Rhetorical Analysis Of Speech By Claire Boothe Luce

American journalist and politician Claire Boothe Luce, and her speech to the journalist at the Women's National Press Club, criticize the American press for surrendering fulfilling work for cheap dramatize stories. Luce, in her speech, discussed the many problems the journalist face in the writing community. This purpose is to introduce problems in the writing community. She uses happy tone to appeal to her uninterested colleagues, as well as, diction, ethos, pathos, and logos. Claire Luce gives a powerful speech while bringing the American press down.
The passage is an appeal for writers of the Women's National Press Club. The author's attitude towards the American press can be described as less than happy. The speaker assumes the audience's attitude will reflect her own. The author seems excited but determined to make a change in the writing community. She starts off the essay with “I am happy and flattered to be a guest of honor on this always exciting and challenging occasion”, then later states that she is less happy. The straight up use of the feeling words makes the readers pay a little more attention.The author believes that her audience should all feel the same about the American press.

Luce uses figures of speech that she knew her audience would understand.

“..infinite perils to the rock thrower” (line 10), signals the shift from excited to angry. The style of the passage of the best characterized as Colloquial Expressions. Colloquial Expressions are Nonstandard, usually regional ways of using language, she says things such as “The moon looks larger coming over the horizon than it does when it has fully risen in the heavens” (line 34-35), that only the certain people there would understand. The diction creates the mood for the writing. Her word choice delegates sophistication. She proves her point in a professional manner while still proving she's

angry.
The speech consists of many forms of ethos, pathos, and logos. It can be inferred that the use of the American press and her stating her job is ethos, she shows that she is a highly professional writer. The description of “(...)giving the audience hell” (line 15-16) leads us to believe that Luce is trying the appeal to the emotions of her audience. Then she goes states names that she believes the audience should know, such as “Billy Grahams and the Bishop Sheens” (line 17). According to the author, the journalist should know better than anyone, the “pursuit of truth” (line 42), and its form of logos. Using all forms of modes of persuasion convinces the audience even more.
Claire Luce, criticizes the American press in her speech. She acts very professional and gets to the point while not being boring. She entertains her audience with the tone and dictions she uses but shoves facts and uses emotions with ethos, pathos, and logos. She tries to tear the American press down talking to her colleagues in her strong speech.