In the article, “Writing is a Social and Rhetorical activity” from “naming what we know” Kevin Roozen explains how writing goes beyond putting two people in contact with one another, as well as how people who write have shaped the many different aspects we see today. Many of the rhetorical situations these writers find themselves in are typically in everyday activities such as work, such as a technical writer at a pharmaceutical company who provides the dosages and side effects of many medications. Roozen continues to explain that understanding these rhetorical aspects of writing are important for creating and effective and informed piece. These rhetorical aspects include what language to use, what genres to explore, and what texts to reference.
In everyday life we may see rhetorical writing but never realize it, such examples include rally cries that inspire people to act, catchy slogans from advertisers to sell products, and even lawyers presenting an argument in a case. During these rhetorical situations much of the concepts that Kevin Roozen explains, are being used. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s famous “I have a dream” speech is a fantastic example of rhetoric being used. The speech he made uses figurative language to implore people to fight racial discrimination within the United States. A more current example is the use of pathos through social media. This can take many forms one of which would be in a charitable campaign such as the ASPCA. In campaigns like this a speaker will appeal to your emotional side, they want to to be upset, they want to to feel anger, and they do this because they want that persuasion to bring in more support.
“Writing, then, is always an attempt to address the needs of an audience” (Roozen, 18) My biggest takeaway from this reading is just that whether we truly realize it or not, we are constantly using rhetoric and trying to appeal to a specific audience. That rhetoric is always around us. We as writers will shape our work to address the needs and interests of our specific audience, without the use of rhetoric much of what we write or say will lose it’s impact. Rhetoric is important when we want to convey certain ideas or obtain a specific goal. Such examples are technical writers in pharmaceutical companies, they want to keep a consumer informed, Dr. King wanted to create change, and companies like the ASPCA who just want want support for a cause they believe in. All of these examples made proper use of rhetoric which further enhance their message and addressed the needs or interests of an audience. Rhetoric is a concept that is just as prominent within the world as a whole, as it is to our personal lives, and can even sometimes be a catalyst for change.
