blog




  • Essay / Analysis of Rhetorical Appeals Used by Steve Jobs in His Keynote Speech

    Steve Jobs is a big name in today's society. Steve Jobs is best known as the original co-founder of Apple Inc., one of the largest companies, if not the largest company in existence today. Jobs is a very successful and respected man, which is why his speech at Stanford University on Commencement Day caught the public's attention and really inspired Stanford University students to take action and listen. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get an original essay The goal of Steve Jobs' speech was to inspire Stanford University students to find their passions through activities . Jobs succeeds in getting his message across to everyone who listens to his speech thanks to the details that were put into the structure of the speech given by Jobs. In Jobs' speech, rhetorical appeals are presented using persuasion in order to focus students' attention on important issues that can contribute to life-changing experiences. The stories told during Jobs' commencement speech include pathos, shared personal experience can relate to ethos, and story endings use logos. Ethos is clearly used during the speech when Jobs states, “I never got a college degree. Truth be told, it’s the closest thing you can get to a college degree. The purpose of the 3 stories Jobs included in his speech are used to piece together his main point about emphasizing the importance of finding things you are passionate about and enjoy participating in. This point is developed by references to pathos in the opening sentences. while telling his stories. In the first story, Jobs mentions adopting children, happiness and says: "If today was the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today ? This shows pathos because the author's own feelings and emotions are described and shown here. Jobs reveals his personal life, background, and experiences to support his ideas. The pathos used in the speech is evident when the author concludes that "If I had never given up, I would never have taken that calligraphy class, and home computers might not have the wonderful typography that they have". Jobs also states, “About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer,” which clearly shows both ethos and pathos. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay In summary, Jobs' main goal of his speech is to persuade the listening graduates to find the things they love to do and focus on them. Jobs supports his view by stating, “Your work is going to occupy a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you think is great work” (Jobs). This quote can be concluded from Jobs' personal experience which he shares with the audience in order to inspire and push them..