Lauren Painter

FINAL REFLECTION
This semester has been one of extraordinary growth for me as a writer. Looking back at my first arguments and writings, it is clear that my argumentation and general writing techniques were not very elegant in the beginning of the year. When the term rhetoric first came up in class, my immediate reaction was to relate this term to rhetorical questions. Rhetorical questions have consumed my life with my parents and friends constantly asking things that clearly have no answer. As a class we built an explanation that gave me a great understanding. Rhetoric is the art of talking using figures of speech and much persuasion. Rhetoric also can lack sincerity and sometimes uses pompous language. As I move forth into the world and the rest of my academic career, I hope to bring with me several of the lessons I learned in this class. I believe that this class has better prepared me to argue for the public audience, which will serve me well as I attempt to share knowledge from my experience and profession with others. I have learned how to practically apply rhetorical techniques to my everyday life. I have studied rhetorical terms such as pathos, logos, and ethos, and how I can manipulate them to convince others that my arguments are legitimate. I have also learned how to recognize their use by other people, and how to effectively analyze the arguments of another person rhetorically. That makes it possible for me to more effectively argue against another person, which will be a crucial skill in my life in general, as well as in my future careers. Pathos was definitely the most interesting rhetorical concept for me during this course. Appealing to someones emotions can help them to open up and step into the reality which you are trying to present to them. This was actually the first concept I understood. Logos deals with facts, and I understood this through our readings on Aristotle. Aristotle favors logos and the use of factual knowledge when presenting a speech or texthe was my favorite to read and research on this semester. Ethos is essentially how the speaker portrays themselves in a presentation and what credibility they hold through how they represent themselves. If a strong ethos is not established, no matter how good their information may sound, it holds no water if it doesnt seem like it is coming from a good source. Ways to build a strong ethos is to always be honest, state facts and sources, as well at try to persuade the reader in an ethical way versus a manipulative way. Overall, it is important to know what type of audience you will be persuading and what the subject or topic is because for every argument the amount of pathos, logos, or ethos you use will be different. Ive learned that some topics will involve more of one device than the other in order to win over the audience. Working with groups for in-class exercises shaped a new definition of rhetoric and arguments for me. Having a team of people allowed me to more effectively manage the constraints of our situation by allowing each group member to write about their area of expertise, how they would present certain information, and collaborate all of our ideas. My group members also showed me new ideas for ways in which to make effective arguments by sharing their thoughts on something I would have never thought of. As of recently, job interviews is one of the areas that I use my rhetorical skills that Ive learned. In a job interview it is important to make the best possible impression that I can. To do that, I will have to build my ethos. One of the ways for me to do that is to have good grades in school, and get experience through internships or elsewhere. These will prove my capabilities as a competent employee, and be important for anyone looking to hire me. Also, things as simple as

dressing well, being clean-shaven, and speaking clearly and confidently will help me. These all are subtle things that build credibility, and it is important to be as credible as possible as a lawyer. Having an effective resume is also credibility boosting. Having it up-to-date, as well as original, with pertinent information is important. I have learned how to use images effectively in a presentation, and how to use different kinds of presentations for different circumstances. Using that will help me make an original resume that will stand out against other applicants for a job. Focusing on pathos and logos will also be extremely significant. Doing research will also help me get a job, as I will now be able to think about how to approach different possible employers and relay factual evidence to them on how I would make a good employee. I will use that research to find out who exactly I will be talking to, and use that information to edit my resume that I will send to them, as well as be more ready for an interview. I could use pathos by talking about something they could relate to, therefore making them more willing to hire me by either feeling bad, or just really liking me. Through the presentations, we analyzed our classmates effectiveness using rhetoric. We had to figure out how they established their pathos, logos, and ethos and whether they did it well or not, as well as doing research on the author and making sure they had a good reputation. We paid attention to see if things were clear in their speeches, and how much they played on emotions, use of facts, and credibility. Structure, tone, and all the above reflect on the speaker. I feel that the skill to be able to read others rhetoric will help me a lot in the future because I will be able to tell good information from bad, and pull apart what is needed out of the speech or paper. Another example of when I will use what I have learned this semester is in future classes in college. I know that this will not be the last time that I work in a group, research a topic, have to read an article, or present something in class. In future classes I now know I can use Prezi instead of PowerPoint to set me apart, and know how to properly prepare for a paper I have to write. I know next semester in English I will most likely have to take everything Ive learned and continue to incorporate it. When it comes to reflecting over my progress of this class, I feel that Ive been made more aware of the type of writer I am. I feel that learning about rhetorical decisions has made me a better writer in terms of being more aware of the reader and putting me consistently in the mind frame of the targeted audience. Understanding rhetorical decisions makes writing a lot easier to stay on task with the main idea. Another piece that moved my writing forward was the fact that I was able to remain in contact with the professor through the entirety of class. He was very reliable and helpful. Josh knew my style of writing and didnt shy away from making any corrections. He told me what exactly needed to happen in order to make my writing more effective. I feel that having that extra support really pushed me forward in my progress of becoming a better writer. All in all, I have learned a lot this semester that will be useful for my future life and in my career. My skills that I have gained in research, group work, rhetorical techniques, argument types, and through readings, will all be applied in some way or another. I feel as though this course, based around rhetoric, has helped to prepare me for many of lifes interesting situations. It has also allowed me to understand the importance of rhetoric in everyday life. I would have never previously imagined rhetorics importance in civic life. This course has not only helped me to recognize the importance of rhetoric in daily life, but to also be able to analyze rhetorical principles and ideas in discourse practice.