Course: ENGL 3050 Introduction to Rhetoric and Composition
Semester taken: Fall 2023
Instructor: Dr. Lynee Gaillet
For my first selection, I have chosen my final project from the Introduction to Rhetoric and Composition course. In this assignment, we were tasked with applying rhetorical principles to a contemporary topic of our choice and analyzing the relevant rhetorical concepts. I opted to examine two monologues from the 2023 films Barbie and Oppenheimer. I found it both refreshing and engaging to apply historical rhetorical devices to these popular blockbusters, with the intention of reaching casual moviegoers who may not be familiar with rhetoric.
I selected this project not only because I am an avid film enthusiast, but also because I was passionate about the opportunity to apply my classroom learning to movies I deeply enjoy. This assignment illuminated the prevalence of rhetorical devices in well-crafted narratives and their role in effectively connecting with audiences. I believe I successfully linked rhetorical concepts to the chosen texts; however, I recognize that I could have been more specific in my analysis of certain rhetorical figures. Given additional time, I would have researched speeches or writings by notable rhetorical figures to compare their use of rhetoric with that in the films.
