Reflection: Writing is a process and throughout this class I believe that my understanding and approach toward this has shifted. This class has also helped shift my approach toward all my school work. I’ve tried to make a lot of changes in my life, but in the calamity of college it hasn’t always worked out. My writing in my opinion parallels this experience and I hope to continue to grow in organization and quality as I get older. I believe that this culmination does show growth and I hope I can be proud of my mistakes and the things I’ve learned from them. Rhetoric has always been something I’ve noticed and been aware of in many different media. However, this class gave me a a deeper look into the ethics of rhetoric which I feel are often neglected. Ethics are a challenge in academia and in every other aspect of our lives. This struggle is as central to life as social interaction or any other fundamental desire. Ethics are important to our lives and they really prove the dedication and sincerity of someones intentions. I believe my understanding of rhetoric is most evident in the final Ted Talk. I believe the most rhetorical pieces are not written because there is a detachment from the relation that comes from actual interaction. I believe I’ve grown in the depth of the topics I’ve chose to address, and the quality of work that is expected at this level. The synthesis of sources was a large part of this course and I feel like learning how to accumulate useful information is going to benefit me in many future classes. I believe that the multimedia focus of this class was what drew me to enroll in it. Focusing on one medium doesn’t seem practical when we are surrounded by visuals and music every minute of the day. I believe that understanding how someone is making an argument through various media connects to every aspect of our lives. If you think about it, every time we step outside in the clothes we are wearing we make a claim about ourselves. Every conversation, song played or movie watched makes claims and I find it very interesting to analyze these things. Finally, I’m most proud of my Ted Talk because I really wanted to make an impact on our class with it, and I wanted to make a statement about how I’ve made progress in this class. Thank you for a great semester and everything you’ve done as a professor.

Photo Essay: https://spark.adobe.com/page/hnDw3VfWgXAl1/

Rhetorical Analysis: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1i3A2UvxhykD2fSr0u8zo2IBWvnDIld-OY9j_56rnCSI/edit?usp=sharing

Narrative Research Paper: https://docs.google.com/document/d/11UXOwCPTpttGqyy5l_aTkc0WDHwb1xKkVat0zD5MZQA/edit?usp=sharing

TED TALK: https://youtu.be/csU4ruyQyBY

Both papers talk about personal experiences related to their research question. The use of their experience creates obvious bias issues and increase the severity of the claims made. However, both papers combine research with narrative so that the storytelling is supporting argument made in a way that is personal and relatable to the audience. Anecdotal evidence was very effective in both essays because of the balance created by the authors. The topics covered are broad issues that face out societies, but both authors focus on their personal connection to the to the topic. For the paper, “The Cross We Have To Bear” the author uses the relation to her mother’s work to limit the scope to the Notre Dame and Newark communities. The authors capture a fresh audience by making the topics more relatable to their target audiences. The alternation between first and third person creates the balance between research and narrative. These elements work together well because it makes the research support the narrative. The authors used a segment of narrative to raise a new aspect of the paper, then used research to continue their argument.

Intro:

Show Some Skin discusses the problems with the gender disparity in the workplace. The use of monologues, lighting and stage direction develop the credibility of the production. As well as, give the audience a sympathetic view in gender. The play asks the audience to re-evaluate stereotypes and assumptions about the gender.

Supporting Claims:

The use of male and female actors together on stage allows the female actor to emphasize the double standard.

Using storytelling to communicate the different things that impact women in professional settings gives the audience a specific example to relate to grounding the claim deeper in reality.

The use of gesturing between the male and female actors helps develop the sense that there is a gap in treatment between them.

