A Story of Video

TED Talk Link: https://www.ted.com/talks/george_takei_why_i_love_a_country_that_once_betrayed_me

Story Analysis

What is the rhetorical situation?

• What occasion gives rise to the need or opportunity for persuasion?
• The personal experiences of George Takei in an American concentration camp
• What is the historical occasion that would give rise to the composition of this text?
• World war 2
• Star Trek
• Pearl Harbor

Who is the author/speaker?

• How does he or she establish ethos (personal credibility)?
• Personal experience
• Personal recollection
• Does he/she come across as knowledgeable? fair?
• Yes, he shares personal experience
• He is bound to be biased due to personal experience
• Does the speaker's reputation convey a certain authority?
• Yes, George Takei is considered a famous actor

What is his/her intention in speaking?

• To attack or defend?
• No
• To exhort or dissuade from certain action?
• No
• To praise or blame?
• No
• To teach, to delight, or to persuade?
• Yes, to teach

Who make up the audience?

• Who is the intended audience?
• Professors and college students at TED
• What values does the audience hold that the author or speaker appeals to?
• The audience has little personal experience with the american camps
• Who have been or might be secondary audiences?
• The online watchers of the TED conference
• If this is a work of fiction, what is the nature of the audience within the fiction?
• N/A

What is the content of the message?

• Can you summarize the main idea?
• Americans were incredibly prejudiced against Japanese-Americans during WWII
• What are the principal lines of reasoning or kinds of arguments used?
• Logic, and emotion were used multiple times
• How does the author or speaker appeal to reason? to emotion?
• The speaker (George Takei) appeals to emotion by recounting personal stories

What is the form in which it is conveyed?

• What is the structure of the communication; how is it arranged?
• A speech: It is arranged chronologically
• What oral or literary genre is it following?
• Nonfiction
• What figures of speech (schemes and tropes) are used?
• Imagery
• What kind of style and tone is used and for what purpose?
• Thoughtful and methodical speech

How do form and content correspond?

• Does the form complement the content?
• The methodically given speech allows for a greater contemplation of the story being told
• What effect could the form have, and does this aid or hinder the author's intention?
• The chronological order allows the audience to understand the initial problem, and how it was resolved

Does the message/speech/text succeed in fulfilling the author's or speaker's intentions?

• For whom?
• It successfully portrays the story of Japanese-Americans during and immediately after WWII
• Does the author/speaker effectively fit his/her message to the circumstances, times, and audience?
• The speaker brings up his homosexuality which may not fit in with the audience present

What does the nature of the communication reveal about the culture that produced it?

• What kinds of values or customs would the people have that would produce this?
• His clear and methodical approach to his story help reveal his upbringing as a Japanese-American
• How do the allusions, historical references, or kinds of words used place this in a certain time and location?
• The personal allusions and historical references allow the audience to better understand the time period in which the speaker is telling his story

Summary of Story

George Takei's story starts out with his personal experiences of American concentration camps for Japanese Americans. Next he talked about the prejudices he and his family faced after they were released from the concentration camps. Finally, he talks about a military regiment (442nd) that was completely comprised of Japanese Americans. They were the most decorated regiment in the entire military and were greeted back home by President Truman. They also helped to break down the prejudices against Japanese-Americans. 

Personal Connection

As a Japanese-American, I found the talk appealing due to the fact that it relates to my past, and could potentially affect my future. My mother is also a huge fan of George Takei, so that is mostly why I picked his talk. 

Purpose

George Takei succeeded in conveying a personal message that American democracy is one of the best democracies in the world. However, it is always influenced by the people in it.




SORRY FOR THE CRAZY PAGE FORMAT< NO IDEA HOW TO FIX IT