The Rhetorical Situation

     I really hope I'm not the only person who thought that this reading assignment as difficult to understand.  I think I understand the general idea behind the essay, but it was written in a way that was very hard for me to understand and comprehend. With the long and boring text coupled with way too many examples, I had to reread several sections more than once to try to make sense of it.

     Regardless of the unnecessary word play, I think I somewhat understand the point that the author was trying to get across.  I think the very basic idea behind the essay is that in order for something to be considered "rhetorical,"there must be an initial catalyst that causes this discourse.  Rhetorical discourse can't just appear. It must be a response to a previous or current situation. The author states that "rhetorical discourse comes into existence as a response to a situation, in the same sense that an answer comes into existence in response to a question, or solution in response to a problem."  Rhetorical discourse is not something that can just be thrown randomly into conversation. Rhetorical discourse is not a statement, it's a response. The author also emphasizes that rhetorical discourse is sometimes necessary in extreme situations.  The example of the JFK assassination explains this best. With a situation that would change the whole country, there needed to be an explanation of what happened.  The resulting media and news conferences were the rhetorical responses to the assassination.

    In order for a situation to be considered "rhetorical" you must also look at it in a certain perspective.  A situation that may be rhetorical for one group may not be rhetorical for a different group or a different period in time because it might not hold the same relevance.

    Even though it was hard for me to understand at first, I think I finally have a slight grasp of what rhetoric is.