A rhetorical analysis of selected Women's Liberation speeches of Gloria Steinem

The purpose of the study was to present a rhetorical analysis of selected Women’s Liberation addresses of Gloria Steinem delivered in two distinctly different audience situations. The study was divided into chapters dealing with the historical development of the Women’s Liberation Movement and the status of the movement in the 1970’s; a biography of the speaker, including Steinem’s personal philosophy concerning Women’s Liberation; the analysis of Steinem’s 1970 Vassar College Commencement Address; and an analysis of Steinem’s 1972 National Press Club Address.The method of analysis employed in the study is the strategy approach advanced by Kenneth Burke. The method involved a four-fold analysis: (1) the historical context in which the speech was delivered; (2) the rhetorical problems Steinem faced in each address; (3) the rhetorical goals Steinem wished to achieve; (4) the rhetorical strategies selected to overcome the rhetorical problems and achieve her rhetorical goals.Thesis (M.A.