Are You Thinking Rhetorically?

Are You Thinking Rhetorically?

“To approach texts rhetorically means to ask questions about how the text conveys a persuasive message or argument, how the text addresses a specific audience, and how the writer operates within a specific context or rhetorical situation” (Alfano, 3). When I first read this statement it did not stay retained in my brain right away. I re-read it a second time, and asked myself what the writer was trying to convey to me. I realized later that Ironically when I re-read this statement and asked that question, that I was already thinking rhetorically. Chapter one is titled in big bold letters, Analyzing Texts. To be honest, I was expecting this reading assignment to be a bore. About halfway into this chapter I found myself actually enjoying what I was reading. Rhetorical was a word I never really thought about or understood. The term Rhetorical means, “how they (writer) aim at persuading particular audiences through careful choices made by the writer in composing the text” (Alfano). Both the writer and the reader have to think rhetorically when reading or writing text. What I found most interesting from this chapter was the triangular diagram of the rhetorical situation. The rhetorical situation is a compelling relationship between the writer, text, and the audience. Whenever I wrote papers in either grade school or high school, I truly never really thought about the audience who would be reading it. I have learned that it is very important to think rhetorically if I want to convince or entertain my audience. What I might understand or be familiar with might be the total opposite with whoever is reading my text. I need to write in a way that is understandable and enjoyable to the reader. I also was very engaged reading about how to develop a true thesis statement. I will admit that thesis statements have always been a tricky one for me. I learned that the Thesis is one of, if not the most important part of your paper, even if it is only one sentence. While reading Chapter One of Envision, I realized I shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.

-Sam Bennett (Journal for Chapter One of Envision)