Terministic Screens and Cultural Perspectives: A Pentadic Analysis of the Attribution of Motive for the September 11th Event
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Date
2003-08-15
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Abstract
The research in this project examines the motives attributed in different cultural perspectives for the September 11th attack on the United States using Kenneth Burke's rhetorical theory of Dramatism to examine speeches and articles that were published immediately following the attack. The dramatistic, or pentadic, analysis focuses on four different cultural perspectives: France as represented by Le Monde Diplomatique, Iran as represented by the Tehran Times, Israel as represented by the speeches of Ariel Sharon, and the United States as represented by the speeches of George W. Bush. In each perspective, five elements are defined and analyzed: act, scene, agent, agency, and purpose. The analysis is in hypertext. By doing the analysis in hypertext, one cultural perspective is not privileged over another. Thus the reader is able to see how one perspective describes the event, and can link either to another screen in that perspective or to a corresponding screen in another perspective. The analysis is preceded by a Critical Framework that explains key terms used in the analysis. A conclusion is also included to summarize findings in the analysis and to discuss implications arising from the analysis. The Conclusion shows how each perspective has a way of seeing and not seeing the event, and how we can learn from our observations.
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pentadic analysis, september 11th
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Degree
MA
Discipline
English
