Anne Lamott Rhetorical Analysis

Rhetorical Analysis on "12 truths I learned from life and writing," by Anne Lamott

Abdirahman Yusuf

Eng 101

March 1, 2023

In her Ted Talk "12 truths I learned from life and writing," author Anne Lamott illustrates a series of insights she has gained throughout the course of her life and career as a writer. Through her use of personal experiences, humor, and rhetorical devices, Lamott effectively communicates her message and leaves an impression on her audience. Lamott begins her talk by sharing about her struggles with addiction and mental health in her life. By doing this, she displays her vulnerability and creates a sense of empathy building that bridge with her audience. From there she continues to share her 12 truths,

For example, she often repeats certain things to emphasize her ideas. This helps her points linger with the audience even after she’s done speaking and allows the audience to reflect on what she said. For example when she repeats the phrase "I'm sorry", she does this to express the power of apology. She also uses humor to lighten the mood and make her message more relatable, such as when she jokes about the challenges of parenting a teenage boy. Lamott also makes use of symbolism to help her audience see her ideas. For example, she expresses writing as a system that is "bird by bird," where writers must focus on one part of their work at a time. She remembers this metaphor from when her father helped her brother write a term paper when they were children. This metaphor not only encapsulates how difficult the writing process can be at times but serves as a descriptive example that her audience can easily imagine and relate to considering that many writers face similar challenges. Lamott tries to convey the idea that writing can be used as a valuable tool for introspection and personal growth. She aims to motivate and encourage others to embrace the creative process of writing and apply it to their own life. It can be a way to connect with others to express ideas and emotions in a way that is unique and personal to each

She draws from situations in her life that she knows aren't specific to her but are universal in nature and uses that to better illustrate her points to the audience. For example, when she quotes Ram Dass “When all is said and done, we’re really just walking each other home” (TED, 2017). This quote is relevant to anyone who has lost someone and really felt the pain of grief. Lamott appeals to pathos, or emotion, throughout her talk she shares personal anecdotes regarding how to deal with grief and loss that resonates with the audience. Lamott's stories of love, loss, grief, and transformation are enough to evoke a range of emotions creating a powerful emotional connection with the