Rhetoric in our Lives

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Rhetoric in our Lives
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Definition of Rhetoric the art humans use to
process messages sent and received

• RhetoricLanguage is not accidental
• Use experiences to make rhetorical choices
• Unconscious, conscious, individual, universal,
  continuous use
• Negative assumptions just used by professional
  speakers to manipulate message and coerce
  audience, lack of sincerity, deliberate
  falseness, unclear communication, ethically
  questionable

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Rhetor writer, speaker, reader, listener

• a good person speaking well Quintilian, Roman
  rhetorician
• Art of analyzing all language choices in any
  given situation, so text has meaning, purpose,
  effect
• Features of texts that give meaning, purpose,
  effect in a situation

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Skill at rhetoric means

• Making good speeches, writing good papers, having
  a discerning eye and ear for others works
• Reading beyond the meaning to analyze rhetors
  decisions to accomplish a purpose for an audience
• Planning and writing good compositions
• Determining what has already been said, what is
  yet to be resolved, and what might persuade
  audience to take action
• Using full menu of choices judiciously to select
  most effective option

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Rhetorical Triangle
Speaker or writer
Audience
Subject
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Rhetorical triangle explanation (Aristotelian
triad from fourth century BCE)

• A person creating or analyzing a text needs to
  consider
• Speaker or writer, personal character or persona
  (mask or character he wants to portray)
• Subject and kinds of evidence used to develop it
• Audience their knowledge, attitudes, ideas, and
  beliefs and decides to be persuaded

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Understanding Persona

• Ethos rhetor can get the audience to perceive
  him as distinct, considerate, educated,
  trustworthy, and well-intentioned.
• Inferences rhetor can make inferences about
  another writer/speakers character
• Voice rhetors tone/attitude affects audiences
  beliefs through diction (word choice), syntax
  (word arrangement), choice of ideas and details

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Understanding Appeals(Aristotelian)

• Rhetor makes three appeals to audience
• Logos clear, reasonable central idea
  (thesis/argument), developing it with reasoning,
  examples, details
• Ethos credibility of sender (author or
  narrator), ethical knowledgeable, believable
• Pathos emotions and interests of audience
  creates sympathy for rhetors idea (appeals to
  self interest)
• Often simultaneous

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Purpose vs. Exigence

• Exigence Why is the author writing this? Think
  context. (What gets the author's goat/upsets
  him?)
• Audience To whom is the author writing?
• Purpose What does the author want his audience
  to do? (The author obviously wants the audience
  to share his exigence, but what else does the
  author want the audience to do?)

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Aristotle said rhetoric is useful because things
that are true and things that are just have a
natural tendency to prevail over their opposite.
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Web of Rhetorical Analysis
Exigence
Audience
Purpose
Logos
Ethos
Pathos
Organization/Whole Text Structure
Imagery
Figurative Language
Diction
Syntax
A reader can enter a text at any point/level to
get to another point/level.
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Understanding Subject Matter

• Topic must be open to interpretation, analysis,
  argument
• KWL give more info to satisfy curiosity
• Thesis claims and support
• Invention rhetor responsible for providing
  ample support

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Modified Rhetorical Triangle
Speaker or writer
Context and genre
Intention, aim, purpose
Audience
Subject
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Outside of Triangle

• Context time, place, people, events,
  motivation, outside influence that help audience
  understand material
• Purpose/intention Every rhetorical transaction
  needs to have it.
• Genre chosen by rhetor to accomplish purpose

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Understanding context

• Immediate situation/current events ? immediate
  boundaries
• Historical background ? distant boundaries
• Persona/identity of rhetor
• Knowledge/beliefs of audience
• Rhetor knows context to use to help audience
  understand his position and to connect positively
  with his argument

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Understanding Intention

• What rhetor wants to happen
• What rhetor wants audience to believe or do
• Begin with intention find evidence and present
  it fairly
• Begin with topic discover intention through
  research and writing
• Reader draws on context, personal experience to
  discover rhetors intention and the success of
  the piece.

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Understanding Genre

• Context Intention ? Genre
• What in the context calling for?
• Who needs to know my intention?
• What is the best genre?
• 5 paragraph essay not always appropriate