Grant-Davie's_Article_Group_Notes

Here is where I will be putting the group notes for the Grant-Davis article. Feel free to leave them here or email me them at kdunlap@knights.ucf.edu.

Rhetorical Situation: Any situation that includes an exigence (a problem needed to be solved), an audience (the one who either brought the problem to attention or is experiencing it), and the rhetor (the solution to the problem by “modifying the exigence”). As defined by Lloyd Bitzer, rhetorical situations are in a straight path beginning in exigency and ending in rhetor. According to Richard Vatz, the rhetor does not come into existence because of the situation, but rather the rhetor was always there and actually caused the exigence. For example, if your friend complains about the temperature being too cold, the solution is to adjust the thermostat but the thermostat caused the low temperature in the first place. So the rhetorical discourse (the thermostat) created the exigence (cold temperature) but was also the solution (raising the temperature). In a way, everything comes full circle. Scott Consigny retorts that Bitzer and Vatz contributed something into defining a rhetorical situation in that, the rhetor only partially made the situation. Both Bitzer’s linear definition and Vatz’ cycler definition lend their own aspect of “integrity and receptivity.” Using Davie’s analogy, “We could say that carpentry has integrity inasmuch as carpenters tackle most projects with a limited set of common tools. They do not have to build new tools for every new task (use what has proven to work every time). Conversely, carpentry might also be said to have receptivity if the limited set of tools does not limit the carpenter’s perceptions of the task. A good carpenter does not reach for the hammer every time (use whatever is best depending on the situation).” (Davie 10)

· Lloyd Bitzer defines a rhetorical situation generally as the context in which speakers or writers create rhetorical discourse. Simplified: a rhetorical situation is a situation where a speaker or writer sees a need to change reality and sees that change may be effected through rhetorical discourse

· Richard Vatz challenges Bitzer's claims; He believes that rhetors create rather than discover rhetorical situations

· Vatz believes rhetors not only answer the question they ask it

· Scott Consigny's paradigm supports and thwarts both Vatz's and Bitzer's views; He contends that a rhetorical situation is partly, but not wholly created by the rhetor

· Supporting Vatz, Consigny argues that the art of rhetoric should involve the ability to apply a standard set of strategies effectively to any situation a rhetor may face. Simplified: sometimes different situations call for the same solution

· Supporting Bitzer, Consigny argues that rhetoric should also involve the ability to respond to the conditions and demands of individual situations

Consigny has the even milestone approach whereas he agrees with both Vatz and Bitzer on each of there points in certain areas yet he adds his own feel to rhetoric.

The passage was all about the topic of what a discourse is about. Most often it is identifying the most apparent topic, but it should bring out more interesting and important questions, like what are the fundamental values that are being address in the speech.The excerpt uses the example of an episode of The Civil War. Barbara Fields’ topic is the War, yet she divulges deeper into the subject by discussing more important factors of the war, not just the guns and battlefield. Fields states how the war was about “something higher, about humanity, about human dignity, about human freedom.” Whenever something is said or done, there are always hidden meanings behind it. It is always important to find these hidden meanings to better understand what is being stated. Grant-Davie states that rhetors who have the ability to identify fundamental issues that superficial subject matters represent and to convince their audiences to take interest in those issues, then has the power to "maintain decisive control over the field of debate,” the same way lawyers gain the jury’s attention in a courtroom. When a politician gives a speech, there is always a platform that they stand for but there are also other issues they don't discuss.

The general idea of the passage was to explain potential uses and the overall idea of a rhetorical situation. It would appear that the main application for a rhetorical situation is to use a contemporary issue to evoke the feelings or ideas of a much broader and more widely understood moral standard. The passage specifically implied the persuasive powers of a rhetorical situation. By using the connotations and emotional baggage associated with the broader moral idea, one is able to more easily sway the audience to one's own way of thinking.

What the discourse is about can best be summed up as an alternate to a direct answer, which invokes a bigger issue. As the example in the text, about a politician addressing issues on uniforms in public schools which brings out the issue of states' rights. The rhetorical situation can engage the audience or the readers with discourse by evading a question and bringing out an issue of more important matter. Another example the text illustrated was that of a politician questioning his rival's character as a response to a positive action his rival has pointed out about himself. In addition discourse can create an identity for the rhetorical situation towards the audience.

