Office of Assertion questions

Crider asserts that "students write better when...

...they write about difficult and important texts, especially those central to so many other texts."

On top of content and style, what must you do to produce "professional" essays? List three things, and be specific!

Academic work must also be professional to be persuasive: edited until it is letter-perfect, formatted correctly, and printed clearly and darkly on decent paper. A fine essay (inventive, orderly, and styled) that is nonetheless sloppy will not have the same persuasive power and be able to "lead the soul" in the same way that a polished essay would be able to.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of "trying to write it right the first time"?

Advantages: sometimes there is a finer integration and connectedness than you can achieve by revision, you may be able to write your piece more quickly and with less uncertainty than if you used two steps Disadvantages: puts more pressure on you and depends for its success on everything's running smoothly, you can take longer trying to get something right the first time than you would have needed for writing roughly and then revising, it often fails outright (can't think of anything), it prevents the ingredients in your head from cooking, developing, and processing

What is an "elliptical syllogism" or "enthymeme"?

An enthymeme is an argument (syllogism) in which one premise is not explicitly stated; Rhetors leave out whatever premises a reader or listener can supply or infer. It is an "in-the-mind" argument that leaves out premises because the reader can supply them. Aristotle called the enthymeme the substance of rhetoric, the fundamental proof that structures any suasion (persuasion).

Appropriate

Appropriateness is determined by your audience (ex: academics versus a regular audience)

Proof

Argument proper, the section in which you demonstrate the truth of the argument through both development and explication

According to Crider, in what respect are teachers "far too lenient"?

As far as checking an essay for content and form, they divide the two to mark this distinction. This assumes that the two can be separated, that an essay with bad grammar, punctuation, and spelling can still have good ides; however, the reader wouldn't know this because it is composed horribly. Teachers are too lenient here.

Summarize section [5.8] in 30 words or less

Avoid procrastination. Some writing will be hurried, but take your time and be particular when possible; this will improve the rhetorical power of your essays. Refined, practiced process will produce the most persuasive essays.

Crider is clear that this book targets the "academic essay," an art form which many students are reluctant to invest time and effort in perfecting. According to Crider, why is the academic essay worthy of a student's serious contemplation?

Because "the writing that students do for teachers matters", because such writing is "perhaps one of the most important intellectual, emotional, and spiritual experiences in the life that students and teachers share".

Why?

Because it is much easier to develop ideas and argue for a text that has depth and meaning than it is to do the same for a text that doesn't require higher level thinking and is easily understood by everyone—if it is easily understood by everyone, then there is no reason to go deeper and explain things in an essay because everyone already understands it

Briefly define the three types of syllogisms

Categorical: assumes that things belong to categories or groups (All X are Y. A is X. Therefore, A is Y.) Hypothetical: imagines conditions then reason about them (If P, then Q. P. Therefore, Q.) Disjunctive: offers exclusive alternatives and then argues against one and for the other (Either A or B. Not A. Therefore, B.)

Conclusion

Completes the essay by leading the reader out of the essay

24. Crider says that "arguments presuppose __________" Why do most students have a hard time accepting this assertion?

Counter-argumenets; Students are convinced instead that encountering arguments other than their own will weaken, not strengthen, their case. One must invent arguments other than one's own and refute them, not simply to score points against an opponent, but rather to investigate the nature of the subject at hand.

Outline

Delineates the parts of the proof and refutation so the reader knows, before beginning, the shape of the essay's body

What's the difference between a dictionary definition and a "stipulative" definition?

Dictionary definitions explain how a word is used, while stipulative definitions argue that a word ought to mean what the rhetor says it does. Such definitions stipulate meaning.

Crider takes us through the stages of revision for a paper written outside of class. But what does Crider say about an in-class essay? When you have 40 minutes for a timed writing this year, how will you most likely allot your time?

