MLA Formatting, the Rhetorical Situation, and Rhetorical Appeals Lecture Notes

Course Reminders and Administrative Details

• Deadlines and Assignments:     * Yellow Vague class readings are due on Tuesday.     * Quiz number $3$ is due on Tuesday between the current date and the next class meeting.

• Instructor Status:     * The instructor reported being ill but attended class to prevent the cancellation of the session, which would have disrupted the semester schedule.     * The instructor noted the use of hand sanitizer and maintaining physical distance to avoid spreading illness.     * Specific health-related anecdotes were mentioned as a rationale for potential minor missteps or cognitive fatigue during the lecture.

The Works Cited Page and MLA Format

• General Purpose of Citations:     * The primary goal is to give credit to the original authors of the work.     * Citations provide all necessary information about a text so that readers can independently locate the source.     * While summary assignments often include the title and author within the text, the Works Cited page provides the comprehensive bibliographical data.

• Resources for Formatting:     * The Siegel Handbook: This is the primary resource used for the course.     * Page References: MLA citations and instructions for the list of Works Cited begin on page $166$.     * Visual Cues: The MLA section of the handbook is marked with light green borders for easy identification.

• Formatting Best Practices:     * Memorization: The instructor advises against putting pressure on oneself to memorize every citation rule, as MLA and APA standards are frequently updated. Instead, students should focus on becoming proficient at using the handbook as a reference guide.     * Libraries: Libraries are highlighted as superior resources for complex citation questions. Many university libraries offer $24/7$ chat services for immediate assistance.

• Document Structure:     * The Works Cited page must always be its own separate page at the very end of a document.     * For example, if an essay ends on page $2$, the Works Cited list should begin on page $3$.     * This rule applies even if there is significant blank space left on the preceding page or if there is only a single source listed.

• Specific Element Formatting:     * Titles: Use quotation marks for article titles and italics for container titles (like website names or journals).     * Dates: The date included should be the date the material was posted.     * Hyperlinks: When copying URLs, word processors often auto-format them as blue, underlined hyperlinks. Some instructors require these to be removed. To remove a hyperlink in Google Docs or Word, right-click the URL and select "Remove Link."

The Rhetorical Situation

• The Ecosystem Metaphor:     * Communication is described as an ecosystem. If one element changes, all other elements must adjust, or the communication fails (analogous to the collapse of an ecosystem if bees go extinct, leading to a failure in pollination, plant death, and the eventual death of higher organisms).     * Every piece of writing or communication exists within a "rhetorical situation."

• Core Elements of the Rhetorical Situation:     * Author: Considering the writer's background, education, and perspective.     * Audience: Assessing the audience's knowledge, education, language, interests, and values.     * Genre: The type of writing or communication (e.g., text message vs. professional email). The genre dictates the tone and choices made by the author.     * Context: The broader circumstances surrounding the communication.     * Occasion: The specific event or catalyst for the communication.     * Purpose: The goal the author intends to achieve.

The Three Rhetorical Appeals

• Definition of Rhetorical Appeals:     * These are an author's attempts to appeal to an audience to achieve a specific purpose. They are strategic choices.

• Ethos (Ethics/Credibility):     * Defined as an author’s attempt to earn the audience’s trust or appear credible.     * Appeal to Values: Shared values (e.g., education, family, justice, kindness, freedom) help build credibility.     * Visual Identity: Wearing specific symbols, like a MAGA hat, a cross, an American flag pin, or an LGBTQ+ safe zone pin, serves as an immediate ethos appeal to specific groups who share those values.     * Borrowing Ethos: An author can use the credibility of a known organization (e.g., citing the Colorado State Police) to bolster their own credibility.

• Pathos (Emotions):     * Defined as an author’s attempt to appeal to the audience’s emotions.     * Emotions elicited can include pity, empathy, excitement, jealousy, happiness, anger, sadness, desire, or guilt.     * The instructor associates the root "path" with "pathetic" or "empathetic" to help students remember the emotional connection.

• Logos (Logic/Reasoning):     * Defined as an author’s attempt to appeal to the audience’s logic and reasoning.     * This is achieved through clear explanations, logical organization, evidence, and the use of facts or statistics.

• Overlap of Appeals:     * A single sentence can utilize all three appeals.     * Example Sentence: "According to the Colorado State Police, sadly, $320$ babies died last year."         * Ethos: Citing the Colorado State Police (an expert source).         * Pathos: The use of the word "sadly" and the focus on the death of infants.         * Logos: The inclusion of a specific number ($320$) presented as a statistic.

Specific Rhetorical Techniques

• Tone and Language: Word choice and punctuation. For example, using exclamation points creates urgency, while ending a text with a period might convey irritation.
• Metaphors and Analogies: Used to provide context or add humor.
• Storytelling/Personal Anecdotes: Engaging the audience through narratives.
• Rhetorical Questions: Questions asked for contemplation rather than for an oral response.
• Comparisons and Relevance: Connecting the topic to real-world issues.
• Statistics and Data: Quantifiable evidence to support a claim.
• Expert or Celebrity Endorsements: Using the influence of a famous person (e.g., Michael Jordan for Gatorade or Charles Barkley/Serena Williams for GLP-$1$ medications).
• Balance and Opposing Viewpoints: Demonstrating fairness to appeal to the reader's logic.

Commercial Case Studies

• Gatorade Commercial:     * Technique: The use of celebrity power (Michael Jordan).     * Effect: Appeals to a younger audience that idolizes the athlete, associating the product with success and athleticism to inspire them to purchase the drink.

• Sandy Hook "Back To School Essentials" PSA:     * Primary Appeal: Extreme Pathos.     * Techniques Used:         * Shock/Fear: Transitioning from a typical school supply ad to a school shooting scenario.         * Urgency: Demonstrating life-saving uses for school supplies (e.g., a sock used as a tourniquet).         * Contrast: Comparing what a child should be thinking about regarding supplies versus the reality depicted in the video.     * Specific Details: A student crying while texting "Love you, mom" (predictive text highlighting the mother-child bond) and a student using a phone to say a final goodbye.

Practical Application: Summary-Analysis Essay

• The Analysis Goal: Students are required to analyze their chosen article for rhetorical techniques and appeals.
• Sentence Stem for Thesis/Analysis:     * "The [Speaker/Author/Text] utilizes [Rhetorical Technique] in order to [Intended Purpose/Action]."     * Detailed Draft Sentence: "The Sandy Hook commercial uses urgency and storytelling in order to cast emotion to the viewer from the children in the situation; this has the effect of helping the viewer relate to the fear and anger felt by children in these situations."

Peer Review Workshop Groups

• Procedure: Students are to provide typed feedback and annotations in shared Google Drive folders.
• Working Groups:     * Group 1: Anthony C, Tyler, and Ty (feedback rotation: Anthony to Tyler, Tyler to Ty, Ty to Anthony).     * Group 2: Bella and Hailey.
• Absent Students: Caleb and an unnamed female student were noted as absent.

Questions & Discussion

• Question from Instructor: "How many of you have done a works cited page before?"     * Student Response: Several students indicated they had experience with references in general, though not necessarily MLA.
• Question from Instructor: "Why do we have to cite our work?"     * Student Response: "To give credit to the people that originally wrote it."
• Question from Instructor: "What emotion do gunshots bring up?"     * Student Response: "Scared," "Fear," "Anxiety," and "Shock."
• Observation from Student: One student noted that the Sandy Hook commercial felt like an "extreme" emotional response and mentioned the presence of blood and the depiction of a student needing a "lifesaver" (the sock tourniquet).