A study of Rhetorical Elements on the letters of Mahmud Ahmadinejad

ABSTRACT

Rhetoric is the art of public speaking which is used by the speaker to persuade and to convince the hearer through the establishment of its elements. However, nowadays, rhetoric also applied to the written communication. It is considered as a strategy to sensitize the idea of the writer to successfully transfer to the reader. Besides, to be a smart reader, we should not merely be aware of what writer tries to say but also how the writer is communicating. Therefore, rhetoric is divided into two elements; the first is rhetorical context. Here, the writer has to decide the target and the purpose of the essay, whether it is to express feeling or ideas to the reader/relate to the experience, to inform the reader of something, to persuade the reader to think or act certain way, or to entertain the reader. The second is rhetorical structure. It tells about the organization of the essay.

The present study aims at investigating the rhetorical elements used by Mahmud Ahmadinejad in his letters. The researcher needs to ensure the rhetorical elements used in the four letters which discuss the issue in the same topic. The researcher develops rhetorical elements theory proposed by Phar and Buscemi. Methodologically, the researcher exerts descriptive qualitative study as her research design. The data are collected by skimming reading and analyzed by applying intensive reading on the letters. Those are taken from the webs which are published the subject of the study.

The findings show that the writer of the letters uses both elements of rhetoric, rhetorical context and structure. Those are displayed in some pharagraphs. Practically, Mahmud Ahmadinejad’s letters are aimed to inform, to persuade and to express the feeling. He uses some utterances which indicate as the clue of the letters goal. On the other hand, the letters also form in some pattern of the essay such as on the letter to Barack Obama established by using argument option, on the letter to the Secretary General United Nation established by using exemplification option, on the letter to George Bush established by using blended option, and the letter to the Chancellor of Federal Republic Germany formed by using blended option.

The writer also supports his arguments by putting some supporting details such as testimony, example and statistic. It is done in order to strengthen the idea of the writer. Moreover, Mahmud Ahmadinejad employs his argument by establishing the notion in inductive and deductive reasoning process. He develops that reasoning process intent to encourage the letters sanely, to make the redaer believe what he tries to extend.