Rhetoric In 'The Theory Toolbox'

Rhetoric is the act of writing or speaking in order to persuade. In order to excel as an orator or writer one must be able to convince an audience of the importance of their subject matter. By presenting information in a succinct manner and backing up the main points writers and orators persuade individuals. However, this is no simple task, when writing or preparing a speech the author must contemplate their message, and the audience in an effort to persuade even the most resistant spectator. So far, through reading The Theory Toolbox, we have explored authority which deals with how an author gains credulity to move from the status of a writer to an acclaimed authority. This section was particularly interesting due to the point the speaker made about interpretative ambiguity which separates mediocre writing from exceptional writing. We also examined the responsibility of the reader, which is to actively interpret the information at hand. The portion in the reading section that discussed how the meaning of a word changes depending on context is especially important when analyzing the persuasion of a piece because in different contexts the …show more content…
In this article the use of rhetoric is not concurrent with our understanding from The Theory Toolbox. Take for example this quote: “Sanders is intensifying, rather than softening his rhetoric against the front-runner.” When the word rhetoric is used, it resembles the word diction, not our definition of rhetoric which is writing in order to persuade. Another example from this article refers to Clinton’s rhetoric from her 2008 campaign, saying that “Clinton’s rhetoric clearly suggested she was leaning toward exiting the race” (Schultheis n.pag.). In this example as well the use of rhetoric is also understood to mean word choice. Clearly, the use of the word rhetoric in the media is not always concurrent with its