NARRATIVE RHETORICAL ANALYSIS OF STEVE JOBS’ SPEECH 0
Narrative Rhetorical Analysis of Steve Jobs’ Stanford Commencement Address
Grace Pizzini, Andrew McDermott, Caitlin Eichhorn and Adam Powers
Illinois State University
Dr. Ashley Hall
December 8, 2021
NARRATIVE RHETORICAL ANALYSIS OF STEVE JOBS’ SPEECH 1
Introduction
Computers, phones, tablets, and other technologies like such are some of the most
popular devices you find in society today. According to Pew Research Center, “The vast
majority of Americans – 97% – now own a cellphone of some kind. The share of Americans that
own a smartphone is now 85%, up from just 35% in Pew Research Center’s first survey of
smartphone ownership conducted in 2011,” (Pew Research Center, 2021). This statistic shouldn’t
be much of a surprise, as smartphones have lost their place as a rare commodity and are now
viewed more as a basic necessity in the United States. This popularity can be accredited to Steve
Jobs, founder of Apple.
Steve Jobs was one of the most influential developers to exist because of his innovation
and vision for the future. Born in 1955 in San Francisco, California, Jobs was placed for
adoption by his parents who were both graduate students. His biological parents wanted him to
be raised by adults with a college education, and almost refused to sign the papers until Job’s
adopted parents promised he would one day go to college (Jobs, 2005, 1:51). Although Jobs was
accepted into Reed College, he eventually dropped out because he was unsure of his ambitions
and did not want to waste his parent’s money.
Jobs began one of his greatest projects, Apple, in his garage in 1976 with his partner at
the time, Steve Wozniak. It was this dynamic duo of brain power and business skills that brought
his vision to where it exists today as a multi-billion dollar corporation that has permanently
changed the world. This new world is held together by computers and smartphones, and Apple
remains as one of the top competitors in the United States presently. It was Job’s vision of a
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world where everyone had access to the internet via computer that was carried out through his
hard work and dedication.
Artifact Description and Historical Context
Artifact Description
Steve Jobs was well respected by many, and because of his accomplishments and
influence, he was highly qualified to deliver a commencement speech on June 12th to the
Stanford graduating class of 2005. The speech he gave is one of the most viewed
commencements on the internet due to the fact that he delivered it exceptionally, but also
because of his death in 2011. Because this speech is so popular, it deserves to be criticized
rhetorically. There are many rhetorical devices used throughout his speech that made it so
relatable and effective. Some devices that were used were logos: logic and reason, pathos:
emotions and feelings, and ethos: credibility and ethics. If a speaker touches all three of these
devices, such as Jobs did, then the speech will more than likely be effective.
Another strategy that Jobs implemented in his speech was narrative paradigm. This
theory says that humans are natural storytellers and that effective communication is due to
humans sharing these stories with others. According to Fisher, “History records no community,
uncivilized or civilized, without key story-makers/storytellers, whether sanctioned by God, a
‘gift,’ heritage, power, intelligence, or election,” (Fisher, 1984, p.9). This explains the
importance of the narrative paradigm and the effects of it throughout history. Fisher later goes on
to say, “Narratives enable us to understand the actions of others ‘because we all live out
narratives in our lives and because we understand our own lives in terms of narratives’” (Fisher,
1984, p.8). Jobs accomplishes this by sharing three stories from his life. These anecdotes were
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relatable to the students that were about to take a leap into the real world because Jobs was in the
same position as them at one point in his life. It is somewhat surprising that someone like Jobs
never graduated college, but that’s why his anecdotes were special.
One last strategy that Jobs used in this commencement speech was rhetorical questions.
Rhetorical questions are very effective in speeches because they allow the audience to answer the
questions in their head. By doing this effectively, it is possible to captivate and hold the
audience’s attention while guiding them through the stories being told. Jobs utilized several
different rhetorical strategies in order to captivate his audience and ensure that his message
would be heard and internalized. His overall message was that students should live each day like
it could be their last and always refuse to settle despite the circumstances they are given.
Historical Context
Jobs delivered this commencement address in 2005. This year was a particularly
successful one for Apple in terms of finances. With the development and release of products
related to music, such as a new iPod and updates to iTunes (Schopflin & Neumayr), Apple made
progress in the technology world. Additionally, Jobs had a connection to the animation company
Pixar (D’Onfro). Pixar, along with Disney, had been in the middle of producing several of its
most popular films, including The Incredibles, which was released prior in 2004 (Lynch). Such
successful business ventures are reasons why Jobs was chosen to deliver such an address at such
a prestigious university. Since Jobs had been successful up to the point of this commencement
address and beyond, Stanford graduates would be inclined to listen to Jobs’ messages. He was
and remains a figure of notoriety for his business achievements and innovation, even without a
college diploma (Forbes). A man with no college degree achieving cast amounts of wealth and
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success would be an inspiration for college students looking to do the same after receiving their
degrees.
