One of the tools often used by a rhetor to motivate, solidify, and manage his constituency is the authorizing figure. While the referencing to historical figures is a common practice and frequently employed in the political realm, it takes on a special role in the inception, activation, and maintenance of social movements. This study analyzes the rhetorical uses of the authorizing figure during the Cuban revolution and Fidel Castro's use of Jose Marti, the civilian leader of the 1890s independence wars from Spain. Donald Rice discusses how the authorizing figure defines and unifies the...
One of the tools often used by a rhetor to motivate, solidify, and manage his constituency is the authorizing figure. While the referencing to hist...