It's all rhetoric

I found the chapter on rhetoric to be quite helpful in helping me understand the logistics of the term rhetoric, as well as the logistics of the course. Recently I have been unclear as to what one means when they say the word “rhetoric,” and it has gotten in the way of my being able to understand what the discussions in the classroom are referring to. As I read chapter four, I was able to better understand this term and see how it is being applied in terms of our course. I think it would have helped if this was the first chapter that we were assigned because it describes the purpose of writing and the purpose of reading.


Style, voice, and purpose are very important when it comes to writing, and this is where rhetoric comes in play. These concepts of writing style, in voice, and purpose are addressed in the rhetoric chapter and I think that they are explored well enough to suggest that they should be the focus of discussion when we are teaching writing. I have often wondered if I have a style of my own and I believe that I do, I have my own opinion about things and through my writing I am able to express these views. It seems to me that many students dislike writing because they feel that it is something that is forced on them. Dr. Cauthen was telling the story in class of writing standards as a punishment and that made me remember of all of the times when I dreaded having to write. I guess that one of the reasons writing is a bore is because it demands a command of language, a command of the subject being explored, and the will power to put it all down on paper. I know that I hate writing 5 page papers on something that I am not interested in and find it tedious, and because of that, I do not write well. I lack the urge to use language effectively or to make sense simply because I am not motivated to do so. And I think a lot of this is happening to many students and proper paper-topics should be discussed as alternatives to the topics that are typically assigned after readings or that can be found in the AP or CAHSEE. I believe that writing serves a more meaningful purpose than the one most have been ingrained with.