Understanding Writing:The Rhetorical Situation

Brought to you by the Purdue University Online Writing Lab

What is a Rhetorical Situation?

– Rhetoric: Using language to persuade

– Rhetorical Situation: The circumstances in which you communicate

The Rhetorical Situation

The Author or Writer

• Culture, personal characteristics and interests affect the topic and how it is written.

Factors which can affect writing include:

• Age• Experiences• Gender• Location• Political beliefs• Interests and Attitude

• Education

Purpose: Your Reason For Writing

What is the author trying to accomplish?

Presentation (Genre) and Tone

• Category or type of writing

• Genre hinges upon purpose and the needs or expectations of the projected audience.

• Examples: fiction, autobiographical story, news article, review, letter to the editor/editorial, rhetorical analysis, criticism, persuasive essay

Audience: To whom are you writing?

• Many of the same factors which affect the writer also affect the audience– Age– Social class– Education– Past experience– Culture/subculture

– Expectations– Attitude

Text or topic

• The piece of writing and what it says

• The topic should be appropriate for the rhetorical situation.

Context (Exigence)

• The real life situation which generates the need for writing

• Context is influenced by – Time– Location– Current events– Culture

Rhetorical Situation

• Writer/Author• Purpose• Audience• Topic or Text• Context• Culture• Presentation (Genre) and Tone

What this means…

• You need to be aware that a rhetorical situation exists every time you write.

• You need to adapt your writing depending on your purpose and your audience.

• Knowing the rhetorical situation will give us tools to help us understand, read and write argument.