Weekly Response #9

“Backpacks vs. Briefcases: Step towards Rhetorical Analysis” by Laura Bollin Carroll was about rhetoric analysis. In rhetoric, language and images are used to persuade the audience, and the ability to evaluate it is called rhetoric analysis. Understanding the rhetorical analysis is important to make informed decisions and conclusions. Carroll also mentioned that if we are unable to make rhetoric analysis then we are a mindless consumer and it’s easy to fool us. In her essay, she also mentioned how we continuously analyzed people and the environment around us. Based on our past experience and observation, we are quick in making a judgment. I had a similar experience regarding her viewpoint. This incident happened when I was going back to my country a few months ago. In an airplane, my seat was near to the window and I was waiting for the person next to my seat. After a few minutes, a 35-40 years old Arabic guy sat next to me. Just looking at his appearance, I thought he would be rude and aggressive. But soon after the plane departed, he asked where I was from and where was my final destination. I was a little confused about whether to answer him or not. I replied to his question and ask the same question for him. After having a short conversation with him I came to know that he was traveling back to Dubai to meet his sick mother. Then he started showing the picture of her mother and started crying. He continued telling the struggles she made to raise him and make an independent man. It was 12 hours flight and throughout the flight, we were having some sorts of conversation. Surprisingly, when the plane was just about to land, he handed me a book and requested me to accept it as a gift. Then I realized that we should not make a quick judgment just based on the appearance. Therefore, just based on the observation we should not make our rhetorical analysis.

“Backpacks vs. Briefcases: Steps Towards Rhetorical Analysis” by Laura Bollin Carroll explains the necessity of using rhetoric in everyday life. Understanding rhetoric is a principle part of being a well-informed consumer as we are not simply being brainwashed by the media. Taking the time to analyze situations, whether it be why or how the matter relates to you and its importance, provides us the ability to not give in to the persuasion of these creators without purpose. Laura Carroll also addresses how we as humans make rhetorical analysis so routinely, that it has become habitual. Just like the example Laura Carroll continuously refers back to in this article with the meeting a new teacher for the first time, I had been in a similar situation with one of my current Professors. The first day of the semester I walked into the class and seen this small, curly haired,  white women, dressed in trousers and a blouse with a special choice of accessories. She was walking around all jolly and vibrant and enthusiastic it looked fake. Automatically from everything i analyzed about her within the first three minutes of the class, I came to the conclusion that she was this, stuck up, arrogant, self absorbed white women who got away with being the way she is because she was privileged. In the first half of the semester she proved my judgments to be accurate, she would talk about how great she is and how smart and funny she is, she literally called herself a narcissist, it scared me. However, later on in the semester she had left me a note on one of my papers asking me to see her after class. I was livid. I thought she was going to try to violate my paper, but after class we spoke for the first time, and she was so sweet and down to earth, praising my writing and how much potential she sees in my future  asking me questions about my future, she was so eager to speak to me and help me and offered me to speak to her whenever I needed anything that she would always be available during her office hours. I felt horrible after speaking to her, all my judgments made me paint this picture of a monster she was nothing like. That taught me to never judge a book by its cover. If I haven’t had the chance to speak to her personally I would have always have this horrible perception of who she really is. Therefore, we must not always use the judgments we made off of rhetorical analysis as solely our understandings of things.

