The Language of Composition

Chapter 1

An Introduction to Rhetoric

Rhetoric:“faculty of observing in any given

case the available means of persuasion”

“a thoughtful, reflective activity leading to effective communication, including rational exchange of opposing viewpoints”

Audience:listener/observer/reader

Context:“the occasion or the time and place

it was written or spoken”

Purpose:“goal that the speaker or writer

wants to achieve”

Thesis (claim, assertion):“a clear and focused statement”the author’s (speaker’s) opinion

Subject:Topic

Rhetorical Triangle:“interaction among subject,

speaker, and audience”

Speaker

Audience Subject

Ethos:characterspeaker emphasizes shared values

between speaker and audience“the speaker’s ethos—expertise

and knowledge, experience, training, sincerity, or a combination of the these—gives the audience a reason for listening”

Logos:reason“speaker uses clear, rational ideas”“idea must be logical”acknowledge the counterargument

(concede and refute)

Pathosemotionspeaker chooses language that

engages the emotions of the audience

connotations of words becomes especially important

propagandistic in purpose

Visual RhetoricThe same elements of rhetoric that

apply to written and spoken works can be applied to visual texts.

Political cartoonsSatire: a literary work in which

human vice or folly is attacked through irony, derision, or wit.

AssignmentAnalyze a political cartoon in terms of the rhetorical triangle and its appeal to ethos, logos, and pathos. Note where the cartoon first appeared and describe the source’s political leaning (part of the context!). Examine the interaction of written text and visual images. (p. 12)

Arrangementthe Classical Model

IntroductionNarrationConfirmationRefutationConclusion