160+ Best Rhetorical Analysis Topics

This essay is about rhetorical analysis. It examines the means of communicating a message. This assignment doesn’t require you to give your opinion about the topic. It is about analyzing the arguments presented by the author and determining whether they succeeded. Keep reading for more tips and tricks to help you write a persuasive essay.

This article will assist high school and college students in choosing a topic for their rhetorical analysis essays. Analyzing books, movies, advertisements, or speeches is possible. You will be more successful if you choose a topic that is familiar to your. You can always count on our custom-writing team to assist you with any assignment.

Top 10 Rhetorical Analysis Subjects
– Fight Club Against Consumerism
The Birthmark’s Dangerous Obsession
– The Lottery’s main rhetorical features
Song of Solomon – Rhetorical Devices
– The Scarlet Letter’s main rhetorical devices
– What is it that made I Have a Dream so powerful?
– Raven symbolism, Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven
– The importance of the I Am Prepared to Die speech
– What does Fahrenheit 451 censorship mean for society?
– Inequality as Priyanka’s speech Full Strength of Women

Fictional Rhetorical Topics

Fiction is fiction written with imagination. Fiction is like any other literature. It communicates a message in a way that’s unique to it. You can analyze the text to find your own response. Consider the context of the text to understand its intent. These ideas will help you brainstorm great topics for a rhetorical analysis paper.
– What is The Things They Carry’s theme about war and change?
– Analyze and discuss the major rhetorical elements of The Great Gatsby.
– All the Light We Cannot see by Anthony Doerr.
J.D. In The Catcher in the Rye, Salinger shares the teenage life.
– Millenium Hall’s narrative form.
Erin Morgenstern’s Night Circus creations.
– The Heretic’s Daughter’s main theme is justice.
Language of mystery, The Secret Life of Violet Grant
What are the characteristics of The Alchemist’s characters?
– The Voice of the Author in The Fault in Our Stars (John Green)
– The confrontation of characters in The Poet X.
– Empathy in Do Androids Want Electric Sheeps?
Analyze Prudence Shin’s writing methods in Nothing Can Go Wrong.
Exit West by Mohsinhamid.
– What is Code Name Verity’s theme on friendship?
Lord of Flies: Savagery vs. civilization
– The theme of elitism within One Hundred Years of Solitude.
– Why John Steinbeck stresses dreams in Of Mice and Men
– The Sense of an Ending uses rhetorical devices.
– Lincoln in Bardo: Reflections on Humanism
– The Vegetarian: Han Kang’s language to shame
Behavior in the Slipover Sweater from Jesse Stuart

Speeches on Rhetorical Analysis

There have been many famous speeches throughout history. These are the questions to answer if you’re interested in analyzing one:
– What’s your speaker’s objective?
– What historical background is this speech?
What are the expectations of your audience?

As you choose one of these topics, start thinking about your thesis statement.
– The Campaigns of Alexander: Rhetorical Devices, Alexander The Great (326 BC).
– Persuasion by The Third Philippic of Demosthenes in 342 BC
– Expressions in Funeral Oration By Pericles, 431 BC.
Explore the rhetorical use of Theodore Roosevelt in The Man with the Muck Rake, 1906.
– Rhetorical analysis Pope Urban II’s Clermont Speech, 1095.
– Queen Elizabeth’s Spanish Armada Speech, 1588.
– George Washington’s resignation speech, 1783.
Al Gore’s Nobel Prize Speech, 2007: How he persuades his audience
– Ain’t I A Woman? uses expressive means By Sojourner Truth 1851.
– Emotional appeal to Chief Joseph in his Surrender Speech of 1877.
– Emmeline Pantkhurst, 1913.
– In Franklin D Roosevelt’s 1933 Inauguration Speech, there were ways to engage the crowd.
– Speeches of Winston Churchill from 1940, using rhetorical devices.
Abraham Lincoln, 1863.
– Heroism and Charles de Gaulle’s The Appeal of the 18 June 1940.
– Emotional language, William Lyon Phelps’s The Pleasure of Books (33),
How did Mahatma Ghandi convince Quit India in 1942?
– The main rhetorical elements of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s 1963 speech I Have a Dream.
How expressive is Nelson Mandela’s 1964 song, I Am the First Acused?
John F. Kennedy’s Inauguration Speech in 1961: How he engages with his audience
– Address to the Nation on Challenger by Ronald Reagan 1986.
– Lou Gehrig’s Farewell to Baseball speech in 1939, Gratitude

