anintroductiontorhetoric criticalreading etc

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An Introduction to Rhetoric -- Shea, Scanlon, & Aufses

Aristotles definition:the faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasion.

In Aristotles day and in ours, those who understand and can use the available means to appeal

to an audience find themselves in positions of strength.

At its best, rhetoric is a thoughtful, reflective activity leading to effective communication,

including rational exchange of opposing viewpoints.

Lou Gehrigs speech: Listen to or read ithere.

Why is it effective?

Rhetoric is always situationalit has context (time and place) and purpose (goal).

When we read any text, we ask about the context and consider the purpose:

o What is Gehrigs context?o What is his purpose?

That was easy, but identifying them in more complex situations is harder, but it is essential to

analyzing effective rhetoric.

Gehrigs speech is effective because it has a crystal clear main idea:

o Hes the luckiest man on the face of the earth.o He has a clear and focused statement (aka thesis, claim, assertion)

Lou Gehrigs speech almost rocked Yankee Stadium off its feet

o He knows his subject and his understanding of how these factors subject, speaker, andaudience interact determines his speech: a plainspoken appreciation for what he has

had, and a champions courageous acceptance of the challenges that lie before him.
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Ethos

Speakers and writers appeal to ethos, or character, to demonstrate that they are credible and

trustworthy.

Appeals to ethos often emphasize shared values between the speaker and audience.

Logos

Writers and speakers appeal to logos, or reason, by offering clear, rational ideas.

Appealing to logos means having a clear main idea, or thesis, with specific details, examples,

facts, statistical data, or expert testimony as support.

Also can by done by acknowledging a counterargument.

Pathos

Writers or speakers can gain power with an appeal to pathos, or emotion.

Although writing that relies exclusively on emotional appeals is rarely effective in the long term,

choosing language that engages the emotions of the audience can add an important dimension.

Arrangement

Another element of rhetoric is the organization of a piece.

Consider how the essay and its individual paragraphs or sections are arranged.

Is the text organized in the best possible way in order to achieve its purpose?

An essay always has a beginning, middle, and end, but how a writer structures the argument

within that framework depends upon his or her intended purpose and effect.

The Classical Model

Introduction introduce the subject and draw the reader in by piquing their interest or bychallenging them. (Ethos)

Narration provides factual information and background material on the subject. (Pathos)

Confirmation The major part of the text / includes the development or proof. (Logos)

Refutation addresses the counterargument and is often a bridge between proof and

conclusion. (Logos)

Conclusion brings the essay to a satisfying close. Usually where the writer appeals to pathos

and reminds the reader of the ethos established earlier. Answers the question, so what?


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Becoming a Critical Reader (Faigley)

Critical thinking begins with critical reading.

When you start asking questions about what you are reading, you are engaging in critical

reading.

The Four-Part Process

1. Where did it come from?

o Who wrote the material?o Where did it first appear?o What else has been written about the topic?o What do you expect after reading the title?

2. What does it say?

o What is the topic or issue?o What is the writers thesis or point?o What reasons or evidence is offered?o Who are the intended readers? What does the writer assume they know and believe?

3. Can you trust the writer?

o Does the writer have the necessary knowledge to write on this subject?o Do you detect a bias in the writers position?o Are the facts relevant?o Can you trust the facts?o Does the writer acknowledge opposing views and unfavorable evidence?

4. How does it work?o How is the piece organized?o How does the writer conclude?o How would you characterize the style?o How does the writer represent herself or himself?

Read Actively (Faigley)

Annotate what you read

Mark major points and key concepts.Connect passages notice how ideas connect to each other.

Ask questions

Annotating difficult reading will help you understand the relationship of concepts/characters,

and the annotations will be valuable in remembering key points when you come back to the

reading later.


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Respond as a Reader (Faigley)

Engage in a dialog with what you read.

Talk back to the author.

If you are having trouble understanding a difficult section, read it aloud and listen to the

authors voice.

Make notes

o As you read, write down your thoughts. Something you read may remind you ofsomething else. Jot that down

o Imagine that the author is with you. What points does the author make that you wouldrespond to in person?

o What questions would you have of the author? These indicate what you might need tolook up.

o What ideas do you find that you might develop or interpret differently?Write summaries

o When you summarize, you state the major ideas of a source in your own words.o Remember, though, if you use words from the source, you have to put those words in

quotation marks.

Build on what you read

o Keeping a reading journal provides you with a record of your thinking as you read thatyou can return to later.

o A reading journal is a great place to test ideas that you can later develop for a writingassignment.

anintroductiontorhetoric criticalreading etc

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