On a more political scale, 2005 was a year in which the violence in Iraq increased, and
the United States remained heavily involved (Owens). Such instability overseas is relatable to
life’s instability, a topic Jobs touches on during his speech. Jobs had surgery the year before to
remove a cancerous tumor (Childs & Dulak). Jobs’ personal experience with a near death
experience meant he could offer advice about how to live in a world where chaos (such as that in
Iraq) and uncertainty were common. Since he had experienced his own struggles and turmoil, he
served as an inspirational figure to the young adults carving their path in a world full of
instability.
Finally, 2005 was also a year of progress for Stanford University. In the School of
Engineering, the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford opened, which still teaches
students how to combine design and engineering to solve complex real-world problems (Stanford
University). Since the school was putting emphasis on using imaginative thinking by combining
these two skills, most likely the audience of graduates would be receptive to what Jobs had to
say. Jobs had to gain lots of knowledge and skills in order to build Apple into the brand that it
still is today, and this approach to learning by Stanford would indicate the audience would
favorably receive a speech from Steve Jobs.
Method
Jobs structures his speech around three personal anecdotes. The first being a story about
“connecting the dots” (Jobs, 2005, 0:55), the second being about “love and loss” (Jobs, 2005,
5:39), and the third about death (Jobs, 2005, 9:04). Thus, since he delivers his address by telling
stories, we found it fitting to analyze his rhetoric through the narrative approach. We as a group
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recognize that this method takes a realtor’s work and views it in a similar way one would view a
story or a series of narratives. We recognize that the narrative approach looks at rhetoric in a
much more subjective manner than in other methods, such as a more traditional method. That
being said, with the narrative approach, we examine how an audience’s prior beliefs,
experiences, values, and opinions connect and are possibly impacted by a realtor’s work. We
believe this approach is the best in relation to Jobs’s speech because both the narrative approach
and the speech relate to the idea that we have the natural desire to tell stories and that a
successful story is heavily tied to the concept of “good reason.”
The narrative method is rooted in the idea that humans are natural storytellers (Fisher).
Since humans have the natural inclination to tell a story instead of argue, the narrative approach
aims to explore how stories can have a persuasive impact without being overt arguments. In his
article relating to the narrative paradigm, Walter Fisher states that, “The narrative paradigm
challenges the notions that human communication -if it is to be considered rhetorical- must be an
argumentative form,” (Fisher, 1984, p. 2). Thus, with this method, we are not analyzing and/or
critiquing Steve Jobs’s ability to argue. Rather, the narrative approach seeks to examine how
narrative techniques can persuade an audience of a particular message without arguing for or
against something. Thus, rhetoric can be in the form of narratives as opposed to strictly
arguments, which is exactly what Jobs’s commencement address is composed of. Jobs does not
stand before the college students and deliver cliché advice or convince them that in order to
succeed, they need to follow a specific path. Instead, he reflects on personal moments of his life
and in turn, uses such moments to illustrate how life and success are individualistic experiences.
Since he only tells stories and the stories themselves reflect his message, we can conclude he
strays away from developing any argument. Instead, it is up to the audience to discern a message
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from the narratives within the address. Therefore, for the reasoning that Jobs’s speech is
composed of stories, we thought the narrative rhetorical approach was fitting.
Additionally, another important facet of the narrative approach is the role of “good
reason.” Fisher also expands upon this concept when he states that, “Some stories are better at
satisfying the criteria of the logic of good reasons, which is attentive to reasons and values”
(Fisher, 1984, p. 10). Thus, a story must contain some element of logic and connect to an
audience member’s morals or values in some way to truly reach some degree of persuasion.
There has to be some moral reasoning behind the story being told, and the narrative also has to
make sense to the audience, hence the logical component. Good reasoning ultimately relates to
possible outcomes that adhere to a certain set of values. Thus, the story and it’s message must be
logically sound and relate to a set of values to not only resonate with an audience, but also
possibly persuade them to take some sort of action. In the case of Jobs’s speech, to walk away
from the graduation ceremony feeling inspired. Again, since the speech itself is constructed from
narratives, we thought that the speech could be potentially analyzed for morals and a logical
construction, which reflect two aspects of the narrative approach: narrative fidelity, or how well
a story coincides with an audience’s values and/or beliefs, and narrative coherence, which is how
much or how little a story makes sense. Since these ideas are so closely tied to the actual
construction of the speech as well as the narrative approach, we again thought it best to select the
narrative method for our criticism and analysis.
