Example Text Analysis: We Want You Stirred but Never Shaken

The text is a job advertisement for an executive director in a local council, which is
evident in the sub-heading and the employers name and contact details at the
bottom. Considering that the main purpose of the advertisement is to persuade highly
qualified candidates to apply, the approach this text takes is unusual in that it uses
references to James Bond. The methods employed to achieve this aim are evident
on three different levels, namely the design, the use of intertextuality, and the lexicon.

To attract attention, a disproportionately large picture of a cocktail glass together with

a slogan in bold capital letters are given. Alongside We want you stirred but never
shaken, this image refers to the fictional spy character, James Bond. Even the small
details of the picture, such as the cocktail-stick sword, symbolic of a swashbuckling
fighter, correspond to this reference. As commonly known, Bonds regular drink is the
dry martini, which he orders shaken, not stirred. By reversing the wording,
producing stirred, never shaken, the phrase seems to suggest not just the idea of a
method for mixing drinks, but the human experiences of being emotionally affected
(stirred) yet not unsettled (not shaken). Presumably, this can be seen as a
reference to the type of person wanted for the position.

Another important aspect is the use of intertextuality, which plays a crucial role in
defining the targeted reader. Although the text advertises for a local council position
rather than a spy, it is suggested that the person who gets the job will share many
qualities with a figure such as Bond. This idea is reinforced through extensive
references to the semantic field of intelligence work: nerve, cool and confident
(manager) with a steady hand, a license to thrill (itself a pun on a Bond movie title),
accomplished troubleshooter whose aim is deadly, targeting, and agent. One
might argue that these terms are also used to apply to council work. In addressing
the reader in this way, the text establishes a narratee who is a bold and intrepid
person.

As far as lexis and style are concerned, it can be inferred that the audience is also
expected to be well educated, a claim that is heavily supported by both the
requirements of the job as well as the vocabulary choices. The level of register of
some items of vocabulary is notably higher than common-core, as for example
dexterity and diverse are used instead of the lower-register equivalents skill and
different. Despite these examples, however, the text is written in a fairly
conversational, personal style employing informal language and sentence structure.
Accordingly, direct references to you and we are given preference over the more
formal passive forms, and non-standard grammatical items such as sentence
fragments (Especially when issues like...) are chosen. Other less formal items
include so and and in sentence initial position, and the informal phrase your
steer. This creates a direct, personal relationship with the educated reader,
persuading him or her to become part of the group.

To conclude, the features discussed above combine to produce an unusual

advertisement for an executive director who perceives himself/herself to be a daring,
self-sufficient troubleshooter. In opting for the all-pervasive Bond theme, the text
successfully captures the attention of the intended reader and thus ultimately fulfils
the persuasive purpose of inviting appropriate applicants to respond.