Introduction to Rhetoric - Vocabulary Flashcards

Rhetoric is the art of communicating effectively to achieve a goal.
Example: Today, people might say that a politician is “all rhetoric and no substance,” meaning the politician makes good speeches but doesn’t have good ideas.
Rhetoric is a way of presenting and making your views convincing and attractive to your readers or audience.

Analysis is breaking something down into small parts in order to see how they work together.
Example: A causal analysis breaks down an event to understand why it happened.
Example: A process analysis breaks down an experiment to understand the steps it takes to do it.

A kind of writing that breaks down a piece of communication into small parts to understand how it achieves its effect.
Example: Breaking down a presidential speech into small parts to understand how it achieves its effect.
Example: Breaking down a news story into small parts to understand how it achieves its effect.

A rhetorical situation is the context of a rhetorical act (a purposeful communication).
Why does context matter?
- Example hint: “Want some candy?” illustrating how context can influence persuasion.

Elements often highlighted: Author, Audience, (text) — plus a mnemonic like W A C P E, and Purpose.
Components often considered: Author, Audience, Context, Purpose, and the effect on the audience (E).

Greek for “character.”
Focuses attention on the writer’s or speaker’s trustworthiness.
Author’s background gives him or her authority (e.g., doctor writing about medical field).
A fair handling of opponents’ perspectives.
Obvious biases are either acceptable or not present.
Citing sources contributes to Ethos.

Greek for “word.”
Focuses attention on the message.
Factual data and statistics.
Examples:
- 75\% of people polled prefer Crest.
- 94\% of people make up facts as they go.
Structure and reasoning patterns, e.g., \text{If } A, \text{ then } B.
Found in scientific papers.
Used to discuss problems (e.g., social security or poverty) and outline solutions.

Greek for “right time,” “season,” or “opportunity.”
Refers to the timeliness of an argument.
Often, for an ad or an argument to be successful, it needs appropriate tone and structure and come at the right time.
Example: An ad featuring Avril Lavigne would be more effective for a teen magazine in 2002 than in 2012.

Key terms to consider: Author, Ethos, Logos, Purpose, Pathos, Kairos, Effective?

Breaks the rhetoric down into small parts in order to analyze how effectively those parts work together.
Establishes the rhetorical situation (context) of a text.
Identifies the rhetorical appeals at work in a text.
Discusses the effectiveness of the message’s appeals given the context of that message.
Essentially, describe the effect of the author’s choices (appeals) on the target audience given the context (rhetorical situation).
Question to answer: Was the message effective?

Example excerpt (Levi’s ad):
- Rhetorical Situation? (context hint): “THIS COUNTRY WAS NOT BUILT BY MEN IN SUITS.” Levi's ad footer “LEVI.COM/GO FORTH.”
- Appeals: Pathos targeting blue-collar sensibilities and national pride; possibly a call to action linked to a lifestyle (Levi’s).
- Questions to consider: Is it effective? What audience is targeted? How does the context (culture, time) affect its reception?

Pathos appeals to emotion.
Claims such as “NEED is effective” and messaging strategies for persuading vegetarians or meat-eaters.
Example content: The slide shows a contrast between emotional appeals through animals and suffering imagery:
- Quote: "Never feeling the sun on their backs or the grass beneath their feet, unable to spread a wing or stretch a leg… animals suffer on factory farms." (Missy Higgins)
- Call-to-action: Visit peta2.com for free stickers and a DVD.

Page 21 references watching a video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdWO9ozirlY
Prompt for analysis: Let’s assess whether Geoff is effective in achieving his purpose based on the rhetorical elements discussed above.

Rhetoric is about making messages effective for a chosen audience within a context.
Analysis breaks down texts to reveal how their parts work together to persuade, inform, or entertain.
Rhetorical situation consists of the author, audience, context, purpose, and the effects on the audience.
The three classical appeals—Ethos, Logos, Pathos—plus Kairos (timeliness) guide how arguments are constructed and received.
Effective rhetorical analysis requires identifying these elements, evaluating their fit with the context, and judging overall effectiveness.

Ethical considerations: Transparency about biases, fair treatment of opposing views, and honest use of data.
Real-world relevance: Analyzing current news, cultural movements, and digital communication to understand shifts in discourse.
Practical use: Tailoring messages to different audiences by selecting appropriate appeals and timing.