Rhetorical Analysis- All Who Go Do Not Return

The argument presented by the synopsis of “All Those Who Go Do Not Return” by Shulem Deem is that Shulem’s journey to loss of faith is an admirable one and that he was right to depart from the set of beliefs espoused by the skeverer sect. The beginning of how I came to this conclusion involves a question posed by the BYU site as important to rhetorical analysis, which is “What is the rhetorical situation?” This is an important question to consider because it will help to reveal what the writer is arguing. The rhetorical situation for this book is that the book is an auto-biography about one man’s transition away from a particular set of beliefs. It is also mentioned in regards to this man’s religious beliefs that “his faith unravels entirely.” This is useful information because it indicates what the author currently believes by revealing what he does not believe, namely the belief system of the skverers.  In addition to this there are several important choices made by the writer of the synopsis that point toward the attitude of the book. “Compose, Design, Advocate” suggests that “If something stands out it is probably an important choice that the author made.” This is particularly apparent in the choices of vocabulary used by the author when describing different elements of the story. The first way this presents itself is in how the reaction of Shulem’s community is characterized. The writer juxtaposes harsh words with words people genuinely don’t consider negative to undermine the credibility of the positions of the Skverer community. A good example of this is the synopsis’ description of Shulem being “forced into a life of deception”.  This wording decisively shifts the blame onto the community for Shulem’s struggles as he begins to question is faith. This same attitude is illustrated by the choice to say that Shulem was ostracized by the community. The word ostracize carries the negative connotation that those who are doing it are being unreasonable. Alternatively the synopsis does the opposite and also makes its point through notably positive vocabulary when it comes to Shulem’s departure from faith. This is seen in the last sentence which describes Shulem as “bravely” tracing is loss of faith. This word choice indicates that his actions are something admirable because of the distinctly positive connotations of bravery. These strategies fall under what the Texas A&M site call “pathetic appeals. These are appeals designed to elicit approval through emotion and sympathy. The synopsis makes it very clear through its positive characterization of Shulem and his struggle that the audience is meant to sympathize with him. This same sympathy is also established through mentioning that throughout his journey this man is struggling to hold onto his children, who are what he values most. A profound desire to maintain and protect one’s family is a very universal mentality that can resonate with many readers in order to allow them to support Shulem in his plight. This sympathy makes the audience more likely to agree with Shulem’s current outlook, which is that his previous one was false.  All of these elements contribute to the overall conclusion that this book will be doubtlessly arguing in favor of the actions of the protagonist and author which involve rejecting skverer religion. 

"University Writing Center - Rhetorical Analysis." University Writing Center - Rhetorical Analysis. Texas A&M University Writing Center, n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2015.

"Basic Questions for Rhetorical Analysis." Basic Questions for Rhetorical Analysis. Brigham Young University, n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2015.

"All Who Go Do Not Return." All Who Go Do Not Return. Gray Wolf Press, n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2015.

Wysocki, Anne Frances, and Dennis A. Lynch. "Doing Rhetorical Analysis of Others' Texts." Compose, Design, Advocate: A Rhetoric for Integrating Written, Visual, and Oral Communication. New York: Longman, 2007. N. pag. Print.