Clare Boothe Luce, an American journalist and politician, prepares her audience of Women’s National Press Club journalists for a speech filled with criticism and suggestions. Luce’s introduction is used in order to show her audience their faults and to prepare them for what she is about to say. Luce lists things that are expected of the journalists in order to encourage them to think about what they are expected to do. Stating suggestions of what her audience should report, such as “the lives of men- and women” may even give the journalists ideas of what to report on. The journalists are supposed to “achieve illuminating candor in print,” meaning they’re supposed to tell the truth instead of reporting fictitious stories. The journalists’
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She states that she did not volunteer to speak on the subject, “[the journalists] asked for it.” The audience should have been prepared for some criticism when they asked for Luce to speak for them. Stating that they asked for her to come in implies that the audience may not like what she has to say. If it were a speech filled with compliments instead of criticism, the speaker wouldn’t have to repeatedly clarify that she was asked for, she didn’t volunteer. Along with the repetition, Clare Boothe Luce points out that she is “invited to throw rocks at [the audience].” This automatically gives the audience of journalists the idea that what Luce has to say may not be favorable, but she may be throwing metaphorical rocks as she criticizes the American press. Luce makes it known that she is also a journalist who has faults. She explains that no audience is more forgiving “to the speaker who fails or stumbles in his own pursuit of it.” Luce is aware that she makes mistakes in her career as a journalist. She doesn't want her audience thinking that she is superior in their shared line of work. This sets them as equal as a way to relate and to one another and further prepare the audience for the rest of her speech by letting them know that Luce is just like them and makes the same
She states that she did not volunteer to speak on the subject, “[the journalists] asked for it.” The audience should have been prepared for some criticism when they asked for Luce to speak for them. Stating that they asked for her to come in implies that the audience may not like what she has to say. If it were a speech filled with compliments instead of criticism, the speaker wouldn’t have to repeatedly clarify that she was asked for, she didn’t volunteer. Along with the repetition, Clare Boothe Luce points out that she is “invited to throw rocks at [the audience].” This automatically gives the audience of journalists the idea that what Luce has to say may not be favorable, but she may be throwing metaphorical rocks as she criticizes the American press. Luce makes it known that she is also a journalist who has faults. She explains that no audience is more forgiving “to the speaker who fails or stumbles in his own pursuit of it.” Luce is aware that she makes mistakes in her career as a journalist. She doesn't want her audience thinking that she is superior in their shared line of work. This sets them as equal as a way to relate and to one another and further prepare the audience for the rest of her speech by letting them know that Luce is just like them and makes the same