Forum: Bitzer 9/26/21

On January 6^th, 2021, I had posted a tweet on twitter expressing my feeling towards the capital riot that had take place hours earlier. Here, I, the rhetor, am speaking to not only Americans, but the entire world, in order to make everyone aware of just how hypocritical and how ghastly the people of America can be. Though I was filled with anger, disgust, and shock, I wanted to deliver my message in an urgent yet informative tone of voice so those who had read it would understand the seriousness of the issue. In his speech, Bitzer states, “Observing both the traditions of the expedition and the facts before him, the leader of the fishermen finds himself obliged to speak at a given moment – to command, to supply information, to praise or blame – to respond appropriately to the situation” (5). Here, Bitzer emphasizes how a person’s inclination to speak or to give an opinion, is affected by the situation and must be handled accordingly. Should I have been too relaxed or too undignified in my tweet, not many would have taken it seriously. I had believed the events that had taken place on January 6^th were an outrage and needed to be addressed, a stance I remain true to.  

Forum: Metaphorical Musings 10/31/21

One of the ten metaphoric musings that had stood out to me greatly and would help me become a better writer was the third titled “The Little Green Ball and Some People: Doing Details Right” (Reid 6). In this musing, Reid emphasized the importance of being detailed when writing. By giving precise and accurate descriptions of ideas or thoughts, a writer can almost telepathically send an image into the reader’s mind. When writing, a reader must be able to clearly understand what the author is discussing at all points of the text. This is highly important, especially if the text is about a topic the writer is particularly passionate about. For example, when discussing how to properly describe an image, Reid writes, “But the more I care that you know exactly what I’m thinking, the more the details matter to me, then the more information I need to give you” (6-7). Here, Reid explains how if a piece is important to the writer, it is essential that they provide the reader with as much detail as possible to ensure that the piece cannot be interpreted in any other way but how the writer intended. If the writer writes a sentence or phrase that can be interpreted in many ways, it is not guaranteed that the reader will internalize the exact point the author is trying to make.

Forum: Hulst’s “Grammar, Rhetoric, and Style” 11/14/21

A good stylistic writing choice James Baldwin made when writing “Sonny’s Blues” was usage. Baldwin’s usage of words and grammar cater perfectly to not only the specific characters in his short story, but to his audience as well. For example, “What usage is preferred is also dependent on the rhetorical situation of the text. As an example of the differences between standard and preferred usage, consider contractions. Most of the time when we speak, and often in informal writing, it is perfectly fine to use contractions like “can’t,” “isn’t,” or “aren’t;” contractions are standard usage. You may have been told in your composition class that using contractions is okay in your papers, but using contractions is not preferred in many rhetorical situations, as in a formally written research paper” (Hulst 90). Here, Hulst emphasizes how depending on the rhetorical situation of a piece, an individual’s writing style must correlate with the situation to properly convey their argument. Baldwin uses raw and very descriptive language in his short story to truly incapsulate the reader in the difficult, impactful, and heartwarming struggles contained in the story. 

Forum: Bizup’s “The Ethics of Style” 12/12/21

Original: They were told to put him into counseling within 48 hours or risk being reported to Children’s Protective Services. (From NYT’s article on the Michigan School Shooting) 

Rewrite: In order to avoid the risk of Children’s Protective Services being contacted, they were advised to put him into counseling within 48 hours. 

            The syntax of the rewrite allows for it to be more eloquently stated when compared to the original sentence. By rearranging the structure of the sentence, the rewrite portrays a much more affirm and matter-of-fact tone when compared to the more passive original. Also, the change of the word “told” to “advised” creates a much more professional sentence as “told” is much more juvenile when compared with “advised”. There is also a change in punctuation which assists in this change of tone. The comma in the middle of the rewrite provides for a clear cause and effect relationship between the actions of the sentence.