Rhetorical Analyisis: Alicia Gilmore

This is the link to the article: http://www.studentpulse.com/articles/512/postmodernism-in-vonneguts-cats-cradle

1. The author of this article is explaining all the postmodernist ideas that are portrayed in the novel Cat's Cradle. He wanted to bring to light the idea of that progress is not always positive. It can be can be used for evil purposes. The author's main purposes is to point out flaws of the study of science and promote the beliefs of postmodernism.
2. The intended audience of this article is the people who are studying the ideals of postmodernism. Yes he is aware of his audience and speaks to them directly. He uses examples to add credibility to his view so that the reader will more excepting of his point of view.
3. The subject is the ideals of postmodernism that are portrayed in Cat's Cradle. It would be appreciated by the its audience because they study postmodernism.
4. The main point is that the pursuit of truth and knowledge does not always lead to the betterment of mankind.The thesis is agreeing with the view points of postmodernism. The author wants to prove that view points in the novel are true in our society. The thesis is very controversial because there are many different ways to look at the subject.
5. The writer uses quotes from both Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle and  Powell's Postmodernism for Beginners to solidify his ideas. This evidence is very important to the writer's argument. It backs up what he is saying. Quotes like what the writer used is the best kind of evidence to use in this genre. It is the kind that is most likely to persuade the audience. Any kind of scientific knowledge because it would contradict what the author was trying to prove.
6. The writer maps out the points he wants to cover in the introduction and then follows the order and goes into detail about the concepts. This is an effective way to write. It helps the reader follow along and builds the case for the writer's point of view.
7. Yes the writer uses good transitions to make the article easy to read and comprehend. I think they work very well.
8. The language that the author uses is not that formal. He does use some terminology, but the author's intended audience can still understand it. The uses of the terminology helps the readers to know that the author knows what he is talking about.
9. The writer contrasts the ideas of modernism and postmodernism. He also shows the parallels between the novel and real life. These devices enhance the writer's meaning.
10. No the author does not establish himself as an acceptable authority on the subject. He quotes two authors that have studied the subject and are respected in their field.

It reinforced how important it is to quote and have reliable sources to rove your point.