The performance was much better than I expected. I expected the stories to have a “cringe” aspect because they are topics that aren’t typically spoken about. However, the actors staff did an extremely good job of making the atmosphere serious and easy to empathize with. The various stories told varied on topics much more than I thought, and this gave the performance far more impact to me. The range of stories gave the purpose of the play more credibility, because there was a larger dedication to various walls rather than the obvious ones such as race etc. allowed for the purpose to be in the forefront rather than another ulterior motive seem to dominate. Many of the stories were intimate and drew some serious reactions from me. Some causing me to recall my actions and reflect on mistakes I’ve personally made in the past. The most memorable part of the show was my own reactions to the stories. I became more sympathetic to many issues because they were exposed to me when I expected to be reflective. The lighting was the most powerful production element to me. The manipulation of light around performers highlighted isolation in certain cases and placed all of the focus on the speaker. The lack of stage dressing gave the monologues more spotlight. The production used multiple audience members to create walls, or show unity. The monologues used various methods to convey their gravity to the audience. There were various rhetorical strategies used to draw in the listener/reader, to cause the reader to empathize with their story. The most interesting concept from the readers present in Show Some Skin were the use of examples. The entire production is a collection of real world examples of issues. The use of these real life stories guarantees to the listener the truth of a situation. This understanding causes a more visceral reaction to the feelings of the authors. This allows for a more sympathetic view towards the rhetorical purpose of the plays.

The gender stories weren’t exactly surprising for me, but it was very interesting to see the contrast between the stories. Most people’s responses held many continuities about the things that were expected from each sex. The back to back oration of our experiences really deepened the feeling of societies roles based on our genders. The greatest challenge from the reading was capturing the intentions of the author. There was an expectation on myself that I would correctly portray someone else’s experiences. Very similar to the Show Some Skin performances we took someone else’s story and placed our understanding on to the piece. Even if we felt as if we were portraying it as it was purposed, there could still be a disconnect. Campbell’s claim about theatre’s use of the example to better relate the theme of the performance to reality is shown by the performance of individual accounts from our gender stories. They bridged the reality of someone else’s story to the reality of their own. Kaplan says, “The relationship of actor to empathetic audience is absolutely crucial in moving through trauma.” Emphasizing the power of the relationship between the audience and the storyteller is very important in relation to our gender stories. Because we all had our experiences out there, we were much more respectful hearing and performing others stories.

“Show Some Skin” serves a clear rhetorical function. It’s purpose is to create conversation about diversity. However it is not a debate. The performance is written with the purpose of sharing the stories from the diverse students at Notre Dame, but they are collected and presented to educate the cookie-cutter white student here. Bridging the gap between the ignorance from one end and coming to a place of further understanding is the rhetorical purpose of “Show Some Skin”. Campbell’s “The Rhetoric of Theatre” states, “Booth holds that, as a matter of fundamental definition, imaginative works are rhetorical in that they work their effects upon audiences by using certain techniques and devices.” The fact that “Show Some Skin” offers the imaginative writing of rhetorically purposed stories guarantees that there will be some argument deduced from their presentation. For example, the last production “Break the Silence” took different stories from the with the purpose of reflecting on “every time we held our tongues because of the stigmas we feared to bring up.” The selection and arrangement of stories was, presumably, done in a manner that would have the greatest effect to their target audience. For instance, if the preduction had received a submission of a time someone did break the silence, they would frame it as a positive or choose not to perform it. Because it does not serve to aid the argument being presented by the play. “When the examples are meaningful and important to individual audience members, that rhetoric becomes even more powerful…” (Campbell). This describes why the effects of “Show Some Skin” are so profound. The relatabilty between the example and our own lives as students here at Notre Dame creates a strong association with the narrative being presented and real life. This causes us as students to be more concerned with the argument and it’s purpose.

John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address is a powerful rhetorical example. The former President was known for the gift of oration and established himself as a Rhetor. His inaugural address contains many persuasive techniques. This in combination with JFK’s charisma embodies the relationship between rhetoric and building a community. In his speech to the nation, Kennedy leans on repetition and parallelism to create associations between ideas as well as emphasize parts of his argument. In Herrick’s article is says, “Arrangement refers to the planned ordering of a message to achieve the greatest effect, whether of persuasion, clarity, or beauty.” Kennedy’s arrangement of language is planned and provides clear emphasis. In his speech he says,

“LET BOTH SIDES explore what problems unite us instead of belaboring those problems which divide us.

LET BOTH SIDES, for the first time, formulate serious and precise proposals for the inspection and control of arms, and bring the absolute power to destroy other nations under the absolute control of all nations.

LET BOTH SIDES seek to invoke the wonders of science instead of its terrors. Together let us explore the stars, conquer the deserts, eradicate disease, tap the ocean depths, and encourage the arts and commerce.

LET BOTH SIDES unite to heed, in all corners of the earth, the command of Isaiah — to “undo the heavy burdens, and [to] let the oppressed go free.”

