Rhetorical Analysis

Don Accor
Rhet 1312 Composition ll
Professor Graham
Rhetorical Analysis: Wifi in the Woods
While analyzing the article Wifi in the Woods, by Jason Mark, I came to notice
some rhetorical strategies that he used in order to strengthen his message and to
get his point across. Well be discussing those strategies in order to declare how and
why the author poses a strong, valid argument. The most efficient way to classify
the argument as an effective one would be to test it out with the Toulmin Model of
Argument method, created by British Philosopher Stephen Toulmin. According to his
concept, ones argument is an effective one if it contains the claim, grounds,
warrant, backing, rebuttal, and qualifiers.
The author begins by reminiscing about an adventure he endured along with
his friends. He talks about how the aesthetic views of nature forced them to
disconnect. Even the authors friend, Miller, who was usually trying to stay
connected, was forced to take in all of the qualities that nature had to offer. The
author explains his past experiences in lucid detail in order to allow the audience to
envision how beautiful and amazing the woods are. The author claims that woods
should remain a place without connectivity, and how the opportunity to fully
disconnect is at risk. One of the authors reasons would be because it would take
the sense of getting away away. He continues by saying when were able to
connect from anywhere, well, then, therell be no place left to hide. The author
makes a valid point because if wifi were to be accessible in the woods, that would
be another opportunity to stay connected, rather than to disconnect. Also, the idea
of getting away would be abolished because typically, you wouldnt have any
service to stay connected.
Furthermore, the author continues to provide more grounds to support his
claim. For example, he talks about how the Burea of Land Management (BLM) is
becoming stricter on the act of geocaching on its properties. The officials were to
have said that caches could attract bears and disturb an areas wilderness
character. This evidence used by the author is relevant because with more
connectivity in the woods, caching would still be possible. Additional grounds used
by the author in order to get his point across was a historical approach. For
instance, the writer makes a relevant point by saying how the idea of getting
away is also a civic good and that a free society needs an escape hatch. Also, he
goes to mention that even in United States history, the wilderness has been the
last resort for the apostate, the dissident, the runaway slave. This contributes to
the argument significantly because it uses historical references to support the
claim. However, I would have done it a little differently by adding some statistical
facts to support the grounds. Still a good point nevertheless. Another tactic used to
support the claim was a hypothetical appeal to fear approach. For example, the
author says, If some madman ever activates SkyNet, were going to want a few
landscapes outside the matrix. This appeal to fear strengthens the argument by
posing a hypothetical scenario. Mark also goes on to say Maybe, then, what we
need is a new preservation movement committed to maintaining some places that
are offline. He argues that maybe if things went to the extreme, possibly then the
woods would become a priority of disconnection.
The writer bridges possible gaps in his argument by suggesting that we
exercise collective restraint when it comes to fighting the urge to remain connected.
In other words, we have to work collectively as a team to produce the most efficient
results. Additionally, the author explains how the mood of the wilderness is a
stillness not found in human-dominated landscapes. His method of backing this
includes him considering the fact that the term mood is different to every person.
To be exact, the author says, It can be hard to say what exactly the mood is,
since its different for each of us. He didnt define it, but he did at least clarify how
the mood of the woods includes a powerful magic, but also a fragile one. He goes
on to say that it wouldnt take much more than the ping of a text to break the spell.
This enhances the argument because he provides a warrant in order to avoid
assuming that something such as the term mood means the same to everyone
and backs up his warrant.
While the author provided grounds as to why his claim was worth listening to,
he also considers other perspectives. For instance, he says the idea of universal
connectivity is, in a way, exciting. Furthermore, the rebuttal is identified when he
then agrees with Jarvis that people arent going to leave their devices at home
simply because everyone takes their devices with them. The qualifier is identified
when the author says So some measure of connectivity can be useful.
Consequently, the authors argument qualifies as a strong one because he uses the
Toulmin Model of Argument by providing the claim, grounds, warrants, backing,
rebuttals, and qualifiers.

Rhetorical Analysis

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Rhetorical Analysis

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Rhetorical Analysis

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Don Accor

Rhet 1312 Composition ll

Rhetorical Analysis: Wifi in the Woods

Argument method, created by British Philosopher Stephen Toulmin. According to his

concept, ones argument is an effective one if it contains the claim, grounds,

warrant, backing, rebuttal, and qualifiers.

The author begins by reminiscing about an adventure he endured along with

service to stay connected.

Furthermore, the author continues to provide more grounds to support his

the argument significantly because it uses historical references to support the

need is a new preservation movement committed to maintaining some places that

woods would become a priority of disconnection.

The writer bridges possible gaps in his argument by suggesting that we

stillness not found in human-dominated landscapes. His method of backing this

This enhances the argument because he provides a warrant in order to avoid

and backs up his warrant.

connectivity is, in a way, exciting. Furthermore, the rebuttal is identified when he

when the author says So some measure of connectivity can be useful.

Toulmin Model of Argument by providing the claim, grounds, warrants, backing,

rebuttals, and qualifiers.

You might also like