Rhetorical Devices Essay

Rhetorical Devices used by Prentiss: Prentiss (2005) utilizes rhetorical devices to influence her readers, she provides statements that give a negative spin towards Hayden’s work at the Keatley Creek site (Gibbon 2014). Prentiss (2005:178) uses dyshemisms as she critiques Hayden’s argument regarding climate change. She mentions that Hayden merely used a single pollen study and this is problematic since pollen is a poor indicator of short-term variations in climate and even worse when using only one pollen data set (Prentiss 2005:178). This statement gives negative and harsh connotations towards Hayden’s work. The purpose of this was to outline how her work was accurate and not flawed like Hayden made it seem. This is also an example of persuasive comparisons as Prentiss (2005) is making a comparison of her analysis to Hayden’s and suggesting that Hayden’s analysis is weak and not accurate. In …show more content…
This type of fallacy is evident in Prentiss et al., (2007:321) work, she suggests that institutionalized inequality emerged after small houses were abandoned, indication of outdoor food preparation disappeared, and large houses began gathering a lot of prestige goods. This is an example of post hoc fallacy since Prentiss et al., (2007:321) is suggesting that because event one, small houses were abandoned, outdoor food perpetration disappear and large houses collected prestigious goods followed the second events, which is the emergence of institutionalized inequality. Thereby, the first event caused institutionalized inequality. This fallacy serves the purpose of providing a cause and effect, it helps Prentiss et al., (2007) persuade her readers by showing evidence for the emergence of institutionalized inequality. Thereby, it helps justify the argument that institutionalized inequality did occur at the Keatley Creek