Examines the rhetoric of "The Big Book," the basic text of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), using fantasy theme analysis. Suggests that the rhetorical vision of AA may be described as Alcoholism as Treatable Illness of Body, Mind, and Soul; a variation of Bormann's rhetorical form "Fetching Good out of Evil." (SR)

Cites evidence of Gothic strains in eighteenth-century rhetorical practice. Uses a narrative account by Edmund Burke to illustrate representative Gothic themes, images, and strategies. Judges the Gothic voice to be significant as an instance of the ways in which general aesthetic sensibilities are deployed for rhetorical ends. (MS)

Examines Senator George McGovern's speech, "Sources of Our Strength," delivered at Wheaton College, Illinois in 1972 and contends that this address reveals the motivation underlying his bid for the Presidency. (MH)

States that John F. Kennedy, in his 1960 speech to Houston ministers, convinced many voters that, as a Catholic president, he would act independently of the Catholic Church in matters such as federal aid to schools, human reproduction, and religious tolerance. Analyzes arguments he used to distance himself from the Vatican and align himself with…

Argues that evoking the maternal archetype as a unifying principle to motivate the protection and sustenance of the environment confounds womanhood with motherhood, and fails to honor the complexity of motherhood as an ideologically and socially constructed institution. Maintains that a gender-neutral metaphor may more effectively serve both the…

Argues that Spike Lee, in his film "Do the Right Thing," used a form similar to classical Greek drama in order to embed inconsistent themes into the film. Suggest implications in relation to the functions served by narrative rhetoric and a polysemic critical practice. (SR)

Develops a concept of "Rhetoric of Encounter" and operationally defines the concept for use in content analysis research. Employs this concept in a case study of the student newspaper, administration public relations publication, and faculty senate proceedings of Kent State University. (MH)

Demonstrates how rhetorical criticism can be utilized to clarify the rhetorical nature of interpersonal discourse. Synthesizes the following theories to explain the nature and form of selected portions of taped and transcribed interpersonal dialog: Lloyd Bitzer's situational theory, Ernest Bormann's fantasy theme analysis, and Carroll Arnold's…

Examines four interrelated organizational models of charisma and the debate that has accompanied them. Uses the models to analyze the rhetoric of leadership of George Bush, Bill Clinton, and Ross Perot in the 1992 presidential campaign. (SR)

Analyzes the rhetorical strategies employed by Leonora O'Reilly, a Progressive Era labor reformer. Argues that O'Reilly's use of enactment and empowerment are representative of a "feminine style," and that her rhetoric provides an opportunity to examine the public voice of a working-class female reformer. (SR)

Examines the general strategies of Bill Clinton and George Bush in the 1992 presidential campaign regarding the abortion issue among the complex of family values appeals and in the context of the "culture war." Analyzes the rhetorical power of the dead fetus image shown in campaign advertising. Speculates on the influence of the abortion…

Describes AT&T's long distance service interruption in New York on September 17, 1991, as a serious threat to its corporate image. Analyzes the advertising actions taken by AT&T to restore its image. Discusses three primary strategies developed in the advertising: mortification, plans for correction, and bolstering. (HB)

Examines Mario Cuomo's 1984 speech at Notre Dame University in which Cuomo explains the contradiction between his abortion policy and the teachings of the Catholic Church through an appeal to the separation between church and state. Evaluates his construction of the role of religious rhetoric in public policy. (SR)

Examines the rhetoric of Margaret Thatcher, indicating how Thatcherism intensified existing ideological tensions within the British context; how Thatcherism constructed the public issue of "terrorism" in Northern Ireland as an "epic tragedy"; and how such a construction materially shifted and ensnared commitments to…