Monday, January 13, 2014

Journal #1: "The Rhetorical Situation" and "Navigating Genre"

                “The Rhetorical Situation” by Bitzer, and “Navigating Genre” by Dirk are both very similar pieces of writing.  In both of these works it talks about that it is not so much about what you write as it is about what you are writing in response to a particular situation.  In “The Rhetorical Situation,” Bitzer uses many examples to show that a rhetoric is very situational.  I thought that the best example the author used was when he talked about the Gettysburg Address.  It was easy for me to see how that was is considered rhetoric from the outline of what rhetoric is that the author provided.  It was very appropriate to the situation that the nation was in at the time, it was directed a certain audience, it definitely elicited a response, and it still holds meaning even today.

            Much like in “The Rhetorical Situation,” “Navigating Genre” goes into a great deal about how it is very important to recognize a situation and write what is appropriate to that particular situation.  The writer also goes on to say that is not so important for us to master one genre as it is to have a basic understanding of all genres and be able to identify which genre should be used for a particular situation.  I believe that both of these writings help me to better understand everyday writing because they effectively made me more aware of the situation I am in and what is or is not appropriate to say in that time.  I agree with Avery that by using the outline of what rhetoric is will help me be able to be more persuasive with my writing.  I would also expand on what Claire said about how the articles will allow us to better analyze writing, by saying that not only do they help us better analyze it but also make us more aware of what we are reading and therefore help us to better understand it. 

No comments:

Post a Comment