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Introduction to Rhetoric

Learn the art of effective communication with rhetorical appeals, evidence, diction, syntax, and ethos. Enhance your skills through analyzing "To Kill a Mockingbird" and engaging in creative writing exercises.

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Introduction to Rhetoric

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  1. Introduction to Rhetoric H9 Team

  2. Let’s Start at the Very Beginning Rhetoric is: • SITUATED COMMUNICATION (rhetorical situation) • Communication in some context • The art of speaking or writing effectively and persuasively in a particular context (context = a social space, i.e., classroom, work environment, dinner gathering) • Forms of communication that are shaped by a particular social situation

  3. We are all rhetors A Rhetor’s purpose: to inform, to persuade, to entertain Brainstorm: List as many specific situations where you act as a rhetor. Divide your list into 3 separate categories of “types of communication”- see below- SOCIAL: ACADEMIC: PERSONAL:

  4. What Elements influence our communication? Rhetorical elements a writer uses to achieve his or her purpose: • pattern of organization (narrative, cause/effect, definition, etc.) • rhetorical appeals (logos, pathos, ethos) • types of evidence (facts, statistics, expert testimony, narratives, observational description, etc.) • diction (persuasive, connotative language, and biased language; specific and descriptive word choice; figurative language; active verbs, etc.) • syntax (sentence structure such as sentence length and variety; repetition)

  5. Searching for rhetorical appeals in to Kill a Mockingbird We will be analyzing specific sections of TKAM for rhetorical appeals (eventually using these appeals in our own writing) In order to identify AND use them successfully- we must make sure we have common definitions of these appeals!

  6. Engage in their HEARTS and MINDS Pathos (Emotional Appeals) • Emotionally charged terms: adjectives (well-reasoned plan, half-baked idea) verbs (revolutionized, destroyed) • Emotionally charged concepts or images:  concepts or ideas, people, things, symbols, etc. (babies, God, AIDS, freedom, the American flag)   • Vivid imagery:   pictures or words describing the beauty of a natural resource, the horror of a bird dying from pesticides, etc. • Tone:  Does the author/ad create a sense of urgency, drama, sarcasm, humor, fear?  What feelings does the author try to arouse in the reader?   • Personal testimony  - can be very impactful when hearing from an authority figure (Elie Wiesel- Night) • Anecdotes:  often used with vivid imagery and/or personal testimony, anecdotes can be either an emotional or a logical strategy. • Statistics: can be used to shock or overwhelm as well as to provide factual information.

  7. LOGOS (LOGICAL APPEALS) • Inductive reasoning:  reasoning through specific examples/evidence to prove a general claim. The evidence given can be facts, statistics, expert opinion, anecdotes, personal testimony or other type of examples, including hypothetical examples.  Some evidence is stronger or more convincing than others.  Ask yourself:  are the examples strong enough to convince and sufficient in number? Do the facts come from a credible source?  Are sources cited? • Deductive reasoning:  reasoning from truths or beliefs commonly held by the audience.(EX:  Advertisements are misleading.  TheVerizon commercials are ads, so the Verizon commercial is misleading. • Using history or past experience to support a position or explain a concept • Addressing the opposition:  Does the author anticipate objections and refute them?  Acknowledge differing or opposing opinions?  • Analogy:  Using a metaphor to explain a concept • Compare/contrast:  explaining by comparing a concept to one that is more familiar to readers.The purpose of the comparison will vary.  Evaluate them individually.

  8. Ethos (Credibility/ethics) 1.  Credibility:  How does the author make himself/herself believable? • Personal experience, research in the field, Titles (Phd., President of the United States) • Reliance on the expertise of others:  expert testimony, experiments, studies 2. Values:   Sharing beliefs, values, cultural background and/or interests with the audience to establish rapport.  An ethical appeal used to convince will appeal to moral/cultural values held by the audience ie. “family values.”  Ethical appeals may stress individual commitment or group relations as the key to ethical behavior.  (Ex.  We must all work together to stop________ OR  “Only you can prevent forest fires.”)  Often an ethical appeal can be mixed up with an emotional appeal because appealing to our values often creates an emotional reaction.

  9. Putting it all together in a cheesy video! • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeXhmaFk2WY

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