This anaphoric langauge is a strong rhetorical tool employed by Kennedy to imprint the message of coming together. One thing that is special about Kennedy is there seems to be a genuineness about his speech that gives this tool a stronger message. Kennedy spoke like a founding father in many respects, earlier in the speech he says, “We dare not forget today that we are the heirs of that first revolution.” People do not talk like that anymore, and it’s powerful language. It gives JFK credibility in a sense because he uses a style of speaking that is beautiful. In Herrick’s “An Overview of Rhetoric” he writes, “The art of rhetoric can render symbol use more persuasive, beautiful, memorable, forceful, thoughtful, clear, and thus generally more compelling.” President Kennedy always had artful language and presentation that made his words more inviting.

John F. Kennedy used his swagger and charisma to transform the text he read into passionate art. This gave him the ability to be an outstanding Rhetor. This particular speech speaks to uniting a nation.

“And, if a beachhead of cooperation may push back the jungle of suspicion, let both sides join in creating a new endeavor — not a new balance of power, but a new world of law — where the strong are just, and the weak secure, and the peace preserved.”

This quotation from the inaugural address summarizes JFK’s main point. He wishes to arm America to unite as one community that protects the human dignity of all people. This is a strong claim that is charged with various social and political issues, but he leans on human’s innate goodness to forget their other loyalties and to join his militia for change.

The most rhetorically powerful aspect of photography is personification. The Campbell article outlined the keys to photo narrative, including personification. An object or person in a composition that is portraying a feeling or idea that relates to the theme seemed as if it would be the most influential devices in a photo. The pictures from last classes’ photo essays of the 17 year old, Jorge, personified the defeated and trapped feelings of the Jorge. The contrast between light and dark of the cell brings attention to the isolation of Jorge. Jorge’s face itself is blank and lost in thought, he is trapped without human interaction. These personified feelings gave the image more weight. The New York Times’ blog gave accounts from professional media photographers and editors. They shared their beliefs and encounters with the ethical dilemmas with photographs in media. Many shared the encounters with staging or editing images. This when giving news about an event that has occurred can manipulate the historical narrative. The staged images give a different sense than that of a candid image of an event. This ethical concern regarding photographic news can affect millions of perceptions. The convenience has a powerful impact, journalists must stay rigorous in reporting unbiased news to maintain credibility.

The photo essay “Life Inside a Juvenile Detention Center for Girls” photographed by Richard Ross depicts many young girls in isolation. This struck the hardest for me because these people are in the formative years of their lives and they aren’t learning how to relate to people in a way where the can re-enter society. The emotional toll on these girls is going to continue to affect them after the leave. This stain on their upbringing will damage the stories they dream about living out. They will forever be judged for their time in a juvenile detention center. Their story will always be “criminal” instead of what they wish to be seen as. Their brand as a delinquent is the same as a story about race, or socioeconomic status. People will assume a story for these girls that may not be true. Ross omits the face from his pictures, and says he builds a bond before proceeding to use their likeness. He is sharing their story and seems legitimately concerned with the cause. Ross seems to be ethically using these girls stories to bring light to the struggles and issues in juvenile detention centers. They trade their image for the freedom to express their stories.

The comic uses the ideas of rhetoric argument to show how different perceptions influence human’s reactions to different rhetorical strategies. The comic uses an example of President George Washington’s dentures to show how certain claims seem to be accepted more readily than other claims. The comic claims that the backfire effect causes this acceptance disparity. Our brains react to some verbal challenges the same as it would a physical attack. The comic seems motivated to introduce the audience to the tools of rhetoric by showing how claims and arguments are interpreted. This reception by the audience of certain claims is essential to understanding the tools used to persuade an audience. The creator of the comic assumes that the audience is having certain reactions to the claims it is making. This assumption is related to the evidence required to qualify certain claims and the type of evidence used. The Crowley and Hawhee chapter discusses the ancient understanding of evidence. This is an important supplement to the reactions of claims. The history and nature of evidence is important to an audiences expectations of a claim’s qualification. The ethical appeal of the comic is that it is claiming that the knee jerk reactions to claims can be tamed and argument can be used to benefit our societies. The most surprising information in the media for this prompt is the infatuation with factual evidence in modern history. What developed that changed the established rhetorical practices of ancient Greece and Rome?