An assignment Analyzing rhetoric, hopefully with rhetoric on its own.
There is a certain curiosity that people have when confronted with
people with personality disorders. Are the people with personality disorders
like us in some ways, and what makes them different? Sociopathy is a disorder
in which the person has an extreme anti-social behavior. The anti-social
behavior is not the same as being introverted but allies itself more closely
with “one who does not follow social norms”. (Merriam, 2007) Sociopath’s are
the manipulative con man, the person who lies to your face even when he does
not have to. “The child who tortures animals, the cold-blooded killer; psychopaths
are characterized by an absence of empathy and poor impulse control, with a
total lack of conscience.” (Sociopathic World). Sociopathic World is a website
that broaches the subject of sociopathy in a revolutionary way; the website
gives a more realistic idea of who and what a “sociopath” is.
Sociopaths
are fascinating individuals because they live outside the social norms of
society and think with a mind foreign to the average person. Sociopathic World
takes an open but informative approach for its format that bespeaks it wants
the reader informed on the subject matter; a subject matter that is highly
abnormal and perhaps a stretch on what is acceptable to talk about and perhaps
unacceptable to accept.
The purpose of the website seems motivated by a writer who knows
about the subject matter first hand. The website is set up in the manner of a
blog. Blog formats make the website seem more personal, and the author of it
seems to want to make this subject very personal from the way that they set up
the website. Another thing that adds to the focus of the websites format it the
multiple pages and tabs to click on which allows the reader to forge their own
path through the subject matter. The motivations do not seem selfish of ill
intent because the writer only informs the reader sympathetically of the plight
of sociopaths. Nowhere does he argue for it being right or wrong just that it
is what it is. The format seems to be simple and confrontational, the back
round is very stoically white but there is also a white theatre mast that makes
it something that confronts the viewer.
Fig.
1 Image taken off Sociopathic World, via February 21, 2014
I
would have to say the mask in the back round is the picture of exactly what a sociopath
is someone who looks like everyone else but underneath someone completely
alien. This is probably the most confrontational image on the website and it purposefully
is put in the back round to keep the image in the forefront of the viewer’s
mind so that they never forget the true face of the intriguing sociopaths.
The audience are people directly interested in sociopaths/
sociopaths themselves/ or people who have encountered others with personality
disorders. The website does an excellent job of catering to its audience
whether it is any of the three above. It is informative and explains while
giving an interesting perspective of the subject matter. The visuals give a
reference as to what a sociopath looks like to the reader. Sociopaths look
ambiguous and the visual and text work together to create an atmosphere of
personality disorder.
The Author’s ethos is not that of a physiatrist and that takes away
from the papers scientific credibility. The Author does however have a deep
understanding and a logical voice that gives credit to the subject. Ethos is
evident in the citation of firsthand accounts, where the author uses reliable
sources on its subject matter on the website. Credibility becomes less in as
much that he is not a physiatrist, which detracts a bit from the website but
gains credibility because it is a very persuasively logical. Ethos in the
visuals shows up in the pictures that are ambiguous and clean. The pictures
could be applicable to anything and used in the blog make it a little more
normal.
Figure 2, Image taken off Sociopathic
World, via February 21, 2014
The Authors Logos does not seem biased in any way on the subject of
sociopathy. The website presents itself singular, from an agenda. The quality
of the message and quantity seem unlimited; the evidence seems endless and all
of the statements supported with real experience accounts. A weakness that
arises on the website is the fact that others can comment their own opinions
and that may detract from the argument.
The comments add to the credibility as well though, being a place for
sociopaths to comment. Where pathos is, concerned sociopaths are not emotional
and the only emotional argument is cold aloofness. Particular emotions the
author evokes are the emotions that the readers give themselves. An argument is
presented to the reader to draw whatever conclusions they can from the blog and
to read it with their own inferences.
The
predominant focus in the blog is the text. The visual is a second and not as
relied upon as the text but it is relevant.
Visual and Text in the blog do complement each other and add rhetoric
towards the sociopathic image that the website is about. The visual brings home
the message of the text and deepens the understanding of the text. The visual
is places in the back round and in the beginnings of each text. If the visual
were absent, the text would be less effective. The visual makes the text more
interesting and more appealing to read.
Sociopathic World the website, engages the reader through ethos,
pathos, and logos, in a semi interactive experience while they read about what
a sociopath is. The visuals in the back round employ an austere white color to
keep the atmosphere thought provoking. The curiosity people have with
sociopaths heightens with this atmosphere. The atmosphere brings home a
difference between an average person and someone with a personality disorder.
The website does a good job using the rhetorical triangle and keeping the
reader interested. Sociopathy is explained in a digestible format so that
people looking for more information on it will find it.
Works Cited
"Sociopath." Merriam-Webster.com.
Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2014.
<http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sociopath>.
Sociopath
World, . "A portrait of a Sociopath." . N.p.. Web. 20 Feb 2014.
<http://www.sociopathworld.com/>.
Sociopath World,
. "Figure One the back round." . N.p.. Web. 20 Feb 2014.
<http://www.sociopathworld.com/>.
Sociopath World,
. "Figure Two." . N.p.. Web. 20 Feb 2014.
<http://www.sociopathworld.com/>.