Gabriel Almonte 

After reading the article I realized I use rhetorical analysis often. Every semester I get nervous wondering how my teachers will be. I read reviews on ratemyprofessor.com to try to find teachers that are generally liked. However, everyone has their own preferences with teachers. I was enrolled in a writing for engineers’ class with another teacher and she looked older, wore glasses, and didn’t seem mean but seemed serious. I took notes of these things mentally and I was worried if I would be able to excel in this class. She then assigned a 2-page report on why writing courses are important to STEM majors. This being my first engineering class I dropped the class. I quickly searched for other openings and found the class I’m currently enrolled in. After reading good reviews I decided to take another chance on the course. I arrived to the class nervous because I thought the course would be too difficult but I arrived to an environment I wasn’t expecting. The seating arrangement in the class made me feel like the classwork wouldn’t be too stressful. Then the professor walked in and she was young, had tattoos, and a fresh hairstyle. After that, I was happy, I thought I made the decision in switching to the class I’m currently enrolled in. Shortly after my professor came up to me and explained the assignment at hand and a quick description on how the class was. The conversation supported my initial thoughts, I was satisfied that I took the chance after reading the reviews because a professor like this is what I want in all my classes. I tend to connect younger teachers with being more understanding while they try to make the course about learning what I need rather than making me do unnecessary work to keep me busy. While I tend to connect older teachers with just going by the book and not being open to new methods and ways of teaching. I try to avoid that because I believe that things have changed around the world so teaching methods must change as well. 

Backpacks Vs Briefcases by Laura Carroll, discussed the significance of rhetorical perusal while simultaneously discussing how we play over rhetoric in our everyday lives. In the text, Caroll initially brings the conversation of rhetoric by implying how we are quickly able to judge another person based on their appearance and style of choice. Carroll goes into detail further on when talking about the media and how their tactics impact us on daily basis- “Understanding rhetorical messages is essential to help us to become informed consumers, but it also helps evaluate the ethics of messages, how they affect us personally, and how they affect society”. Carroll initiates the conversation about ethos, logos, and pathos and correlates those concepts to the idea of rhetoric.  I myself practiced rhetorical analysis throughout my life since I have also been following sneaker trends and fashion trends as the media portrays it. In High school, you were not considered one of the ‘cool’ students if you didn’t have the latest releases of jordan retros.

“Backpacks vs. Briefcases: Steps Towards Rhetorical Analysis” by Laura Bollin Carroll explains the necessity of using rhetoric in everyday life. Understanding rhetoric is a principle part of being a well-informed consumer as we are not simply being brainwashed by the media. Taking the time to analyze situations, whether it be why or how the matter relates to you and its importance, provides us the ability to not give in to the persuasion of these creators without purpose. Laura Carroll also addresses how we as humans make rhetorical analysis so routinely, that it has become habitual. Just like the example Laura Carroll continuously refers back to in this article with the meeting a new teacher for the first time, I had done the same with my current best friend. Occurring in practically the same classroom we have our English class in, this last summer semester we had our first college class together. On the first day of class, as everyone piled into the classroom I had scanned the room to see what my peers were like. Being my first ever class at the City College of New York I wanted an insight on what my next four years would be like. As I looked around the room, I noticed a lot of diversity within my fellow classmates, not only limited to race but personalities. When I had first seen Reem, my best friend, I had judged her based on her looks. From the way she dressed to her body language, she had come off to me as a stuck up and arrogant. I analyzed the way she spoke to the professor and her shyness came off as being rude from what I could hear. It wasn’t until we sat next to each other and started talking that I got to know her for who she really is. Therefore, we must not always use the judgments we made off of rhetorical analysis as solely our understandings of things.  

In “Backpacks vs. Briefcases: Steps toward Rhetorical Analysis”, Laura Bolin Carroll explains the need for rhetorical analysis to assist in deciphering the purpose and intent behind a plethora of situations encountered daily. She expounds on the subject by describing the steps required to effectively do this.

In her piece, Carroll first points out how we are continuously analyzing the people and environment around us. Through our observations and past experiences, we are usually able to come to a conclusion pretty quickly with regard to the person or thing we are analyzing. Often times this is done without even noticing that we are doing it, without understanding there is actually a mechanism behind it. Carroll explains that this process is called rhetorical analysis and how understanding this skill, and becoming proficient in it, will allow us to “become better about making savvy judgments about the people, situations and media we encounter.”

    Rhetorical analysis is the ability to evaluate the way language and images are used to persuade and influence our daily choices. According to Carroll, “one of the first places to start is context.” She goes on to explain that in order to determine and understand the context, there are three factors one should consider: exigence, audience and constraints.

Rhetorical Analysis Roman Cook