Reflection

Before I took English 1010, I viewed the concept of rhetoric in writing as a way to
manipulate an audience, usually to conceal the truth and limit the chance that the reader will be
able to remain objective about a topic. After taking the course, rhetoric and writing have a more
broad meaning to me. I now view rhetoric as a method of using persuasive techniques to
influence an audience using skilled written language. My work in this course uses rhetoric in
different ways. In the Issue Exploration essay I researched conflicting viewpoints on my topic
and analyzed the rhetorical context of my sources to explore which had a more valid argument.
In my Rhetorical Analysis I defined the different literary devices used by my source and
determined the effectiveness of the author in persuading his readers using each technique. In my
Consumers Memoir I will use rhetoric to appeal to the pathos of my readers, by connecting them
with a personal experience. I use rhetoric to persuade everyone I communicate with, from the
texts I send, structured to get my point across, to my school discussions that are fashioned in a
way that appeals to my intended audience. Rhetorical strategies are used every day and are an
essential foundation of skilled writing.