First Paper Assignment Posted

Hey all,

the first paper assignment–“Travels in Ramageland”–is posted under “Assignments” on the Course Materials page.  Looking forward to the discussion!

 

Rhetoric and Everyday Life

Hey all,

I just wanted to let you know that I posted Ramage’s “Rhetoric and Everyday Life” on our page under course materials.  It’s available in a PDF format.

I will post the assignment for the first paper shortly.

 

Rhetoric and Persuasion I, Chapter 3

Unfortunately, I found this chapter a bit harder than the last chapter. However, there are a few things I’d like to comment about. (I’ll try my best anyway.)

On page 81, Ramage says, “As noted in the first chapter, rhetoric is more or less a “science of single instances” such that no formula could be conceived that would be adequate for every possible instance.” This really made sense to me. It’s kind of like Ramage is saying that rhetoric IS hard to explain, and there is no easy, textbook formula or definition to help us understand “rhetoric” in “fifty words or less.” However, I’ve talked to a few of you, my classmates, who have said that they understood this chapter better than the last two. Basically, the response I got from them (or you) was that it just felt as though Ramage was really explaining what rhetoric was in this chapter, or I guess you could say he was almost giving us a definition.

I think from this chapter I’ve learned that I acquire rhetorical knowledge better through Ramage’s examples than I do from his attempt to a textbook-like definition. When Ramage wrote about the State of the Union Address spoken by George W. Bush in 2003, I understood how rhetoric related to it. It was a lot simpler.

Many of the terms confused me in this chapter. Ethos, pathos, logos, mythos—these words are familiar to me, but not very well understood. Earlier in the chapter I could comprehend them given the context clues, but later in the chapter I started to lose my understanding of their meanings in order to relate them to the sentences respectively.

I know that tomorrow’s discussion will help me, it always does.

Jackie Conley

 

Rhetoric and Persuasion

Okay, this one made a little more sense to me.

Ramage says that what a person actually says will demonstrate a strong ethos. Of course, if we didn’t know how he felt about something, we wouldn’t know whether to agree or disagree with him. If someone doesn’t say what they mean but expects you to figure it out, you may have an idea as to what they want but you can’t be entirely sure.

Yeah, that’s all I have to say about that.

 

Rhetorical Identity

Um yeah, most of this stuff went at least twenty feet over my head. There was a remark Ramage made that I not only could understand but relate to.

He mentions on how most people don’t correlate their consumption with their identity. He uses the example of cars and how some people believe if they buy an inexpensive and practical car that they are opting out from being identified by their car. Nope. My brother has a 85 dodge that definately looks its age and he believes that his car is just a mode of transportation and nothing more and doesn’t see what his car says about him. I would go into what the car says about him but I don’t want to psychoanalyze him here. I’ll just do that when I’m at home.

Yeah, apart from that little tidbit, I have nothing else to say. This book continues to taunt me but I’ll get it…eventually.

 

Ramage, “Rhetoric and Identity”

I found this chapter to be a much easier read; I’m not sure if this is because I adjusted the way I comprehend the book since the first chapter, or simply because the text was written clearer in chapter 2.

 

I did find myself thinking about the book “in terms of” J a novel rather than a textbook which helped. Plus, Ramage started to grow on me. He used some very personal examples in the chapter, and now I feel as if I know him.

 

Anyway, I enjoyed Ramage’s thoughts concerning rhetorical identity. The readymade identity was explored far beyond what I expected. However, he used examples repeatedly which really helped me understand his main points regarding the readymade.

 

The readymade seems to be based upon outside influences which create identities that few people actually hold as their true identity. Later, I believe he refers to these people (the creators of these fictional identities) as “Rugged Individualists.” When Ramage brought forth all of his examples: the Harley, [beer] advertisements, and even The Death of a Salesman, it proved in many ways that our culture is being TOLD what an identity, specifically THEIR identities, should look like. I guess what I’m wondering is: don’t all cultures experience this, at some level? Personally, I believe they do. Only, the argument is much stronger in a society like ours, where people are constantly watching T.V., and therefore constantly being exposed to advertisements. But it’s not just in T.V. as we all know. Ads are everywhere. So, in a way, we can’t escape what we are being told—and a lot of the time we don’t even think twice about the fact that we are being so heavily influenced in terms of identity.

 

I guess I’m trying to say the chapter, sadly, made me agree with Ramage. And I’m a little angry about the idea that we can’t escape from what we are being told an identity should look like.

 

In terms of writing, chapter 2 begins focusing on language and identity. Here, I think Ramage makes some very good points. He talks about the metaphor and all its great uses, what a definition is and its uses, and explores essence v. substance, all of which serve great uses in our language.

 

OK—I have to stop writing now, I’ve been at it all day and just got home from my three hour. See you tomorrow for some great discussion!

 

Rhetorical Identity

Ramage’s most interesting point was the fact of language being associated with rhetoric and identity. I connected this easily with his example of P-dog. His dog really has no choice with identity because she doesn’t use language. I’m a little unclear on the last part of that section, but I believe in order to use language, you have to somewhat understand rhetoric. This is peculiar considering as babies, we are forming a language and learning the ways of how to speak. All throughout school, we are continuing the process of building on language and how to use it at a higher level. We are never officially taught rhetoric until, well, this class.

I also tried to connect with his example of the “Harley Guy” and Readymades. I have found most of his examples to be entertaining and certainly this is no exception. Ramage breaks down the broader concepts to more understanding examples and I appreciate this. The process of identity construction is one that we all take on and the “Harley Guy” does this term justice. For the Harley Davidson riders, they purchase the appropriate biker gear and head on their way to be “one of the gang”. I’m still working on the connection between this and the use of rhetoric in conversation and such.

