Kairos and Stasis

Before applying kairos to my article analysis, I had to first comprehend the way the author uses kairos in the chosen article. At first, the presence of kairos was not very clear, but closer readings point to a major role. After exploring several films, the article saves its strongest example for last: Christopher Nolan's the Dark Knight. Without this example it would be much more difficult for the author to get his point across, and much of that has to do with how current the film is. This movie appeals to a modern audience more than any of the others, possibly more than all of them combined. The film's impact is still lingering, and even more so as audiences are anxiously awaiting Nolan's followup film releasing this year. Sure, A Beautiful Mind was a highly successful and accessible film, but it is now over ten years old. The author understood very well that he could capture audience attention by reintroducing a recent film. Aside from its young age, the Dark Knight was also one of the most successful movies of all time. The movie had a massive fan base, thus more people would potentially take interest in the article.

By applying the author's use of kairos to my own analysis, I better understand the desired audience. The significance of the audience is a no-brainer when it comes to rhetorical writing, and no analysis is complete without knowledge of intended audience. This did not make me rethink my goal for the assignment, if anything it simply strengthened my analysis. From what I've learned so far, kairos is a major part of public and professional contexts. Striking at the wrong moment can not only cause you to lose your audience, but you may even lose your job.

As far as stasis goes, I may not fully understand this term, but if stasis refers to "the stand", then it is very evident in my article. The subtext under the title reads "the way Hollywood portrays mental illness is just crazy"; nothing here is cryptic. Before the article even begins we know it is persuasive, and we know where the author stands. I believe this gives me an advantage when writing my analysis. Since the stasis is made clear before the first sentence, I can focus on how the author attempts to be persuasive.

Kairos

Schizophrenia Not Caught On Tape

http://www.vice.com/read/schizophrenia-not-caught-on-tape

Reflection Essay

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.