Analysis

Our analysis of the interview “Call me Arnold”, an interview with Arnold Schwarzenegger written down by Studs Terkel, is inspired by the rhetorical pentagram model. Below you will find a short overview of the main points in our analysis of the interview.

In what follows, we will look at the topics of the article – Arnold’s story, achieving your dreams, and America as the best country in the world.

We will present the writer of the text, as well as Arnold Schwarzenegger's position on the topics of the article.

We will also examine the reader – the potential readers of the text and the writer’s target audience. 

We will analyze how Schwarzenegger uses language tools to achieve his intention. We will look at the choice of words, the sentence structure, Schwarzenegger’ tone and at how he appeals to the audience’s trust and reason.

We will discuss the circumstances of the article, looking at Arnold Schwarzenegger’s life and at the historical circumstances at the time when the interview took place.

Lastly, we will consider the Schwarzenegger’ intention to convey his message that people can achieve their dreams through hard work and that America is the best country in the world, and connect it with the language tools he uses, the circumstances, and the topics of the speech.

You can find the full analysis in what follows!