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Numerous rhetorical critics have employed the narrative paradigm for analysis; however, it has not been applied to Eunice Kennedy Shriver and the Special Olympics. Within the Special Olympics lies rhetoric rich with meaning. As the founder of the Special Olympics Shriver held the power to create an identity not just for the Games, but for those with intellectual disabilities. Creating an identity for a marginalized group, she not only had to craft her speeches for the athletes, but also for the world outside the Special Olympics. This study provides an evaluation of five Shriver addresses to the Special Olympics that took place between 1987 and 2003. Using the narrative paradigm, along with the concept of dynamic spectacle, this literature highlights Shriver's crafting of a communal identity. In demonstrating Shriver's ability to create a communal identity, I provide a framework for future research to study rhetorically crafted identities and communities. Master of Arts

Working from Charland's (1987) description of constitutive rhetoric, this thesis is concerned what the popular zombie apocalypse television series The Walking Dead (TWD) has to say regarding survival behavior in a post-apocalyptic world. TWD's plot focuses primarily on the relationships between survivor characters situated among the crumbling remains of society and humanity. An attempt is made to show how TWD (1) establishes a common ideology among its characters, and therefore (2) constitutes its characters as a primary audience through an ideology of inhumanity by three narrative ideological effects. In doing so, the study aims to advance understanding of constitutive rhetoric in a temporal sense and also to emphasize that popular culture artifacts suggest viewers as secondary audiences and implied auditors tied to ideologies. The results of this analysis suggest the new order of a post-apocalyptic world binds survivors into a collective and transhistorical subject. These characters are tied to their past before the apocalypse and also become relatively relatable for viewers. Master of Arts

This study analyzes Norman Vincent Peale's bestsellers, A Guide to Confident Living and The Power of Positive Thinking, through the lenses of metaphoric criticism and invitational rhetoric. Invitational rhetoric includes characteristics such as openness, equality, mutual respect and reciprocal understanding. Metaphoric analysis includes the dominant categories of metaphors, their roles and transition across topics. The dominant tenors of mind and thought were identified, which shows consistency with Peale's main themes such as positive thinking, peace and faith. The meaning of the archetypal metaphors of light, water and sun are also discussed, along with the role of other metaphors in supporting invitational rhetoric. Master of Arts

In just five years West Virginia was rocked with two devastating disasters in the coal mining industry. Despite the disasters, West Virginians could not just walk away from the mines, as they depended on the coal industry for jobs and tax revenue. West Virginia had built a purpose-driven orientation towards the coal industry through a historical and current dependency on coal. However, the two disasters had a chance to alter that dominant orientation. In order to understand how or if the coal orientation was altered, by the disaster or the discourse that followed, a pentadic analysis was completed. The analysis revealed that the coal companies constantly battled a tension between the elements of agency and purpose, while trying to overcome a scene that made safety challenging. In the end, one mining company altered the purpose-driven orientation, as the other reinforced the orientation. As both of the situations offered different orientations towards coalmining, their orientations showed that coal companies can be purpose-driven providers but also a responsible provider, understanding not only that miners need a paycheck, but also safety. In the end, when companies use the purpose-driven orientation, created from the history, present, and future of the West Virginia coal industry, their orientation drives profits and reduces the importance of safety for the coal miners, making coal mining a risky business. However, after just one disaster, despite the mining company\'s orientation, the companies become providers to no one Master of Arts

This study performed a mythic analysis on three films with child heroes including E.T.—the Extra-Terrestrial, Stand by Me, and The Goonies. Several unifying themes were extracted and then compared with the dominant values of Reagan America to determine if these films provided a unique cultural outlook. While most of the uncovered themes have been recognized in other films of the era, the theme of childhood as a community in peril is unique. It is purported these films pass judgment on Reagan as a dubious national patriarch, and that it is possible that this is a function that many myths with child heroes fulfill. Master of Arts