TY - JOUR
T1 - Narrative as the philosopher’s stone
T2 - How russell h. conwell changed lead into diamonds
AU - Carlson, Adina
PY - 1989
Y1 - 1989
N2 - Russell H. Conwell’s once famous speech, "Acres of Diamonds,” has been dismissed by both historians and rhetoricians as a shallow expression of the Horatio Alger myth. This conclusion does not explain how Conwell was able to win nationwide audiences for over fifty years. A Burkean analysis of the speech reveals that Conwell’s formula for success relied upon a masterful transformation of pentadic ratios, carried on through the medium of the "true-life” success story. The speech illustrates the power such narratives have in altering an audience’s perception of its role in a greater drama.
AB - Russell H. Conwell’s once famous speech, "Acres of Diamonds,” has been dismissed by both historians and rhetoricians as a shallow expression of the Horatio Alger myth. This conclusion does not explain how Conwell was able to win nationwide audiences for over fifty years. A Burkean analysis of the speech reveals that Conwell’s formula for success relied upon a masterful transformation of pentadic ratios, carried on through the medium of the "true-life” success story. The speech illustrates the power such narratives have in altering an audience’s perception of its role in a greater drama.
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U2 - 10.1080/10570318909374314
DO - 10.1080/10570318909374314
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84894850340
SN - 0193-6700
VL - 53
SP - 342
EP - 355
JO - Western Journal of Speech Communication
JF - Western Journal of Speech Communication
IS - 4
ER -