Topics for Rhetorical Analy: Poetry
Poetry can communicate many things that are unique. You will need to read it several times. These are the questions you should answer in your essay.
– Who is speaking in the poem’s title?
Do you think the title influences your understanding of the meaning of the title?
– What is the peculiarity in the structure and rhythm of the poem?
– Analyze William Butler Yeats’ Brown Penny.
– The narrator of Allen Ginsberg’s America.
Langston Hughes’s emotional appeal in Let America Be America Once Again.
– Regret at The Mother by Gwendolyn.
– Sylvia Plath’s key allegories for Daddy
– The mood and the Stars and the World of Charles Bukowski
– William Blake’s A Poison Tree: Themes of Anger and Darkness
– What rhetorical devices did Walt Whitman employ in O, Captain! O my leader!
– Symbolism at Walt Whitman’s Crossing Brooklyn Ferry.
Faces in love in A Red, Red Rose, Robert Burns
– Compare and contrast the book I Know Why the Cagedbird Sings by Maya Angelou.
– Stephen Crane’s description of war in Fast Rode the Knight.
– Dream Deferred by Langston Hughes: Street language
– Self-acceptance in Maya Angelou’s Phenomenal Woman.
– Mary Oliver’s August’s theme of nature.
– Unorthodox punctuation on I Carry Your Heart with Me (E. E. Cummings).
– To Your by Walt Whitman: What function does the title serve?
– The setting from A Dream within a Dream (Edgar Allan Poe).
– Who is Emily Dickinson?
Analyze Shel’s irony at Messy Room.
– Robert Frost’s Stopping by Woods at Night.
– Analyze major rhetorical devices used by W. H. Auden in Funeral Blues.

Articles on Rhetorical Analysis

Try reading an article with a purpose to understand its rhetorical context. This will allow you to identify the main point of the author. You may also consider analysing the title of your article to see if it has any influence on persuasion.
The Killer in the Pool, Tim Zimmerman – People against nature
– What are David Grann’s arguments in The Mark of a Masterpiece
Joshua Bearman’s Art of the Steal: A Thief’s Double Life
– Examine the Hope narration. Change. Reality. Wil S. Hyland
William Finnegan’s In the Name of the Law.
John Buntin, Mississippi Corrections Reform: Persuasive tools
– Political in Kenneth Jost’s article Unrest In The Arab World.
– Video Games and Power Fantasy: The Addiction of Tom Bissell
– Prejudice in Forrest Wilder’s He Who Casts The First Stone.
Credibility in The Little Pill to Cure Alcoholism from James Medd
Solitude and Leadership, William Deresiewicz.
– Zach Zorich’s use of rhetorical techniques in “Should we Clone Neanderthals?”
John Donvan (author) and Karen Zucker (autographer): Acceptance in Autism’s first Child.
Scott Carney’s Inside India’s Rent-A-Womb Business explains motherhood.
– The hope theme in Are You Sure You Want the World to End? NadyaLabi.
– Howard Jacobson, On Taking Comic Novels Seriously. What is the best way to persuade readers?
– Jonah Weiner, Kanye West Has a Goblet – Social media usage by Jonah Weiner
– Which rhetorical devices does Beth Kowitt use most often in Inside the Secret World of Trader Joe’s
Richard Morgan: Seven Years as Freelance Author: The Main Theme
Anne Quinden’s Consumerism in Why Stuff IS Not Salvation
– Learn how Rick Bragg uses humor in his article The Guiltless Pleasure.
– The Man the White House Waking Up to by Mark Leibovich: How to Engage with the Audience

Non-Fiction Topics on Rhetorical Themes

Non-fiction can be defined as writings that are grounded in facts. For non-fiction analysis, it is important to study the context. Also, pay attention how the text was written. Consider the author’s goal and the audience. This will allow you to conduct a detailed rhetorical analysis.
– Identify the most important rhetorical devices in A Brief History of Time.
– The theme and racism of I Know Why the Cagedbird Sings.
In Cold Blood: Suicide and Complicity
The psychological effects of the atomic bomb on the citizens of Hiroshima are explored in John Hersey’s Hiroshima.
H Is for Hawk: How grief is addressed
– Analyze Isak Dinesen’s Out of Africa rhetorical elements.
– Farley Mowat’s Never Cry Wolf – The voice of Farley Mowat.
Fever Pitch: Nick Hornby’s exploration of fandom
– Endurance is Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage.
Elie Wiesel’s Night – The Loss of Innocence
M.F.K. – What is it? Fisher’s How To Cook a Wolf is inspiring?
– Discuss how the title is used in A Moving Feast.
Ron Chernow: Alexander Hamilton’s theme on overcoming
– What’
Is it the responsibility of setting in Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race & Inheritance?
How to win friends and influence people: What persuasive devices are used?
– The Year of Magical Thinking.
– The Mississippi River: Past and Present.
Marshall McLuhan’s exploration of communication in The Medium is the Massage.
– Persuasion and Silent Spring
– The Right Stuff: The themes of courage, heroism.
– Anne Frank: The Diary Of A Young Girl: What Makes It So Scary?
– Goodbye All That has an emotional appeal.

