Lindsay Garmon Ms.

Fuentes English 1101-9 October 13, 013

A Rhetorical Analysis of Writers on the 2013 Government Shutdown

!he go"ernment shutdo#n has stirred u$ a $ot o% o$inions across &merica. 't #as a little une($ected and has le%t &mericans and #riters only #ith their )uestions and o$inions. !he to$ic o% discussion is %iguring out #hy this has ha$$ened and #hich side is res$onsible %or #hat. *ome, li+e me, don,t $ay any attention to the go"ernment and go on #ith their li"es and others are all in the con"eration and #ant their o$inion to be heard. 'n three articles that ' read surrounding the to$ic o% the shutdo#n all ha"e s$eci%ic o$inions, and moti"ations %or their #ritings. !he %irst source comes %rom a #ebsite, Funny Or -ie, created by .ill Ferrell, a $o$ular comedian. !he tone o% the article is com$letely comedic and laid-bac+ on the situation and tells a hysterically %unny story on /0 things one should do #hile the go"ernment is shut do#n. 'ts moti"ation is to gi"e a laid-bac+ stance on a "ery serious issue. 'ts audience is directed to#ards young adults and teenagers because o% its care%ree tone, but anyone #ho a$$reciates comedy and laughing #ould en1oy 2/0 !hings 3ou M4*! -o -uring !he Go"ernment *hutdo#n.2 !he second source is, 25a$$ening 6o# - *hutdo#n *ho#do#n,2 and 2Obama E(changes O$en For 7usiness Glitches and &ll,2 by 8lint 5enderson. 8lint has a more serious tone and his moti"ation is strictly to in%orm the audience. 5e ta+es )uotes %rom

9resident Obama and 5ouse s$ea+er :ohn 7oehner to sho# the con%licting ideas bet#een the -emocrats and ;e$ublicans. 5e also #ants to get across the e%%ects o% this shutdo#n, stating that already <00,000 #or+ers ha"e been layed o%% and the high demand to sign u$ %or Obamacare,s e(changes has made it di%%icult %or some to e"en sign u$ and com$uters ha"e crashed trying to do so. 5e doesn,t ta+e a $articular side and doesn,t com$letely state his o$inion, but by his tone he,s trying to tell us indirectly that he,s against the shutdo#n. 5e also uses sarcasm to sho# that. 'n the %inal source, 2!his 's .hat !hey .ant,2 by 8harles 9. 9ierce he is harsh, asserti"e and has "ery strong o$inions on the go"ernment shutdo#n. 'n the #ay he tal+s about it, it,s either his #ay or the high#ay. 5e belie"es the ;e$ublicans are solely res$onsible %or the shutdo#n stating, 2!hey are doing #hat they #ant to do. !hey are getting #hat they #ant.2 5e uses $hrases li+e, 2$ublic "andalism,2 and 2mon+eyhouse,2 to sho# ho# he really %eels about #hat the ;e$ublicans are doing and to $o+e %un at the go"ernment. 7y the end o% the article, he #ants his audience to +no# that the go"ernment is only concerned about the #ell being o% themsel"es and has no concern %or the general $ublic. 5e,s directing his article to those #ho are against the go"ernment shutdo#n and ob"iously those #ho are against the ;e$ublicans. 'n all three o% these articles there is a sense that all o% the #riters are against this shutdo#n. 6one o% the #riters $oint out something good that has come out o% the shutdo#n, only bad. 'n my o$inion, the most e%%ecti"e discourse #ould be that o% 8lint 5enderson,s in the second article. 5e,s more o% an in%ormer and stri"es to gi"e in%ormation on both sides not 1ust one. ',m more com%ortable #ith that ty$e o% discourse. 8harles 9. 9ierce is a hothead and isn,t #illing to hear anyone else,s side. 5o$e%ully the

go"ernment shutdo#n #ill be li%ted and things can go bac+ to normal= as normal as they,ll e"er be.

.or+s 8ited 2/0 Fun !hings 3ou M4*! -o -uring the Go"ernment *hutdo#n.2 Funny or -ie. 6.$.,

n.d.

.eb. 13 Oct. 013.

5enderson, 8lint. 2October , 013 5a$$ening 6o#.2 .eb log $ost. Fo( 6e#s. FO> 6e#s 6et#or+, n.d. .eb. 13 Oct. 013. 9ierce, 8harles 9. 2!he 9olitics 7log.2 Es)uirecom &rticle. 6.$., n.d. .eb. 13 Oct. 013.