The purpose of the study was to present a rhetorical analysis of selected Women’s Liberation addresses of Gloria Steinem delivered in two distinctly different audience situations. The study was divided into chapters dealing with the historical development of the Women’s Liberation Movement and the status of the movement in the 1970’s; a biography of the speaker, including Steinem’s personal philosophy concerning Women’s Liberation; the analysis of Steinem’s 1970 Vassar College Commencement Address; and an analysis of Steinem’s 1972 National Press Club Address.The method of analysis employed in the study is the strategy approach advanced by Kenneth Burke. The method involved a four-fold analysis: (1) the historical context in which the speech was delivered; (2) the rhetorical problems Steinem faced in each address; (3) the rhetorical goals Steinem wished to achieve; (4) the rhetorical strategies selected to overcome the rhetorical problems and achieve her rhetorical goals.

The purpose of this study has been to analyze the rhetoric of Gloria Steinem in order to determine how she uses identification in her attempts to unify the members of the Women's Liberation Movement and to enlist the cooperation of others outside the movement. The rhetorical theory and concepts of identification and consubstantiality developed by Kenneth Burke, literary and rhetorical critic, have been used in this study. The representative examples of Steinem's rhetoric which have been analyzed include a speech made at Southern Methodist University on February 3, 1972, Steinem's feature article "Sisterhood," which was published in the 1972 Spring Preview Issue of Ms. magazine, and a speech made by Steinem at the opening session of the National Women's Political Caucus in Houston, Texas, on February 9, 1973. This study has revealed Gloria Steinem to be, during the years from 1967 until the present time, a vital spokeswoman for the Women's Liberation Movement. The means through which Steinem chose to combat the oppression of women was rhetoric. The three examples of Steinem's rhetoric analyzed in this study indicate that her basic premise concerns the long-standing subjugation and exploitation of women by the ruling class -- white males.

The purpose of this study has been to analyze the rhetoric of Gloria Steinem in order to determine how she uses identification in her attempts to unify the members of the Women's Liberation Movement and to enlist the cooperation of others outside the movement.

Book Summary: Treating the cultural giants of the 20th century, this volume traces their reading habits and intellectual development, as well as their contributions to Western culture. Suggesting the literary influences on these figures, the book includes 355 entries on people from a broad range of fields, including scientists, politicians, business figures, writers, religious leaders, and figures from the performing arts and popular culture. The volume is a handy companion to Powell's earlier volume, Biographical Dictionary of Literary Influences: The Nineteenth Century, 1800-1914. Reflecting non-Western influences on Western culture, the volume includes such Asian and African figures as Mohandas Gandhi and Wole Soyinka, while also covering the significant Western figures. As the volume recognizes, forms of cultural influence evolved in the 20th century to include more aural and visual influences. Yet the volume still reveals fascinating literary influences throughout the century.