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Rhetorical Analysis Of Steve Jobs

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“And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle” (Jobs). At Stanford University’s 2005 graduation ceremony, Steve Jobs was invited to give a speech that would serve an impact on those beginning their lives. Throughout the speech, Jobs elaborated on the background story of his life, successes, and failures, which all pertained to the true purpose of his speech. His stories and lessons had the ability to grasp the audience due to his consistent use of pathos, repetition, antitheton, and logos, all of which were enveloped into a short and simple structure that supported his statements regarding how individuals should live their own lives. Steve Jobs’ 2005 commencement speech contains rhetorical devices that all contribute to his exertion of life-changing advice that could benefit all individuals of society striving for success. For the duration of his speech, Jobs included background stories and details of his personal life which each coincided with the purpose of his statements. In order to elaborate on the idea of failure, Jobs spoke of the several valleys he endured on his road to success. Jobs immediately made it clear he never graduated college and began taking classes of his own interest. He applied the new knowledge to his work on the Mac, but was soon fired from Apple. This gave him the chance to advance in Pixar and meet his wife. Jobs ended his speech with the terrifying experience of when he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer (“Steve Jobs’ 2005...”). Jobs, although very successful, did not receive his success due to the obtainment of a stable family and financial standing. In fact, Jobs’ childhood was far from perfect. He was put up for adoption by his biological mother and was later adopted by parents, neither of which who attended college. He faced economic issues while pursuing what he adored, yet he expressed his struggles in a more positive manner. Jobs continued to use the valleys he described to connect his speech to following one’s dreams no matter the bumps in the road (Ivanov). Steve Jobs focuses his speech on how one can be successful by doing what makes an individual happy even if it contradicts the intended

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