Analysis of Rhetorical Strategies
When Jobs chose to incorporate narratives in his speech, he made a conscious decision to
invite the audience to share his perspective and worldview. Dr. Christopher Wernecke states that
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while there are many definitions of the word rhetoric, one definition is “the use of language in all
its forms (verbal, visual, gestural, etc.) to convey meaning, and to therefore persuade others of
certain ideas, modes of action, or realities,” (Wernecke, 2021). He also mentions that when a
speaker uses narration as a rhetorical technique, their aim is to create particularity, shareability,
and intimate quality with their words (Wernecke, 2021). Jobs included heavy detail in his three
stories to create a narrative frame of the events that occurred while simultaneously encouraging
his audience to agree with his message and incorporate it in their lives. He aimed for the
audience to arrive at the conclusion that even though life is full of twists, it is essential to follow
your heart while refusing to take existence for granted.
Jobs utilized logos, pathos, and ethos to increase his chances of persuading the Stanford
graduates. Sympathetic audiences are not inherent, so Jobs had to work to keep their attention
and get his message across. He added distinct examples of each strategy as an attempt to relay
his overall message that life is full of choices and potential.
Jobs made use of logos because he wanted his audience to recognize that while he did
draw upon personal narratives from his life, the stories are credible due to his logical worldview.
Jobs emphasized several times throughout his speech that his initial cancer diagnosis
permanently altered his perception of life. This aspect of Jobs’ history influenced his opinion that
each day should be treated as if it could be the last. Jobs had a realistic attitude towards life and
death, stating that “Death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it,” (Jobs,
2005, 12:02). While this phrase seems obvious, it is a great example of how Jobs was forced to
come to terms with his own mortality using logic and reasoning. This is a sentiment that Jobs’
audience can understand, internalize, and apply to their own lives with their own unique lenses.
As college students who likely felt invincible on the highly anticipated day of their graduation,
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they may not have been actively considering the notion that each day is precious and nothing
lasts forever.
While Jobs did work to incorporate rationality in his speech, this did not prevent him
from including an emotional aspect as well. The human aspect of pathos is hard to ignore when
dealing with topics such as mortality, and by choosing both logic and emotion Jobs creates a
balance that gives his speech a well-rounded appeal. One way that Jobs appeals to the emotions
of his audience is by acknowledging concepts such as fate and intuition. While describing his
past in hindsight, Jobs explained that he would never have been able to predict where he ended
up. He emphasized the importance of keeping faith, stating “You have to trust that the dots will
somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something- your gut, destiny, life, karma,
whatever,” (Jobs, 2005, 5:23). Ideas such as destiny are commonly accepted by many in our
society despite a lack of clear scientific evidence to support them. By applying these ideas to his
own life, Jobs showed how his own hope and beliefs allowed him to persevere despite feeling
lost and stuck in life.
In addition to Jobs’ experience thinking with his head and his heart, he had a great deal of
experience founding and maintaining companies like Apple and Pixar. His résumé was packed
with experience, and although he did not graduate college, his other endeavors more than made
up for this decision. In terms of ethos, he was able to speak on his credibility as a CEO by
describing the success Apple sustained under his guidance. He stated that “In 10 years Apple had
grown from just the two of us in a garage into a $2 billion company with over 4,000 employees,”
(Jobs, 2005, 5:53). What Jobs accomplished in his lifetime went above and beyond the
expectations set out for him by his biological and adoptive parents as well as the rest of society.
He was and still is seen as an inspiration, and due to this he was selected to speak at the
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commencement speech of a prestigious and well-known university. Arguably, this fact itself is
also a form of ethos as this position is extremely difficult to acquire.
As well as utilizing logos, ethos, and pathos, Jobs applied the narrative paradigm to his
speech by applying three of its key characteristics to his address. The first and most obvious
aspect of the narrative paradigm that Jobs followed was the idea that humans are storytellers.
Within his speech Jobs told 3 distinct stories about his life and he labeled them as such when he
stated, “No big deal. Just three stories,” (Jobs, 2005, 0:54). The second principle he follows is the
idea that rationality is based on subjectivity. One example of this idea is showcased in Jobs’
decision to drop out of Reed College. To his audience of Stanford graduates, this decision would
likely not be perceived as rational in any way. However, knowing Jobs’ history and background
adds much needed context to his decision. This choice to drop out inevitably resulted in his
benefit and was viewed as highly rational from Job’s subjective view. Lastly, Jobs adheres to the
principle that narratives must have coherence and fidelity (Wernecke, 2021) . Not only do all
three of his stories flow together in a neat, chronological order, they also build on each other,
creating one complex and nuanced picture that the audience can take in.
