The Only Real Alternative to War is Rhetoric.

     Hey all, I recently stumbled across a book called "Everyone’s an Author" by Andrea Lunsford, and it really is a very interesting read. In the first two chapters, Lunsford expands upon the ideas of Wayne Booth, who said "The only real alternative to war is rhetoric". According to Lunsford, thinking rhetorically means to take a text for example, think about what is being said in the text, gather your own research and information on the text, and then when you have a substantial amount of information regarding the topic of the text, you can form your own response and opinion in regards to what was read.
In addition to thinking rhetorically, Lunsford explains how it is important to be able to analyze what you find - what he calls doing your homework. A good example would probably be buying a new laptop. Before you can just go out and buy any old laptop, you need to step back, assess the situation, and ask yourself important questions to narrow down your search and find the one most suited for you. What is your primary reason for getting a new laptop? Do you need it for work or for a special program? Are you going to be sharing it with others? After you ask the basic motivational questions, you then need to actually start researching the specs of some laptops. Which has more efficient battery life? Which has more programs beneficial to your needs? Which brand/type gives you more bang for your buck? Prioritizing your wants and needs can also help you to narrowing down your search. This example is really what we should all be doing when we think rhetorically and we need to analyze it.
Now, getting more in depth: what is a rhetorical situation? A rhetorical situation is where we have the following: a genre, an audience, a purpose, a stance, context, a medium, and design. Genre is simply the topic the situation is reflecting or based on. The audience is whoever the situation is aimed at and who's attention is trying to be grabbed. Purpose and stance is basically why are you in this situation and what is your place in the situation (think persuading your friend to go to see your favorite movie: your purpose of persuading her is so that you can see the movie, and your stance is in favor of your favorite movie). Context is what is known about the topic of your situation and what has already been discussed about it. Medium and design is where the situation is occurring (spoken, digital, print, media, etc) and how you will arrange it so that the design attracts your intended audience.
A good example of the rhetorical situation and these elements in play is when Lunsford refers to the works of Watson and Crick in their discovery of DNA. They sent in an essay to a magazine that was widely read and revered by the professional science community (their intended audience). They carefully introduced their findings with words like "we suggest" and "in our opinion" and even politely denies the findings of a past scientist. Their use of a subtle approach to the new structure of DNA caught the attention of more readers than if they had just blatantly refuted their peers findings and arrogantly proclaimed that they were the only two right. They knew that in order to gain popularity from their audience they had to write in a respectful and approachable way.
What I think Lunsford is trying to convey is that it is extremely important for writers to think rhetorically. Without careful consideration of the context, audience, genre, and even medium, what is written might not be as good as it could be. It won't be as impactful or as attention-grabbing. By thinking rhetorically, a writer can take the right steps in writing a piece that will be successful in conveying their opinion, and eliciting discussion from the intended audience.
Now, do some rhetorical thinking of your own and read the chapters (linked above), and tell me what you think!