Writing is a Social and Rhetorical Activity

Writing is a Social and Rhetorical Activity by Kevin Roozen

In the reading the author explains rhetorical activities by relating them to real life occurrences. For instance, the author uses the example of a father writing a birthday card to his daughter. He explains that the love, compassion, and motivation that he puts into the card is a way of letting his daughter know that they have the feelings that are expressed in the card. He does this even though his daughter knows his feelings. By the author using that example it gives us a better understanding of what rhetorical writing really is and where it occurs in our daily lives.

I can relate this to my high school open house. After my open house was over, I opened the many cards that I had received from friends and family congratulating me for graduating high school. After I opened the many cards, I wrote thank you cards to each family regarding how thankful I was for the gifts that they gave me and what I was going to use the gifts for. Its rhetorical because all the families that attended my open house knew that I was thankful for all of the gifts that I received. For instance in the article the author says, “The father writing a few comments on a birthday card to his daughter crafts statements+ intended to communicate his love for her (Writing is a Social and Rhetorical Activity Roozen PG 17).” In this sense I am using the thank you cards to thank all of the people for the gifts that they got me. It is again rhetorical because they know I am thankful because I expressed that to them when they attended my open house.