Rhetoric is a massive part of our every day speech and writing. It is an art in a sense, as it is often used to persuade or impress another person. It also can be seen as a tool, or a tactic that requires skill and technique. While often deemed evil and insincere by many, it is important to understand that rhetoric itself is neither good or bad. Sure rhetoric would be used by a political leader convincing his country to support an unjust war, but desired outcomes can also be positive. For example, say I am at a party and a friend is about to drive after drinking an exceptional amount of grain alcohol. Let's also say that this friend has previous arrests for driving under the influence. I then try to convince him that he may very well hurt somebody, and that he shouldn't drive. I bring up his past legal issues, forcing him to remember the incredible stress caused by his previous arrests. I also take his drunkenness into consideration, and speak very slowly, attempting to be as clear as possible. Let's say he is also a rather emotional drunk. I use this to my advantage, making him consider the pain and grief he could potentially cause his family. While I only have an audience of one, I am clearly focused on persuasion, all the while considering this person's history, personality, and present condition. It all may seem like second nature, but it is also pure rhetoric.
As an English major, I find rhetoric to be useful, even demanded in my writing. Grading can seem very arbitrary, and our writing must go beyond what the prompts asks for. While one professor may commend you for being abstract, another may very well fail you. Some professors place an emphasis on structure and grammar, and others are more lenient, in favor of a "strong argument". Ultimately, I don't think it's possible to be an English major without heavy use of rhetoric.
2 comments:
I like your example because it shows how important audience is. One audience's needs and expectations are not the same as another's. That is both refreshing and frustrating for me, because the message stays the same but how we explain it changes. How do you think social media impacts a message?
I really enjoyed your comments on rhetoric and I particularly appreciated the example you used to define one use of rhetoric in an everyday setting. It is true that humans use rhetoric to meet intended goals and have since the beginning of time. Language is not just a means of communicating on a basic level, it is also a means of sharing ideas, feelings, emotions, and needs. The scope of rhetoric is broad and inclusive. I know not one part of our lives that rhetoric is not a part of. Of course as English majors, we will learn to use rhetoric to achieve goals with regards to a professor's ideals, but this practice will also help us to communicate effectively with people for years to come in our respective jobs, homes, and communities.
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