Burkey Boy 2: Rhetoric's Function

Again, dealing with Burke, I talked a little bit about rhetoric, its function, and some other Burke ideas. However, Burke makes some very rational, logical disctinctions about rhetoric and its function, which is important. While using idenfitication, persuasion, and all that as things rhetoric encompasses, rhetoric has a chief function:

Rhetoric functions to name or define situations for individuals, according to Burke. A situation that needs addressing needs to be defined. But you can't take a situation out of context; which is exactly what rhetoric DOESN'T DO. In fact, just the opposite, rhetoric seeks the help of the context to work to its favor. You can't use effective rhetoric. For example, if you're speaking at the Bridge Club meeting, you wouldn't prepare a speech about birth control---no no no, I'd say you'd prepare a speech about Anti-Wrinkle cream. While that is kind of open and more functioned for the audience, rhetoric does indeed define a situation for the particular individuals.


Rhetoric functions to provide a creative strategy for dealing with situations according to the individuals involved. 9/11 resulted in Firefighter calendars and heroism in the police and firefighting forces like never before. A creative strategy with dealing with those lost, was to glorify and praise those that are still alive today, working in our neighborhoods.

In addition, stylized strategy is used. So, not only is a strategy used that is creative and defined for the situation, it is now considered a stylized strategy because it only applies at a given situation at a given time. The speech given after 9/11 by Bush was very moving, especially at the time it was given. Now, examining the exact same speech, we could remember and it would still be moving, but not as much as it was then. Why? At that point, America was scared and broken, emotionally troubled. Now, it burdens our hearts, but we've moved on with our hearts. We are in a different "place." So we have speeches of rememberance, etc. The speech given on that day in 2001 wouldn't work on us today, b/c it was stylized for then. We need one for now.

Thus, you can see rhetoric is a device that is molded and fitted to a particular audience and situation; one day it might work for that crowd, a week later it wouldn't do anything. Thus, the importance of examining telos and kairos, exigence as well.

Peace and love!