I happen to be a huge visual learner (seeing is believing!), so any type of diagram or image that may help to explain a certain concept is extremely constructive for me. Though Carroll hinted to the “rhetorical triangle” in her “Backpacks vs. Briefcases” article, I found the diagram in the “What is Rhetoric?” reading to be quite helpful.

I also benefited greatly from the way this reading broke down the “argument” portion of rhetorical analysis. Argument consists of claims (main idea), support (evidence for the main point), and warrants (underlying assumptions).

The short reading ended softly by saying that “rhetoric is a creative art”, and indeed it is. There are so many ways to construct an argument (visual appeals, verbal appeals, and SO much more), allowing everyone to use their own creative processes to make that argument!