An Introduction to Rhetoric and the Rhetorical Triangle
Foundations and Definitions of Rhetoric
Popular Misconceptions and Negative Connotations:
To many people, the word rhetoric automatically signals trickery or deception.
Common assumptions include:
Advertisers using rhetoric to manipulate consumers.
Politicians attempting to obscure points.
Spin doctors spinning information.
"Empty rhetoric!" serves as a common criticism and, at times, a severe indictment.
Classical Definition by Aristotle:
Greek philosopher Aristotle () defined rhetoric as: "the faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasion."
Constructive Functions of Rhetoric:
At its best, rhetoric is a thoughtful, reflective activity leading to effective communication.
It facilitates the rational exchange of opposing viewpoints.
Understanding and applying the available means of persuasion places speakers and writers in a position of strength.
Effective rhetoric provides tools to:
Resolve conflicts without confrontation.
Persuade readers or listeners to support a specific position.
Move others to take action.
Key Elements of Rhetoric: Case Study of Lou Gehrig's Speech
Historical Background and Context:
Speaker: Lou Gehrig, professional baseball player for the New York Yankees.
Occasion: Appreciation Day held in his honor on July 4, 1939, delivered between games of a doubleheader.
Medical Context: Gehrig had recently been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), an incurable neurological disorder today known as "Lou Gehrig's disease."
Delivery Details:
Gehrig was a reluctant speaker who came to the podium after fans chanted "We want Lou!"
Delivered a powerful, heartfelt speech under three hundred words in length.
Complete Text of Lou Gehrig's Appreciation Day Speech
Full Speech Transcript:
"Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about a bad break I got. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth. I have been in ballparks for seventeen years and have never received anything but kindness and encouragement from you fans. Look at these grand men. Which of you wouldn't consider it the highlight of his career just to associate with them for even one day?"
"Sure, I'm lucky. Who wouldn't consider it an honor to have known Jacob Ruppert; also the builder of baseball's greatest empire, Ed Barrow; to have spent six years with that wonderful little fellow, Miller Huggins; then to have spent the next nine years with that outstanding leader, that smart student of psychology ash the best manager in baseball today, Joe McCarthy? Who wouldn't feel honored to have roomed with such a grand guy as Bill Dickey?"
"Sure, I'm lucky. When the New York Giants, a team you would give your right arm to beat, and vice versa, sends you a gift ash that's something! When everybody down to the groundskeepers and those boys in white coats remember you with trophies ash that's something!"
"When you have a wonderful mother-in-law who takes sides with you in squabbles against her own daughter ash that's something! When you have a father and mother who work all their lives so that you can have an education and build your body ash it's a blessing! When you have a wife who has been a tower of strength and shown more courage than you dreamed existed ash that's the finest I know!"
"So I close in saying that I might have been given a bad break, but I have an awful lot to live for! Thank you."
Rhetorical Analysis: Context, Purpose, and Main Idea
Situational Nature of Rhetoric:
Rhetoric is always situational, defined by its context and purpose.
Context:
Definition: The occasion, time, and place in which a text is written or spoken.
Gehrig's Context: The poignant contrast between celebrating a stellar athletic career and receiving a life-threatening, fatal medical diagnosis.
External Context Factors: Context often stems from current events or cultural bias. For instance, a writer discussing freedom of speech in a community affected by hate graffiti must account for that context and adjust the text's purpose to avoid offending the audience.
Purpose:
Definition: The goal or objective the speaker or writer wants to achieve.
Gehrig's Purpose: To remain positive by focusing on past luck and present optimism while downplaying a bleak outlook. He addresses his disease only once as a "bad break," exhibiting strength with no blame, self-pity, or plea for sympathy, aiming to celebrate the occasion and return to playing baseball.
Common Rhetorical Purposes: Winning agreement, persuading to take action, evoking sympathy, making an audience laugh, informing, provoking, celebrating, repudiating, proposing, securing support, or bringing about a favorable decision.
Main Idea, Thesis, Claim, or Assertion:
Effective rhetoric requires a crystal-clear main idea.
Gehrig's thesis is that he is "the luckiest man on the face of the earth."
Interactions Among Rhetorical Elements:
Subject: Baseball in general, and the New York Yankees in particular.
Speaker Persona: Presents himself as a common man, modest, plainspoken, and grateful, acknowledging he is a champion athlete rather than a polished orator or writer.
Audience: Fans in the stadium, fellow athletes, people listening from afar, and supporters on and off the field.
Outcome: A plainspoken, positive expression of gratitude and courageous acceptance that, as one commentator noted, "almost rocked Yankee Stadium off its feet."
The Rhetorical Triangle
Definition and Origin:
Also known as the Aristotelian Triangle.
Aristotle described how the dynamic interaction among three core elements—Speaker, Audience, and Subject (or writer, reader, and subject)—determines the structure and effectiveness of communication.
Visual Representation:
The triangle illustrates the three interdependent nodes of rhetoric:
Speaker: The persona or identity constructed by the person communicating.
Audience: The recipient(s) of the message (listeners or readers).
Subject: The topic or content being addressed.
