Rhetorical Analysis

Ok, I'm sorry this is country...but it is an excellent narrative.

The Introduction
Goodbye Earl is a song by the Dixie Chicks. This song tells the story of two young girls who have an up close and personal experience with domestic violence. In this post I will examine how “Goodbye Earl” generates questions about the way America handles and views domestic violence. In this blog I will discuss the artifact, the method of analysis, the analysis, the objective of the narrative, the features of the narrative, and the rhetorical point of the analysis.

The Artifact
I'm going to analyze the description of the abuse, the description of how Mary-Ann and Wanda handle it, and the reaction of the law. Goodbye Earl originally released January 1, 1999. (http://www.bestcountrysingers.com/dixie-chicks/song/prd-Goodbye%20Earl.html)“Nearly three out of four (74%) of Americans personally know someone who is or has been a victim of domestic violence. 30% of Americans say they know a woman who has been physically abused by her husband or boyfriend in the past year. (Allstate Foundation National Poll on Domestic Violence, 2006. Lieberman Research Inc., Tracking Survey conducted for The Advertising Council and the Family Violence Prevention Fund, July – October 1996)” (http://www.dvrc-or.org/domestic/violence/resources/C61/) One in four women (25%) has experienced domestic violence in her lifetime. (The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and The National Institute of Justice, Extent, Nature, and Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence, July 2000. The Commonwealth Fund, Health Concerns Across a Woman’s Lifespan: 1998 Survey of Women’s Health, 1999) (http://www.dvrc-or.org/domestic/violence/resources/C61/) According to these statistics this song was very needed at that time period and continues to be a problem which needs to be addressed.

The Method of Analysis
I will be analyzing “Goodbye Earl” through the lens of Narrative Criticism. Narrative criticism has been applied since Aristotle. (Foss, 2009, pg. 309) Sonja Foss states “Arthur Bochner and Carolyn Ellis have theorized that the use of narrative for studying interpersonal relationships, suggesting that to “have or be in a relationship is to have or be in a story.”” (2009, pg. 309) Narrative criticism is the study of how and why people tell stories. Storytelling has been part of human nature as far back as we can research and from the first time a story was told someone asked why they told it. This is narrative criticism in its most simplistic form. This method uses two steps in the analysis with a third step that is not always true. First, you identify the objective of the narrative. Second, identifying the features of the narrative to discover how they accomplish the objective. The third step that is not always used is Assessing or evaluating the narrative according to the particular objective. (Foss, 2009, pg. 309).

The Analysis
In narrative criticism there are at least two events happening. In this artifact these two are Mary-Ann and Wanda's friendship and Wanda's domestic abuse. A narrative is temporal. The story is about two young women who find self actualization. It is linear storyline. The narrative becomes very relational at the point when Mary Anne comes back to defend Wanda. Earl's abuse of Wanda and Wanda and Mary-Ann's decision that Earl has to die show contextual unity.

The Object of the Narrative 
When I first heard this song I merely enjoyed the entertainment value of it. As I started analyzing the artifact it became obvious to me that there is a serious objective: to challenge the general perceptions of domestic abuse.

The Features of the Narrative
SETTING
This song is set in the south. It starts at the high school where Mary-Ann and Wanda went to school. Then it moves with them to the bus stop, Wanda's wedding, Earl's trailer, the hospital, back to the trailer, then to several sites of murder, ending at the roadside stand. The music adds a lot to the setting. It is an upbeat country sound. The upbeat sound gives an extremely comedic sense to the artifact.

CHARACTERS
Mary-Ann and Wanda went to school together. Then Mary-Ann went to Georgia, Wanda marries abusive Earl and gets put into the hospital, then Mary-Ann comes back when she hears about Wanda's condition. Mary-Ann and Wanda decided to kill Earl. The officers made a halfhearted effort to find Earl, but when he disappeared they didn't waste a lot of time looking for him.

NARRATOR
The story is mostly in third person narrated by the Dixie Chicks. It's very perky which, again, gives a very comedic feel to the artifact.

EVENTS
The major plot is Mary-Ann and Wanda's relationship. This story follows them in their experiences. From high school, Mary-Ann moving away, Wanda's marriage to her abusive husband, to their killing Earl.

TEMPORAL RELATIONS
These events take place over a long period of time. In just one verse the time goes from “Well the weeks went by and spring turned to summer And summer faded into fall”. It spanned at least a year and a half.

CAUSAL RELATIONSHIPS
There was a definite cause-effect between Earl's abuse of Wanda and Wanda and Mary Anne's decision to kill him. There was a cause-effect between Mary Anne leaving and Wanda's decision to marry Earl.

AUDIENCE
The audience is Dixie Chick fans and country fans. It's also aimed at the younger generation who have seen and been involved in abuse.

THEME
The theme of this narrative is the law can't always protect the innocent. This is shown in the line that says “But Earl walked right through that restraining order And put her in intensive care”. It is also shown by the fact that the cops didn't show up for Earl until after Wanda had been released from the hospital and had time to kill him.

