Reply To: Rhetorical Situation

Theory of Writing Assignment Forums Discussions Rhetorical Situation Reply To: Rhetorical Situation

#270
Helen
Participant

Bitzer’s “The Rhetorical Situation” provides reasons as to why rhetoric is persuasive and conceptual. He states that a rhetoric is situational and that it produces “action or change in the world.” At first glance, the entire reading seems to be overwhelming, however, as it continues, the idea seems clear and he continues to repeat it. He has a three-part model that rhetoric always has exigence(something that needs solving), audience(one that can be moved by rhetoric), and constraints. Rhetoric is always situational as Bitzer points out. With my understanding of the reading, I believe that he is saying that rhetoric is most effective when a specific situation calls for it. Rhetorical address doesn’t call a situation into existence, the situation calls rhetoric into existence. If a situation can only be resolved by means other than rhetoric, then it’s not a rhetorical situation.