 

A portion of my First Paper

Ok, So this is just going to be the first Portion of my paper. This is going to be a fantasy kind of story where the book in a sense comes real. To a point this starts out similar to a Dr. Seuss style.

Ben Parris

Advanced Compostion

 Rhetoric Paper #1

September 14, 2008

 

            I had just come back from my nice vacation from Ramageville and was extremely exhausted. Not only was I tired from just coming home with my entire new luggage from Ramageville, but also it is on the other side of the globe, so I’ve got a tremendous feel of jetlag.  After I had walked into my room, I crashed on my bed. About a few minutes later my phone rings.  It’s my friend Kevin.

             “Yo dude, where have you been? “, Kevin asked.

            “ Ughhh, I just got back from my vacation. It was nice, but man this jetlag. What a drag.”, I answered.

“…You’ve missed a whole lot since you’ve been gone. Can you meet me for lunch today? ”, Kevin asked.

“I can see. Let me nap for an hour or so and I’ll meet ya at The Spot Restaurant. “, I said,” I will also bring some photos I took. I’ve got some good stories for ya.”

            So after an hour and a half passed by, I woke up and took my photos and journal that I had written some of my favorite moments from my vacation in. Once I had gotten the energy to get up and go meet Kevin, I started talking about my adventure.  I told him about all the people I’ve meet, all the places I saw, and all the memories in between.

“ Once I had come into the country, the first thing they asked me was  ‘welcome to Ramageville. Do you know what Ramageville is all about?’ I then shook my head no. Tour Guide stated, ‘ Well, we will show you in our small town, who the people are, where the best places to go, but we can’t tell you what Ramageville is all about.’

‘So, everyone in a sense has their own opinion about this place? ‘ I asked.

‘indeed they do, indeed they do.’ My tour guide answered.

            So then we walked out of Rhetoric City Central, which was called R.C.C. Our first stop was suppose to be of the slowing changing cultures by going to a normal style fast food restaurant, but we got blocked by a grumpy gentleman known as Anty R. R was the type of guy who hated everyone in Ramageville. He wanted to change in Ramageville. The ironic thing was Anty R lived on the corner of Rhetoric Drive and Conversation Boulevard.

 

paper #1: rhetorical travels

Hey all,

I just wanted to let you know that the assignment for the first paper and this weeks conference schedule are posted here.  You can find that paper assignment under the “Course Materials” tab.  You’ll find the conference schedule on the right hand side of this page under the “conferences” category.

I can’t wait to see what you come up with!

 

Who Wouldn’t Have Thought? The Role of Rhetoric in Politics Today

Personally, I was rather intrigued with Ramage’s use in Chapter 3 of his book, Rhetoric, of the Presidential State of the Union Address in 2003. It would be safe to assume that politicians, of all people, are, as it were, masters of rhetorical argument. In order to reach the ranks they currently hold within the American governmental system, one would have to assume that they, through using rhetoric properly, would find themselves in the state they are today. Because isn’t that what politics is at the core? Persuading the Americans of today that what you represent or do is the “right thing” for everyone? Wouldn’t that be part of the tactics behind the presidential campaigns we see now? With the national conventions in the near past, and as demonstrated by Professor Mahoney’s previously posted videos, is it not easy to see every instance of rhetorical strategy used? My answer was, YES, a loud and deafening YES.

As it was with his commentary on the State of the Union in 2003, it became more and more apparent to me how these simple coercion/persuasion tactics were put to work. Watching the address that particular year, who wasn’t convinced that we were doing the right thing? Because, god forbid, if we did NOT get Saddam, we were definitely going to get blown off the map, were we not? At least that was the general consensus in my social circle. Now, perhaps the rhetorical strategy did not work so well on the east side of the country, but in my area, the Midwest, purely Republican Texas panhandle, the flags were flying higher than before, and by god, we were going to get that damn Saddam Hussein! (just imagine that statement, for my own benefit, with a radical sounding Texas accent; think ranches, rebel flags, and pure Tobey Keith-esque American spirit). Didn’t the tempo of his delivery, the sheer determination on his face, and the timbre of his voice just invite one to agree with every thing he said about America and the nation’s security that night? His use (or rather his writer’s use) of rhetoric in that particular speech definitely gave his address the little bit of “oomph” to push people over the edge where I was at that moment in time. Ramage definitely made a good point in his critique of the speech and rhetoric therein, much of which I was able to agree with when I read through the passage he wrote mentioning it. Listening to President Bush that night, no one staring into their television screen would have even thought to predict the horrifying situation we find ourselves in today, regarding the entire situation in the Middle East.

Regarding the ethos of the agent, does the triumph and then ultimate failure in the quick-plan Iraq invasion take away credibility from anyone who may hold the Presidential position for the upcoming term? Seeing the brilliant triumph in the capture of Saddam and the search for WMD’s, and then directly following, the ultimate failure to bring peace and democracy to Iraq (after such a heartening and believable speech), does one now lend a little less credibility to the office of the President? Will the American public be able to blindly believe the job will be done right with someone different in office, or will the job be ultimately looked down upon until the new president has been proven a trustworthy source of leadership for the nation? Has President Bush’s conduct and lack of fulfillment of the promises he made leave the nation with a different attitude toward a President’s role? I suppose it is up to us in the next election to observe and remain as questioning as possible. Until proven, it seems that no matter how the rhetoric is used, one should always remain willing to look for the right answer themselves while only using the information given as a starting point. Unfortunately, as it is, political use of rhetoric causes many not to question what is said and for many, they are led blindly into situations like the one America stands upon today. Perhaps, the past eight years will cause the average person to question more than they would normally want to believe, and society will not be led blindly like sheep to slaughter at the word of the elected “shepherd.”