TYPE OF NARRATIVE
Ironically enough this story is a Romance. Wanda and Mary-Ann complete a quest against domestic abuse and have emerged with greater confidence and a better life.

The Point...Rhetorically
Frequently people shy away from material about this subject because it makes people uncomfortable. The perky narration and upbeat music allows this narrative to be accepted and played in many more situations then it could be in a more serious vein. The application of this principle can be used to introduce other sensitive topics to people who would normally not listen to anything about the topic. This approach has allowed me to share this artifact with people who needed to understand the seriousness of domestic violence in a relaxed way that they would accept. If this approach was used with other topics it would bring a greater understanding of many other sensitive topics.








Lyrics of the artifact
Mary-Ann and Wanda were the best of friends
All through their high school days
Both members of the 4H Club
Both active in the FFA

After graduation Mary-Ann went out lookin' for a bright new world
Wanda looked all around this town and all she found was Earl

Well it wasn't two weeks after she got married
That Wanda started gettin' abused
She put on dark glasses and long sleeved blouses
And make-up to cover a bruise
Well she finally got the nerve to file for divorce
She let the law take it from there
But Earl walked right through that restraining order
And put her in intensive care

Right away Mary-Ann flew in from Atlanta
On a red eye midnight flight
She held Wanda's hand as they worked out a plan
And it didn't take 'em long to decide
That Earl had to die!

(nanana...)
Goodbye Earl
Those black-eyed peas (nanana...)
They tasted all right to me, Earl
You feelin' weak (nanana...)
Why don't you lay down and sleep, Earl
Ain't it dark (nanana...)
Wrapped up in that tarp, Earl?

The cops came by to bring Earl in
They searched the house high and low
Then they tipped their hats and said,
"Thank you ladies if you hear from him let us know"

Well the weeks went by and
spring turned to summer
And summer faded into fall
And it turns out he was a missing person who nobody missed at all

So the girls bought some land and a roadside stand
Out on Highway 109
They sell Tennessee ham and strawberry jam
And they don't lose any sleep at night
'Cause Earl had to die

(nanana...)
Goodbye Earl
We need a break...........
Let's go out to the lake, Earl
We'll pack a lunch (nanana...)
And stuff you in the trunk, Earl
Well is that all right? (nanana...)
Good!
Let's go for a ride, Earl

Hey! (nanana...)
Oh, hey hey hey! (nanana...)
Aww, hey hey hey! (nanana...)
Well,hey hey hey (nanana...)

Feminism - Ideological Criticism

The picture of a woman in man's work clothes and the traditional stay at home handkerchief on her head.

The original poster this is based off of was first used in WWII. This poster was used to promote traditional stay at home women to get fill in for jobs at home the men had left. It portrays a "traditional woman" at that point with the exception of her wearing mans work clothes.




 I am going to look at this cover of TIME magazine through the lens of feminism.


My claim is this picture is stating Modern Women are a Strong Force for Change in The USA

The reasons I see are as the following:

The earbud in her ear: Signifies the younger generation or the modern woman

The Tattoo: signifies the nontraditional woman. VERY few advertisments show women with tattoos. It isn't necessarily a feminine tattoo either. The symbol of her following her own heart.

The Shirt: Emphasizing feminism in the workplace. She is no longer wearing mans work clothes. She is wearing her own and she won't need to give the position up when a man comes to take it.

The hat: independence and non-confinement. No longer is she wearing the stay and home handkerchief but a trendy hat. It carries just enough color so we can make a mental link to the other picture but no longer does it signify the traditional woman's roles, but it emphasizes her feminism.

Justification for Narrative Criticism

Characteristics of the Narrative

At least two events, often causal, are happening.
The Snoodle is created, and the snoodle tries to solidify his identity.  

The narrative is temporal.
Chronology gives a temporal context, imperative to story-telling.
The Snoodle's desire to discover where he came from and what he was for.

The narrative is relational.
The Snoodle's decision to leave and the point he stops and listens to the big snoodle.

The narrative has a contextual unity.
The exchanges between the Little Snoodle and the older Snoodles and the exchange between the Little Snoodle and the Giant Snoodle.

Object of the narrative:
To instill the truth of the Christian culture that value comes from God and we can find self actualization and healing from negative experiences by seeing ourselves how God sees us.


SETTING
Location: held in Snoodleberg, Galoots.A made up place that sounds great to a kid, but without any true description.

Music: Lots of Brass instruments for a "Bright" sound.

Color: very pastel, relaxing colors. creating a peaceful spiritual tone.

 CHARACTERS
Little Snoodle: represents the viewer. The fact that he is insecure and feels out of place (5:12) makes him very relate able, especially for people who have experienced some form of  abuse (no matter how mild) in their lives. His being very young and impressionable generally invokes a protective, pitying emotion.

Big Snoodle: Represents God. Says things that God would tell someone struggling with identity issues (for whatever reason).

Other snoodles: Instilled Negative or worldly thoughts about the snoodle into his head. People or experiences that drag you down.