Finally, Jobs strategically utilized rhetorical questions in his stories to draw his audience
in and add another layer of perspective. After bringing up Reed College, he asks, “So why did I
drop out?” (Jobs, 2005, 1:09). In this instance, it seemed as if he wanted to address the question
that was on every audience member’s mind. Additionally, he may have been referencing his own
feelings, as this same thought may have been circulating in his head during this moment of his
life. Jobs’ next question is “How can you get fired from a company you started?” (Jobs, 2005,
6:10). Once again, Jobs is questioning what many may consider a failure in his history. However,
as Jobs clarified, he was grateful for this experience even though it was abrupt and difficult. In
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this instance, it seems as if he was using this question to add a humorous aspect to his speech. As
seen throughout the recording, Jobs had a sympathetic audience and received laughter at brief
self-deprecating jokes such as this one. If the purpose of this rhetorical question was to increase
audience engagement, he succeeded.
Jobs’ last rhetorical question is “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do
what I am about to do today?” (Jobs, 2005, 9:28). This is arguably the most important question
he asks throughout his address, as it deals with the underlying theme he is attempting to convey.
In asking this question, Jobs is inviting collaboration, critical thought, and action from his
audience. He likely used this strategy so that the audience could ponder on their own personal
answers of what they truly wanted after graduation and beyond, just as he did when he was faced
with an unavoidable ultimatum.
Criticsm
Jobs had chosen numerous narrative strategies that are able to be found throughout his
speech, all of which are great examples of pathos, the narrative paradigm, and rhetorical
questions. Taking a deeper look into one of the examples that was provided on pathos by Jobs in
his speech was when he wanted to have a sense of an emotional connection to the students
saying, “So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to
trust in something- your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever,” (Jobs, 2005, 5:23). Here during the
speech Jobs wanted the graduates to know to trust in themselves and what they are doing and to
not worry about what the future may hold. Though Jobs had been a college drop out, he knew
that these students had been put through so much work during their previous four years in
college and that whatever happens, always believing and trusting in something would help them
transition to the next stage of their lives.
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There was also the use of rhetorical questions that Jobs had presented to the students, a
few of these questions were implemented for these students to think critically about the next
stage of their lives. One question in particular was, “If today were the last day of my life, would I
want to do what I am about to do today?” (Jobs, 2005, 9:28). Here, this rhetorical question urges
the students to do what they want to do, and to try and live life with no regrets towards the
decisions they've made. He delivered the message that now is the time to start doing exactly what
it is they want to do for the rest of their lives. When he said this, he was asking students if the
point that they are currently at in their lives is what they want for the rest of their existence. The
question Jobs was really asking is if the direction that these students are currently heading in is
the way that they want to be heading for the rest of their careers. Though they may not know
what their futures entail, Jobs is trying to ensure that these students do what they want to do to
maximize their happiness throughout their lives. The use of this rhetorical question in the speech
really helped Job’s explain himself better through his second short story that he had presented to
the students because it caused them to rationally think about where they will be in the next few
years as this new journey starts for them all.
One of the rhetorical strategies we also analyzed was from the narrative paradigm and
helped give an overall consensus on the decisions Jobs had made to get where he is today. The
section of the narrative paradigm we had decided to look at was “Rationality is based on
subjectivity” and where it ties in is the decision Job’s made to quit college. Though this may
seem like a very irrational choice, it wasn't for Jobs. He knew that he didn’t want to keep living
the life he was, or learning from classes he wasn’t all that interested in. However, through the use
of subjectivity it is easy to identify that it was solely his decision. While Jobs had taken his best
personal option, in no way was he encouraging these students to drop out, especially since it was
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their graduation ceremony. It kind of relates to the old saying of “If your friends jump off a
bridge do you also do the same?”. This instance was a part of Job’s unique circumstances and his
thought processes, but a majority of his audience may have found this aspect difficult to relate to
as they decided to pursue college for a higher level of education. To the college graduates, their
path would be subjectively considered correct and rational. Here, the narrative paradigm focused
on subjectivity and the rationale that had been put behind it for further explanation, and to have
the students take a deeper look into their lives and what they should do with them.
Conclusion
All in all, Jobs’ speech contained numerous strategies used in narratives that inspired
further discovery of his intentions and thought processes throughout his address. While the
speech contained a lot of prompts that caused the listeners to think deeply about the direction
they were headed in, Jobs was also able to incorporate different examples of rhetorical strategies
and connect to these students despite having little in common with them. Being able to
understand the phrases and information that Jobs transmitted during this speech by using
narrative and rhetorical strategies added to the experience of analyzing this speech that urged
students to stay true to themselves and to pursue their true passions in life, no matter what it
takes.
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