The purpose of this study was to analyze the content of selected television commercials according to Kenneth Burke's theory of the rhetoric of rebirth. A supplementary Burkeian method called cluster analysis was also used. The analysis revealed, that the rhetoric of rebirth was incorporated in the commercials to stimulate guilt in the television audience. The products offered in the commercials supposedly purged this guilt, transforming the person to a new way of life. The analysis revealed meanings inherent in the word choices for various commercials as well as the potential impact of those words. The study isolated several underlying motifs in the substance of the commercials. The effect of the visual message may cause the audience to overlook the message of the words. Experimental research cited in this study confirms this hypothesis.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:unt.edu/info:ark/67531/metadc504646 |
| Date | 05 1900 |
| Creators | Thetford, Tony R. |
| Contributors | Stupp, Vicki O., Thomas, L. Fred (Lawrence Fred) |
| Publisher | North Texas State University |
| Source Sets | University of North Texas |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | iv, 94 leaves, Text |
| Rights | Public, Thetford, Tony R., Copyright, Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved. |
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