NARRATOR
Tone: Rhyming and making up words (like 3:37 "Coolish") is a reference to Dr. Seuss. An author who wrote modern, fun readers for children. This is to relate to a younger age group of kids, as well as the young adult generation who grew up with the original Dr. Seuss books.

EVENTS
(0:01-8:05) Little snoodle is created, given nothing but negative thoughts about himself from others until he runs away to the top of a distant mountain.

(8:06) The little snoodle had taken what the snoodles said right after he was created and latched onto it. He wouldn't hear any other perspective. This is very true for a lot of teens/young adults.

(8:46-9:-05) Everyone needs someone who can see them for their potential. Whether it is a friend, mentor, parent, or even an enemy there comes a point in most people's lives where they need someone outside them to question what they believe about themselves and what others have told them. 

(10:03-10:13). Often people who have been in rough situations are afraid to believe that there is power and good inside them. It is scary.

(10:13-11:00) Everyone needs to come to terms with how God sees them and what God's view is for their lives. This gives them the power to "Fly".

(11:30-12:18) When this happens those people can pull out old dreams, fly and help others.

(12:18-13:19) Often people who are changing negative thinking patterns need continued reinforcement.

TEMPORAL RELATIONS
Speed: The event's take place over a day or two. However they are told in 13 minutes. It was shortened so we could see the effects of the story.

CAUSAL RELATIONSHIPS

The series of events in this story are overseen by the “giant Snoodle at the top of the hill”. They are natural. Most of the emphasis is put in the effect of what happens.

AUDIENCE

Target Audience: Children of religious parents.

THEME

If we focus on who God sees then what anyone else says doesn't matter.

TYPE OF NARRATIVE

This is a Romance. The little snoodle has to fight an enemy (the negative views of himself) and comes away victorious and enlightened (with a positive view of himself and able to fly).

Narrative Criticism artifact...Justification coming soon

This is my Narrative Criticism....justification forthcoming.

MADNESS - Metaphorical Criticism

I am not strictly speaking mad, for my mind is absolutely normal in the intervals. But during attacks it is terrible — and then I lose consciousness of everything. But that spurs me on to the work and to seriousness, as a miner who is always in danger makes haste in what he does.

Vincent Van Gogh

There are two main metaphors. The first Van Gogh comparing his moments of creative inspiration to madness and the second him comparing his attitude while painting to a miner. 

In the first metaphor the vehicle is madness and the tenor is artistic inspiration. This speaks to me, and I believe many artists. Though I do not paint I have experienced this "madness" from time to time in my writing and the different aspects of my theatre art. Situations where nothing else is as important as your thought, idea, or creation. You shut everything else out. 

This leads to the second metaphor where he has set vehicle as "the work and to seriousness, as a miner who is always in danger makes haste". Being an artist is hardly a life or death experience however Van Gogh captures the tenor of the earnestness and extreme emotion involved in this kind of artistic inspiration.

Though not all artistic creation happens in this kind of artistic inspiration, Van Gogh perfectly captures this type of madness.

The Structure sets it up for a perfect "Method to madness" that rings true with me as with many other artists.

Changing the world through logic and Credentials - Neo-Aristotelian

I chose this for two reasons. First, because he is a really young intelligent kid. I was also an extremely young college graduate and his opinion that kids can change the world appealed to me. Second, I noticed the lack of Pathos. Pathos is something I rely heavily on when I speak. However, I did not feel like it undermined his speech in the least.

Claim: The rhetor delivered an effective speech without the use of pathos.

Evidence:  
Invention

• Pathos - Extremely lacking. However, I do not find that his lack of pathos affected his overall speech.
• Logos - He shares his Knowledge about Physics (1:29) and proves he knows what he is talking about.
• Ethos - He acknowledges up front a 17 year old Nuclear Physicist is probably not going to have a lot of credit initially with anyone. However, then he talks about his inventions and the people he has worked with (Pres. Obama) and adds a lot of Creditability to himself.

Organization

• Chronological - He talked about his career Chronologically from his first invention to his work with Homeland security. He uses this as a basis of his standing that "Kids can change the world."

Style

• Paralinguistics - This could have used a lot of work. He didn't wait for audience reaction and his pronunciation could have been greatly improved. He is a Physicist and not normally and orator so this is expected.

Delivery

• Charisma - This was somewhat lacking which is what leads me to the conclusion that the rhetor did not effectively use pathos in his speech. This is shown by how often he used the word "Uh". He also used appeals to Logos (in depth descriptions about how nuclear fusion works) and Ethos (His professional appearance, descriptions of his inventions, mentioning he has met with the president, and stating the fact that his work is currently being used at a University.)
• Competency - From the beginning he show his competency by not only describing the nuclear processes but by  explaining them in simple terms.

Memory

This speech was extemporaneous. He memorized basics and then delivered it from memory. This added to his ethos supporting that he was not just a kid who memorized facts, he was a physicist who knew what he was talking about.

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