Neo-Aristotelian Criticism of Aly Raisman’s Court Speech in the Larry Nassar Case
During the trial of Doctor Larry Nassar, dozens of women came forward and filed civil lawsuits against Nassar. Aly Raisman was among the 150 women to come forward with compelling testimonies and victim impact statements to help determine Nassar’s sentencing. A Neo-Aristotelian criticism is applied to the speech to analyze organization, style, delivery, memory, and success. Aly identified her abuser as Larry Nassar, and used language such as “sick” and “manipulative” to describe him. She used imagery phrases, spoke in a formal format, and made a case for the #MeToo movement. Aly’s speech is analyzed to prove the connection between her method and the sentencing of Doctor Larry Nassar.
COMM 441, Rhetorical Criticism
Doyle Srader
10 AM – Noon