"Rebuttal" Analogy: A Theoretical Note

Abstract

Communication tradition purports that analogies are persuasive, although there is scant evidence supporting analogy as a rhetorical influence structure. One possible reason is the lack of theoretical and operational specificity concerning types of analogies and their communicative characteristics. There are several forms of analogies (e.g., explanatory and expressive), each with its own linguistic structure and rhetorical functions. This essay is designed to identify another analogical form--rebuttal analogy--and to explicate its characteristics and functions.