| The fantasy-theme perspective on rhetoric was suggested by Ernest Bormann in 1972. Impetus for the development of this perspective came from the work of Robert Bales and his associates in their study of communication in small groups. This paper begins with the general account of the theory of rhetorical fantasy analysis (RFA, for short later on whenever necessary) including its background information, its constituent elements, the way it works and the way of analyzing rhetorical fantasy. Then this paper centers on three major applications of the rhetorical fantasy. In literature, two different works may present two different protagonists' different attitudes and fates in the symbolic reality they live in. In the advertising business, a milk advertisement used in our paper shows that a good fantasy link in the rhetorical vision can contribute to the success of the advertisement. And in religion, the persuasive power of a religion appeals to rhetorical fantasy to form a community's spirit or group's cohesion. For example, it was religion that greatly helped the earlier Puritans in history to get over the hardship in their lives. And a Christian sermon, another example in our paper, may offer a clear idea of how rhetorical fantasy works in religion.
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