film. This creates an open and accepted legitimacy
for the argument.
Then, shortly after the credibility of the film is introduced, the music starts,
creating an instantaneous appeal through pathos. This appeal is consistent
throughout the advertisement, with the swells of the music and the addition of
different layers of instruments. The music starts with some simple, dramatic string
arrangements. It gradually builds, adding instruments in a grand crescendo towards
the end of the commercial. The music swells, coming to its height and then
completely dropping out, leaving only the ring of a bass drum and the title of the
upcoming movie. The commercial finishes with the call of the mocking jay, leaving a
lasting, eerie and anxious impression on the viewer. The build and subito piano of
the music creates a pathological appeal by creating a growing disquiet in the psyche
Works Cited
The Hunger Games: MockingJay Trailor: The Mockingjay Lives,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_Tsj_wTJkQ
IMDB. MockingJay.Web.16Sept.2014.