PEACE CORPS IN THE 21 ST CENTURY: A RHETORICAL ANALYSIS

44While the wording of these print advertisements reemphasizes the visual image,viewers would get a similar interpretation without the words. In figure 2.1, the copystates, “Has anyone ever called you crazy? For the way you dress? The things you say?”This rhetorical turn catches the reader’s attention, identifying with anyone who feelsdifferent. The message is clear; a person who would join the Peace Corps must be crazy.He or she, in this case, the Hispanic woman, may have been called different because ofher ethnicity, what she wears, or how she speaks. The Hispanic woman is not like othersand the advertisement is meant to highlight these differences. Figure 2.1 goes on to read,“What if you left for two years? Moved to another country? To live with people youdon’t know. Where no one speaks your language. What if you were going to improvetheir lives? And in the process, improve yours.” The second part of this PSA movesfrom identifying with the reader to telling the reader about the Peace Corps. The copyends by asking, “Would that be crazy?” leaving the reader reminded of the beginningwhere s/he was considered crazy because s/he is different. At the close of the ad, beingcrazy would mean leaving your life behind to help others. The advertisement ends,“Peace Corps. Life is calling. How far will you go?” This campaign slogan reinforcesthe idea that people do not want to look back wondering if they made the right choices.Figure 2.2 follows the same logic as figure 2.1; however, this advertisementtargets older Americans. It begins, “Do you tell people you’re over the hill?” The targetaudience is established with this single sentence. Visually, it is clear who the target ofthis advertisement is, and the words merely reinforce the point. Much like figure 2.1, thisimage first asks a question with which the reader can identify, then moves on to establisha way to make that seemingly harsh question an empowering one. In this case, being old