Understanding that a rhetorical situation is an event, person, or object that can persuade a person into doing something, it's easier to see the explanations that are given in the passage. Referring to the politician that was merely remarking on the current issues that he thinks are more important to focus on, he is able to persuade people to think that those are the pressing issues at the time. Just by talking about a few issues he can somehow, inspire people to rethink their current state and perhaps beg for change; it is almost a mind trick. "—and persuade audiences to engage those issues" (Wardle & Downs, 12). Looking closer into the passage, one cannot help but feel as though politicians are merely puppets. They bring issues up to persuade the people to try and fix them. As he merely sits back and waits for the ideas people are all around trying to change and fix them because of several words. The other example of a rhetoric situation is of a court setting. Just like the politician a lawyer takes the same approach. Yet again, by stating facts to persuade the jury that the person they represent is innocent. This article could make one feel as though life is just a game of strategy and if you can't manipulate the pieces you're going to be another pon.

The rhetor must adjust though their audiences but build ethos and personas apropiat to such audiences. The rhetor is one person but to accomplish their task they must be more than one writer. rhetors must adapt to different audiences, and by adapting it allows them to deliver their message more effectively. The audience affects the rhetor’s ethos because the audience gives the rhetor credibility. For this reasons the rhetors need to have consistency, but also need to be adaptable so they fit the audience.

We felt that this passage was informing the reader about the multiple types of rhetors that can exist in one informative speech. Also, it was telling us how rhetors can play several roles at once, and how they can create ethos that remain consistent and can adapt to any situation and audience. Aswell as how the original rhetor can create imaginary rhetors.

A rhetorical situation is basically a negotiation. In a rhetorical discussion, the roles of the speaker and the audience can change, even if only briefly. The roles are dependent upon each other. Who holds which position is very flexible while still able to remain objective. The audience can also adapt to hold a new role, or change the role they are given.

In the first paragraph of out section Davie begins by talking about constraints. In this section he covers a variety of topics. In order they go


 * types of constraints that can limit the audiences reaction
 * How constraints can come about, such as from recent events
 * The effeccts of the possible constraints
 * What can be done about the constraints, depending on the Rhetor

In the second and final paragraph of our section Davie talks about the finite nature of situation brought about by discourse; He goes on to ask the readers a question based on the assumption of this finite nature. The question asks when these situations "truly end." The rest of this paraghraph simply states that there are some situations that never truly end and continue to motivate for generations.

Exigence is a case or situation that demands prompt action, it can also be a state or character. Exigence is used to help motivate rhetors in many different situations, but may not resolve the issue.

Discourse is the communication of thoughts by words. Somtimes the geographical and historical background of constraints can help to understand the true meaning of the discourse.

When 2 or more people are having a discourse in a rhetorical situation there could be not only linguistic contraints but contraints that arise from other contexts of the discourse, including geographical and historical backgrounds.

Constraints are what we can do; options.

Negative constraint would be to address an issue and then try to attack it. Example would be a loud student in the class disrupting. Do you say something or let it continue?

Positive constraint would be to ignore the situation and hope others avoid it too. It is what we know what to do and an example is the classroom setting. A teacher and students. Everyone knows their jobs/expectations.

Selection 6-pg 19 (starting first full paragraph, 1 long)
A rhetorical situation seems to bring different answers depending on how it is carried out. If a group of rhetors are all together they may be able to come up with one decision, emphasizing Bitzer's view that situations are external to the rhetor. But if rhetors are not around each other, for example, in Letter's to the Editor, a plethora of decisions can be formed and thought of as being right, emphasizing Vatz's view that rhetorical situations are constructed by rhetors. It also seems that multiple rhetors may have either the wrong answer or the right answer. But both are still acceptable. Even in Letter's to the Editor, multiple passages might slightly differentiate from the main topic, and they all manage to get their point across.

A rhetorical situation can be just one situation between a rhetor and the audience or many situations in which the audience each becomes a rhetor and a rhetor becomes the audience. The boundaries for rhetorical situations are not clear cut and can be perceived in different ways by different people, much like a painting. During a rhetorical situation, both the rhetor and the audience each have their own unique perspective and as a result, enter the situation at different times.

Also, a rhetorical situation may be one situation, or multiple situations being looked upon as a whole. Each rhetor may have a different situation, but all the situations may be directly related and tie together to form a compounded situation. Therefore, a rhetorical situation is not really a situation at all, but a perception of something going on around the person or people.