A Rhetorical Analysis Essay On Sidetracked

Sidetracked is a blog written by many different individuals that have traveled all over the world. The blog provides readers with personal experiences of adventures to exotic places. The authors post photos from their adventures and also create a very descriptive article to go along with their photos. The authors go anywhere from California’s Lost Coast to South Luangwa National Park in Zambia Africa. Capturing the emotion and experiences of adventures throughout the world is an invaluable experience because when you reach your destination the views will be like nothing you have ever seen before. The authors of Sidetracked use many different methods to draw in their readers, they use visual aspects to show credibility and make a connection with the reader, they have witnesses to make the article more credible, they use various descriptive words to give the reader a vivid mental picture, and they also use pathos to relate with the viewers on an emotional level.
This blog uses various different rhetoric techniques among these are the different styles of writing the articles have. In many articles, including “In Search of an Inner Silence” and “The Bigger Picture” the authors interview the travelers and tell their story. In “The Bigger Picture” there is a second and third party. In this post Brendan Leonard follows mountain sports photographers Dan

and Janine Patitucci around Europe. This adds three people that can add information to the post making it even more credible. Sidetracked uses the help of multiple parities to make the blog credible. Every article is written by a different author telling their unique experience. Many of the articles for example “The Iditarod Trail Invitational” have an author and a photographer. Having another party makes the article more credible because bringing in another witness assures readers that the message they are reading is not just the writer’s personal conviction, but is approved by someone else.

The various posts in the blog Sidetracked are very appealing to viewers. The authors of this blog use visual aspects to bring readers in. There are multiple photos on the home page; by placing your mouse on the photo the viewer can see the title of that blog post and the author’s name. The photos are all breathtaking and surreal making viewers want to read the post and learn the story behind each photo. The photos are vibrant adding a lot to the blog and are a way of showing the bloggers experiences for the viewers that enjoy visual aspects. Visual aspects to a blog also make the blog more credible. Since the authors post photos of their journeys readers know the authors are describing exactly what they saw and not exaggerating or making up some of the facts.
Another rhetoric technique the authors focus on is developing a relationship that is established on ethos and enhances their credibility. Having multiple parties and personal experiences makes this blog demonstrate ethos very well. Ethos refers to the trustworthiness or credibility of the writer or speaker. Ethos is mostly conveyed through the writer’s expertise in the field. The impact of ethos is the appeal from credibility. Readers want to know that what they are reading can be trusted to be accurate and credible. If there is a lack of evidence that a blog is credible a reader is going to become uninterested and leave without finishing reading. Readers tend to believe authors they respect. As viewers read this blog they definitely gain a lot of respect for the authors through the physical and emotional difficulties the authors have to face while on their travels.
This blog also uses pathos appealing to the audience’s emotions. Many of the travelers have to endure the physical challenges in order to get to their final destination. In “Pieces of a Journey” readers get a very good insight into all that goes into traveling in rough climates. When authors express the cons not just the pros to traveling it makes readers sympathize with the travelers. Readers also get to feel the emotion when the views are described. It is unreal how the authors describe in such detail what the magnificent views God has made for us.
Another rhetoric method some of the authors use in their articles are metaphors. Jay Kolsch uses the metaphor “storms make trees grow deeper roots” in the post “Growing Deeper Roots.” Metaphors help readers understand a concept, give readers a picture in their minds of what is being discussed and are a great way to make an article more interesting. I enjoy metaphors when I read because they force me to ask questions. I wonder what does this really mean? What is the author really trying to say to me?
In the article “Pieces of a Journey” David Lintern tells all the pros and cons of traveling coast to coast via the highest mountains in the UK.

In this article he tells the readers that “The story of any journey cannot be properly told through the golden-hour high alone. The true story of any journey includes drudgery.” As a viewer this made me feel this author is trustworthy. When an article only has pros it makes a reader wonder how accurate or credible it is. When the pros and cons are both examined it is believable. In order for readers to get the full experience they need to know about all aspects of the

adventure.
The authors of this blog use many descriptive words to describe the many different journeys. By adding all of these adjectives, it allows the reader to feel like they are experiencing the journey right beside the author. Adding this aspect to an article makes it appealing to readers by drawing them in on different adventures. It would be hard for readers to get excited about this topic of adventure and traveling if they just got to skim the service instead of getting to experience and dive into the adventure. The blog does a fantastic job of allowing and inviting the readers to dive in and experience the adventures.
The authors of Sidetracked also talk to the readers as a friend. They are giving readers friendly advice about the pros and cons of traveling. The authors of Sidetracked write of their experiences at not just pristine sights, but also tourist traps. This shows that the authors care about their readers because they visit places they might not otherwise in order to educate their readers about these sites. Talking to readers as a friend narrows the distance between the author and the readers, portraying them as someone who understands and has good advice.
Sidetracked uses various rhetorical techniques, making the blog credible and appealing to readers. The posts in this blog are written by personal experiences and display the pros and cons of different journeys. The authors of this blog relate to readers by talking to them as friends and by using descriptive words to allow the readers to feel like they are a part of the adventure. Sidetracked uses the style of ethos and pathos, making their appeal to a wider variety of readers, those that prefer emotions or those that want credibility.