Rhetorical Visions in the Film, American History X Essay -- Films Movi

Rhetorical Visions in the Film, American History X â€Å"Hate is baggage. Life's too short to be pissed off all the time†. This is a quote from the film American History X. This film sends out a powerful message about hate groups such as skinheads and Neo-Nazis. The vision of this movie is to make others aware of the complex life of a skinhead. Through different symbolism we see how society views this group. We also are made aware of the continuous cycle of violence that continues to exist even after a powerful leader changes his view. American History X is important to analyze because it shows how one man’s rhetorical vision changes through life experiences. This film depicts the lifestyles of skinheads and how one person with a vision leads others to worship everything he is and everything he believes in. How can a leader with so much rhetorical vision and passion about one thing change over a period of time? The importance of this film is to observe how a character develops. It also shows a social and psychological issue that has been around for many years and how it only takes one person to change how a group thinks. I will attempt to answer the research question by using Bormann’s Symbolic Convergence Theory and Fantasy Theme. The goal of this paper is to â€Å"provide insight in the shared worldview of a group of rhetors† (Bormann as cited in Foss 121). I will also show repeated phrases that lead to different rhetorical visions. I will explain how fantasy types emerge and also how symbolism reflects the rhetorical visions. The first part of my paper will include two different literary reviews that have been done on fantasy themes. One of them specifically deals with hate groups and how th... ...spectives (1999): Vol. 1 Issue 3: p19, 4p. Academic Premier. InfoTrac. Scarborough- Phillips Lib., Austin, TX. 20 Feb. 2004. Benoit, William L., et al. â€Å"A Fantasy Theme Analysis of Political Cartoons on the Clinton-Lewinsky-Starr Affair.† Critical Studies in Media Communication. Vol.18, No.4, December 2001, 377-394. Billingsley, Robert D. â€Å"Hard working youngsters or Nazi thugs?† Federal Probation; Sep. 93, Vol 57, Issue 3. p88, 2p. Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection. InfoTrac. Scarborough-Phillips Lib., Austin, TX 20 Feb. 2004. Duffy, Margaret E. â€Å"Web of Hate: A Fantasy Theme Analysis of the Rhetorical Vision of Hate Groups On Line.† Journal of Communication Inquiry 27:3 (July 2003): 291-312. Foss, Sonja K. Rhetorical Criticism: Exploration & Practice. (2nd Edition). Illinois Heights: Waveland Press. 1989.