Carly Robinett

Michael Healy

ENC 2135

23 September 2017

Exploring Rhetorical Situation

There are many different situations that inspire or cause an author to write. The entire

context in which one creates a composition is called rhetorical situation. This context includes a

few different components. For instance, it includes an exigence, which is a demand or need that

requests a solution or a response. It could essentially be the reason the author writes what they

write. It also includes a targeted audience whose members will be the recipients of the

composition. Lastly, it includes the purpose the author is trying to convey to the audience,

whether it be to inform, persuade, entertain, and so on.

Believe it or not, this here essay has a rhetorical situation of its own. An English teacher

at Florida State University prescribed the students an assignment to write an essay evaluating one

of three key terms. In order to meet the (one of the) demand(s) of fulfilling their grades, the

students respond by accomplishing this task. The intended audience is the instructor, as

ultimately, he will be evaluating the essay to see if it lived up to what the assignment called for.

The instructor specified the genre as an academic essay format, which will hopefully yield a

scholarly piece of writing. Lastly, the purpose of this composition is to prove to the English

instructor that the students understand rhetorical situation, audience, genre, and how they relate

to one another, at least their interpretation of how they do so. This particular essay speculates

that rhetorical situation is the bicycle wheel which encompasses audience and purpose as a few

of the spokes, which ultimately determines the genre in which the author writes.
 One of several other examples utilized in this paper explains rhetorical situation itself.

Lloyd F. Bitzer noticed there was a lack of understanding of rhetorical situation. The term

encompasses a rather broad definition, and this definition proves to be obscure and vague at

times. To meet this demand for a clearer understanding, Bitzer wrote a composition designed to

illustrate the concept of rhetorical situation and provide multiple examples to enhance this

illustration. He explains that rhetoric itself is pragmatic and ultimately functions to cultivate

action or change in the world. Understanding the job of rhetorical discourse allows readers and

writers to understand how a piece of writing invoking change solves an issue or fulfills a

demand. Naturally, the intended audience for this work is anyone who does not possess a clear

understanding of rhetorical situation. In terms of genre, Bitzer utilized an essay format,

presenting his information in a scholarly way. However, Bitzer wrote the essay in first person, a

stylistic, linguistic decision. Writing the essay in first person presented Bitzer as a less

intimidating, more relatable figure. When reading this composition, the audience feels as though

Bitzer is conversing with them, rather than simply presenting information. Furthermore, Bitzer

asks himself hypothetical questions to help define rhetorical situation. For instance, he says,

When I ask, What is a rhetorical situation?, I want to know the nature of those contexts in which

speakers or writers create rhetorical discourse: How should they be described?.

Asking questions in this almost didactic manner conveys him as one with the audience.

He is essentially saying, This is how I would figure out the rhetorical situation, if I were you.

Bitzer effectively all spokes of the rhetorical situation wheel to effectively fulfill the presented

demand.

In spring of 2003, Billy Collins delivered the commencement address at Choate-

Rosemary Hall, an elite, college-preparatory, private boarding school situated in Wallington,

Connecticut. The exigence of this situation stems from the fact that the school needed a speaker

for graduation, as this is customary. As young students graduate from high school, they are

preparing to transition into a new chapter of life; adulthood. Whether they choose to attend

college, go into the military, enter the workforce, or whatever else they might do, they are

approaching a coming-of-age moment, and the speaker is meant to provide some motivational

words of encouragement and advice. Therefore, Collins set to work and constructed a speech

directed toward the boarding school graduates, his intended audience. This speech was intended

to inspire the graduates to take life more slowly, be more observant and appreciative of the little

things, and cherish the function of memory. The genre of the speech is generally intended to

inspire, which aligns with the authors purpose, and therefore, rhetorical situation. In a new age

of technology and quickly accessible information, Collins purpose and assertions in his speech

prove necessary and applicable. He emphasizes the ridiculousness of cursing your computer for

taking four seconds instead of half a second to fetch a little stick of information for you., which

is, sadly, a commonality for many people nowadays.

Although the original intended audience was the graduating class of 2003 at Choate-

Rosemary Hall, the speech is now published on the National Association of Independent Schools

website. Virtually anyone who falls upon this speech browsing the internet becomes a member of

the audience. After absorbing this speech, students and anyone else who reads it can persist

through their lives with a refreshed, healthy mindset.

Recently, The Oatmeal released a lengthy comic strip entitled Youre Not Going to

Believe What Im About to Tell You, written by Matthew Inman. Through this comic, Inman

explores a concept entitled the backfire effect, an occurrence where the brains amygdala

blocks out potentially threatening information that conflicts with an already established
worldview. In terms of exigence, Inmans girlfriend originally informed him of the concept of

the backfire effect, which caused him to explore how it may be detrimental to society. Many

peoples core beliefs are instilled at a young age. With todays political climate and a widespread

lack of acceptance, a piece such as this proves necessary, and Inman saw a void that needed to be

filled. In terms of intended audience, Inman targets young people who are new to college or

approaching a coming-of-age moment in their lives. These people generally have yet to

experience several new perspectives, so they are less likely to act old and set in their ways. In

terms of purpose, Inman constructed this comic to make people aware of the backfire effect. He

challenges his audiences to be open to new ideas and open to a change in their original

worldview. In order to most effectively deliver to his intended audience, Inman, as mentioned

before, utilizes a comic strip. This genre incorporates relatively simple discourse accompanied

by colorful pictures, making his ideas easier to follow and more interesting and accessible for

younger readers. By addressing an incredibly prevalent, yet minimally discussed issue of the

backfire effect, Inman contributes to a broader, enlightened understanding in the generation of

the millennials. New facts and perspectives that conflict with, and therefore challenge peoples

current molds help them grow and mature as individuals, and as a society.

Gloria Anzalduas work, How to Tame a Wild Tongue deals with a very specific type

of social unrest. Throughout her life, and particularly her childhood, Anzaldua struggled to find

acceptance into any particular group as a Chicana. Living in the southwestern part of the United

States, she did not feel fully accepted into the American culture nor the Hispanic culture,

primarily because of the way she spoke. She either spoke Spanish too much like a Mexican, or

she was ruining the Spanish language through her preferred tongue, Chicano Spanish.

Therefore, she had to alter her tongue depending on whom she was speaking with. Sometimes,
she experienced rejection from her fellow Chicanos and Chicanas. Her struggles prompted her to

create a piece evaluating the borders that restrict her, particularly with language. In terms of

purpose, this composition aims to educate non-Chicanos about the struggles and challenges of

not being fully accepted into any one group, feeling displaced, and / or lacking a true identity. It

also aims to validate the feelings of other Chicanos/as, as well as other people of diverse

backgrounds. In terms of genre, Anzaldua includes this piece in a larger work entitled

Borderlands / La Frontera, in which she discusses several types of borders between cultures,

genders, nations, etcetera. This particular chapter focuses on language. Her writing style mimics

that of a memoir, or a personal journal. She writes in first person, which allows the reader to feel

as though Anzaldua is sitting in the same room as them and explaining her life story firsthand.

This allows the reader to feel a true connection with Anzaldua, and therefore they are able to

sympathize and potentially empathize with Anzaldua more easily.

Rhetorical situation, audience, and genre all function together to create influential

compositions. Rhetorical situation ultimately lays out the groundwork for audience and genre

alike. It presents an exigence, which is a demand or need to be met. This determines the intended

audience; who can and will benefit from this demand being met? From there, the audience

determines the genre; what medium and use of language is the most effective way to convey the

purpose to the audience? A greater understanding of these three terms allows for more

thoughtful, persuasive, and effective compositions from the authors themselves.