Fundamentals of Rhetoric and the Rhetorical Situation

Rhetoric is understood through the Greek term for logical reason and persuasion.
It involves identifying and utilizing the available means at hand to effectively persuade or move an audience.
A central component of rhetoric is how a creator can pull on an individual or move them based on human emotions and feelings.

ASPCA animal commercials serve as a primary example of using emotional appeals to move an audience.
These commercials frequently feature animals that appear to be battered and malnourished.
The use of specific background music, such as the song "arms of the angels," is designed to heighten the emotional impact of the text.

A text is no longer limited to the act of speaking; it encompasses various forms of documentation and communication.
The creator of a document or text may be referred to by different terms depending on the nature of the work, including:
- Composer
- Designer
- Writer
The purpose of a text is the specific goal the writer aims to achieve. This goal may be very purposeful, such as the intent to inform or to provide a specific group of people with the means to engage with the material.

The audience refers to the people who are reading, hearing, seeing, or otherwise engaging with the text as it is being communicated.
Audience can be categorized into two distinct types:
- Real Audience: These are the people who are actually present, reading, or engaging with the text in the moment. In the context of doctor Malcolm King Junior, the real audience consisted of the black people who were physically there at the speech.
- Intended Audience: These are the people the creator wants to reach or impact, even if they are not the ones physically present or immediately engaging. This includes people who might hold opposing views or those who have the power to enact change.

Aside from the real audience (those physically present), the speech was crafted for those who felt the opposite regarding civil rights.
The intended audience included people who did not believe that equal rights for black people and people of color were important.
Lawmakers were a crucial part of the intended audience because they were the ones who could actually make a difference and change the landscape of civil rights law.
The impact of the message was delivered through specific imagery, such as:
- The vision of children being able to go to school and connect with white people.
- The hope that children would be judged by the content of their character rather than their race.
While the real audience already supported the cause, the intended audience (lawmakers) were the ones who needed to be moved to create legal change.

Context refers to the era in which a text is written, the conversations happening during that time, and the background information surrounding the subject.
The speech by doctor Ronald King Junior is historically relevant due to the historical context of the nineteen sixties.
During the nineteen sixties, race relations were a central and intense part of the national dialogue.
Historical context reveals that there were vast measures in place specifically to ensure that equal rights did not happen for black people.
Context can also be categorized as academic context, depending on the setting and intent of the discourse.

Genre is a category of artistic or communicative work characterized by specific forms, styles, or subject matter.
The distinction between different genres, such as R&B and "cop," is determined by specific rhetorical elements:
- R&B: Identified by a specific melody and a particular tone.
- Cop: Identified as being more upbeat and catchy.
The success of a creator in reaching their audience depends heavily on their knowledge and application of these rhetorical elements: tone, melody, and genre-specific characteristics.
Tone is a defining factor that separates one genre from another, influencing how the audience perceives and reacts to the song or text.