Carolyn Miller, a well-known student of rhetoric, attacks one of the most pressing subjects of rhetoric, genre. Genre is founded on the study on convention of how rhetors and audience comprehend each other. She sums it up to is that genre is not limited to a certain type of discourse classification. However, I do not know what a discourse classification is and cannot seem to decipher it within this reading. Apparently, in order for the audience to understand the discourse, it must reflect the rhetorical experience. These experiences can come from the audience’s personal experiences or situations that they are placed in. These situations are “social constructs that are the result, not of ‘perception,’ but of ‘definition.’” This poses the probability of a common definition amount the audience which allows for a genre to be set by the author.
Miller poses the approaches to genre of several other rhetors in the hope to support their positions that genre study is valuable because it emphasizes social and historical aspects of rhetoric. It is interesting how she said that she will argue that a rhetorically sound definition of genre must be centered not on the substance or the form of discourse but on the action it is used to accomplish. This is important when looking into my topic of the water crisis. The action that I am trying to accomplish is important to the environment and for the future of the globe. Therefore, it is crucial to focus on the action I am trying to portray upon my audience.
When an idea is thought-provoking, the audience’s reaction is also important. When my audience comprehends the idea I am trying to get to them, the nature of my topic is one that needs a positive reaction to be successful. As humans, we are susceptible to repetition. Therefore studying the reactions to situations of other rhetors, we are able to predict how audiences may react. This is important when choosing the exact audience and how to approach them to receive the best possible response. Again, this is super important when addressing the water crisis and I must be able to choose the proper approach.