“Backpacks v. Briefcases: Steps Toward Rhetorical Analysis”
A) While reading, “Backpacks v. Briefcases: Steps Towards Rhetorical Analysis,” I learned that understanding rhetorical messages can help one establish informed clearer analyses/conclusions, helping us understand what we buy and for what purpose or why a person wears a certain attire for. I also learned that understanding the exigence (a new word I had to look up as well) is essential to discovering the purpose of the rhetoric because it gives the reader an understanding of why they chose the use of rhetoric and if it was used correctly (if their idea/purpose was accomplished). Another thing I learned which I didn’t know beforehand was that constraints (beliefs, facts, attitudes, documents, etc.) of the rhetorical situation determine how rhetoric is presented meaning constraints determine the way the speech is delivered to the audience.
B) “In fact, according to rhetorician Kenneth Burke, rhetoric is everywhere: “wherever there is persuasion, there is rhetoric. And wherever there is ‘meaning,’ there is ‘persuasion.’” This quote from the essay signifies that rhetoric is essentially everywhere, from media to what we eat and/ or choose to wear, but the rhetoric is a critical component in interacting with others, and that of which affects us in many ways- the way we think and act.
C) One way, “Backpacks v. Briefcases: Steps Towards Rhetorical Analysis” will affect the rhetorical analysis that I am currently working on is by understanding the entire context of the speech in order to study the ways the speaker breaks down their speech with the uses of rhetoric strategies like logos, pathos, and ethos to persuade the audience.
When you think about the context for the speech you’re writing about, you can bring in some of the other elements that are discussed in this article – like exigence, constraints, and audience.