Advertisements

Persuasion is the primary goal of all advertisements. Good advertisements establish a connection between the product’s consumer and it.
Dunkin’ Doughnuts: America Runs with Dunkin.
– California Milk Processor Board: Got Milk?
– Lay’s: Betcha Can’t Eat Just One.
Red Bull: Red Bull gives wings.
The Mosaic Company is a company that helps the world grow the food that it needs.
– Meow mix: Cats ask for it by its name
– Nike: There is no finish line
Coca Cola: A Friendly Twist
M&M: It Melts in your Mouth, Not Your Hands.
BMW: Designed to Drive Pleasure.
McDonald’s: Simpler is better
Taco Bell: Thinking Outside the Bun
– L’Oreal: Because You’re Worth It.
– Gillette: The Best A Man Can Get.
– Apple: Think Outside the Box.
Panasonic: Ideas For Life
Chanel No.5 the Film.
– Dollar Shave Club: It’s Time for a Shave. Save Cash.
Capital One: What’s inside Your Wallet?
– Harley Davidson: Dedicated to Liberty. Freedom for all
Levi’s: Quality Never goes out of style
Disneyland: The Happiest Place On Earth

Movie monologues: Topics to Rhetorical Analyse

Some movies feature a monologue that grabs everyone’s attention. You will need to observe the following:
Describe the speaker’s intentions.
– Please describe the scene in which the monologue occurs.
– Pay close attention to vocabulary and tone.

These are some famous monologues from movies that you can use in your rhetorical essay.
Chris Evans, Avengers: Endgame.
Anne Hathaway, The Princess Diaries.
Octavia Spencer’s performance in The Help was acclaimed.
Sam Worthington, Avatar
– Mel Gibson in Braveheart.
Jennifer Lawrence, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.
Gregory Peck’s To Kill A Mockingbird.
Samuel L. Jackson, Pulp Fiction.
Sylvester Stallone, Rocky Balboa
– Meryl Strreep, Sophie’s Choice.
– Tom Wilkinson, Michael Clayton.
– Ellen Burstyn’s Requiem for a Dream.
– Morgan Freeman, The Shawshank Redemption.
Charlie Chaplin, The Great Dictator.
Charlize Theron, Monster
American Beauty.
Robin Williams, Good Will Hunting.
Viggo Mortensen’s Return of the King
Salvatore Corsitta, The Godfather
Angela Lansbury, The Manchurian Candidate.
Laurence Fishburne, The Matrix
Viola Davis, Doubt.

Writing Guide for Rhetorical Analysis
The rhetorical situation is the first step in a rhetorical assessment. Make sure you are familiar with the intentions and background of the author. A good rhetorical essay should not be limited to analysis. It also must describe and evaluate the text.

These steps will help you outline your essay.
1. Introduction/summary. Summary and introduction.
2. Thesis. Highlight the key rhetorical features and their function that you’ve found in the text. Your thesis should be supported by evidence. Your essay should answer this question: Was the author a successful rhetorician?
Example of thesis:
Mark Twain depicts America from the perspective of a child in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Irony and regional dialects make the social commentary even more powerful.

3. The body paragraphs. Every paragraph begins with a topic phrase that links back to your thesis. The next section will examine the elements that make up the rhetorical situation.
Ethos refers a writer’s credibility.
– The emotional appeal, or Pathos.
– Logos: Persuasion with evidence
Kairos, which is the timing.
– Stasis refers to when an argument is “trapped” by an opinion difference.

Talk about the elements and situations of rhetorical discourse by giving examples. Let me give you an example of logos being used to solve a problem: This author says that alcohol can be dangerous. He quotes arguments from those who doubt it. The author then provides convincing evidence to prove the opposite.

4. Conclusion. Review your argument and make a final assessment.

We hope that you were able to identify a topic for your essay on rhetorical analysis. We hope you also found it helpful in writing it.