The use of Kairos and Stasis Theory are essential to building a rhetorically sound
and strong argument. Kairos, predicated on opportunity, is basically the usage of time to
a rhetorician's advantage. On the other hand, stasis theory (also known as the stases) is a
use of questions to decipher what an argument is really about. Through these questions,
the argument is dissected and the main points and motives are revealed. Through the use
of kairos and the stases, we are able to see the effectiveness of George Saunders's
argument is in his speech, 'Advice to Graduates,' through his ability to provide real life
experiences and the use of a diction that makes it seem as if he is having a personal
conversation with each individual listener.

In order for Saunders to deliver a strong argument, the time in which it is being
given has to be opportunistic. Saunders is at an advantage when giving this argument
because this is a commencement speech at a graduation and his audience is most likely
very willing to listen because graduation is such an exciting time. Saunders takes
advantage of this opportunity by incorporating a good bit of his dry sense of humor in his
speech. His sense of humor acts as a narrative hook. This is effective because when a
speaker can connect with his or her audience on such a level, the audience is likely to
become more open minded and conform to his or her views, or have a full understanding
of the true message the speaker is trying to employ.

Saunders definitely makes his argument urgent in his speech. He even states,
'Since, according to me, your life is going to be a gradual process of becoming kinder
and more loving: Hurry up. Speed it along. Start right now.' Saunders is a huge advocate
of kindness, and his argument here is that since humans become kinder naturally
throughout life, they need to start becoming nicer now and stop wasting their time. His
sense of urgency is his way of showing his passion for this issue, and it is ultimately his
reason for even speaking about it. This is effective because it provides credibility to an
argument that has been made humorous. By adding in several serious and urgent notes,
The audience is able to easily identify the overall message of the speech and are likely to
listen and then go act.

Saunders does a great job of being aware of his situation. He knows that
graduation ceremonies can be pretty uptight, and he knows his audience is a group of
young adults, so he is able to take a humorous but also serious approach in order to
lighten the mood and get away with it. Saunders is able to connect with his audience by
sharing a story of his childhood and almost anyone can relate to this because at one point,
everyone was a child and experienced the awkwardness that came with it. Being aware of
his audience is the most effective thing that Saunders did when giving his
commencement speech because he was able to use his rhetoric in a way that it seemed
like he was having a conversation with each individual person that was listening to him.
When a listener feels that way, it makes everything outside that persons mind disappear
for a little while, and great ideas and conclusions are formed. Saunders knew that if he
could make each member of his audience feel as though he was having a conversation
with them, he could get them to fully understand and jump on board with his argument.

In his commencement speech, Saunders does not really acknowledge any
disagreements with his argument because he believes that those who disagree are wrong.
He believes that everyone is good, and if they are not good people right now, they will
become good people in the future. Saunders knows that it is hard to disagree with him
because most elderly people, are generally extremely nice people even though most of
them had pretty rough pasts.

Saunders doesn't necessarily ask the audience any questions, however he
reminisces on questions that others asked him, such as, 'Do you regret anything about
your life?' He also uses these questions to challenge his audience by motivating them to
become kinder people. This makes his argument effective by getting the audience to
really think. It is almost like he is asking the audience to look in the mirror. It is also a gut
check for the audience. By holding them accountable, his audience is likely to listen and
finally become the change that they want to see.

Saunders uses a form of conjecture by speaking about the act of kindness. This is
obviously something that he feels strongly about and uses as motivation to deliver the
most effective argument that the can. The main point that Saunders wants his audience to
understand is that kindness is the willingness to be polite to someone and help them
through times when they may need a friend. To Saunders, kindness is an extremely
important and serious. He would not be giving this speech if he did not feel that way. His
whole point is that he failed to be noticeably kind to a person who needed him in the past.
This led to feelings of regret and remorse. The emotion that this speech is delivered with
is intended to motivate people to not only be kind to others but also to live life with no
regrets. Despite his emphasis on kindness, Saunders does not give an outline on how to
be kind to somebody because it can be shown in plenty of different ways. He simply
wants his audience to understand the importance of being kind in hopes that they will be
inspired enough to go out and display a kind heart.

'Advice to Graduates,' was a commencement speech given by George Saunders
at the commencement exercises of Syracuse University for the 2013 year and was later
reprinted in The New York Times. Saunders's speech was admired greatly by writers for
newspaper chains, seeing as how their job is basically to make arguments. It was so
greatly admired because through this speech, Saunders is able to connect to his audience
and reader personally. The speech not only informs, but it challenges, checks, and places
responsibility on the audience or reader. This is an extremely rare characteristic of a
speech that is limited to be just about five to seven minutes in length. It is definitely a
relative piece of literature because it would still hold lots of sentimental value whether it
was written two-hundred years ago or two-hundred years from now. The speech will
always be relevant because the ideas of kindness combined with an awkward childhood
encounter has and always will be prevalent, especially in todays society with the use of
social media.

After dissecting, 'Advice to Graduates,' by George Saunders by using kairos and
the stases, it is pretty safe to say that his argument is extremely effective. He is able to
connect with his audience on an almost personal level and is also able to challenge them,
which really makes them think about their past. Saunders's unique ability to integrate his
good sense of humor into a serious argument that is very important to him really gives his
argument an immense amount of credibility and raises its overall effectiveness.