It is difficult because it calls for instant perfection (but with the understanding of these rhetorical ideas you can relax because you are doing your best under the circumstances). You should relax; it is too late and anxiety will certainly not improve your writing. There are four steps in this situation: read, outline, write, and edit. First, read carefully the directions and the prompt and understanding what it is asking you (underling important parts and think what your teachers would want). Second, begin with organization not with invention. Because you will not be able to revise, you should choose a shape at the beginning (Classical Oration form or the form that is immanent, or comes naturally, from within the prompt itself; prompts often have a suggested arrangement) and quickly create an outline for yourself. Third, pay attention to clarity and correctness in your sentences as you go along because you will not have time to revise. Fourth, watch your time carefully so that you can complete the essay in the allotted time, leaving yourself a few minutes at the end to read and edit your essay once. When I am given 40 minutes for a time writing, I will try to spend about 5 minutes reading the prompt and creating a basic outline for the shape of my essay, 30 or so minutes writing the actual essay, and the remaining 5 or so minutes reading over my essay to make any last edits.

How is the map analogy helpful in your understanding of focus in an essay assignment?

It is helpful because it exemplifies the idea that the shorter the essay is to be (the smaller the map), the less that can be included and explained in the essay—you must focus in on a certain area and get to the point (the smaller the territory that can be adequately represented). You have to explain or include as much as possible in relation to the circumstance, or scale, of the essay. (A shorter essay would include one focused example, as opposed to every example that there is)

What does Crider say about spelling?

It is not persuasive when you have trouble with spelling; you should not have it but also you should know how to use spell check or a dictionary.

What do fresh, original metaphors do for rhetoric, according to Crider?

Metaphors draw comparisons and give something a different identity; they transfer meaning from one field to another. Creating metaphors is a matter of imagining new relationships between entities (things, ideas) outside of their usual comprehension or understanding. Metaphors that are repeated or overused can be called "dead metaphors" and these have little rhetorical energy. However, more energy comes from a creative, unconventional metaphor. Fresh, original metaphors bring a "breath of fresh air" to an essay and provide a type of persuasive, rhetorical energy when two things are compared in an unconventional and creative, yet still applicable and understandable, way.

Complete the following sentence, and then paraphrase it to show your understanding. "The sentence through its ______ is a force adding itself to the world, and therefore, the man clever with his sentences...was regarded with that _____ we feel in the presence of _______.

Office of assertion, uneasiness, power This statement means that the sentence, when asserted, is powerful and forceful; a man that uses sentences in a persuasive and strong way makes people feel the type of uneasiness that can be associated with a powerful person. (Persuasive sentences equal power)

Even beyond the academic essay, what is the benefit of understanding the art of rhetoric?

Rhetoric is a liberal art, which liberates one both to defend oneself against untrue persuasions and to fashion true ones. Rhetoric can free one even from one's own ignorance, disclosing the weaknesses of one's own idea; having done so, it can then free others.

In your own words, what is the meaning of "rhetoric" and how has its meaning in modern culture been misconstrued?

Rhetoric is the means of convincing an audience of a truth. Rhetoric is language designed to be persuasive, but modern culture has made it a term of abuse; it now means "any language, spoken or written, which is misleading or actually untrue".

On page 12, Crider would have us think of rhetors (writers skilled in persuasion) in a new and more elevated light. In 30 words or more, summarize what he says.

Rhetors are leaders of souls. When someone reads a work, the rhetor is leading the reader through the small world of the essay that gives shape to the world itself. This leading of the soul is a form of love: rhetors love wisdom and also love others who do the same. The best rhetor is a friend and the best university is a rhetorical community of friends. We should live within such a community with words so powerful they shine with brilliance.

Precise

The good rhetor knows how to discriminate between and among the slightly but significantly different meanings of words often used synonymously (PICK THE RIGHT WORD); precise diction persuades a reader that the rhetor is in command of the subject under discussion through his or her ability to discover, select, and employ a term that is exact enough to complete the argumentative work at hand

Why is "testimony" so important to academic writing?

When you are trying to persuade a reader to believe your proposition about the text, you must persuade them that your proposition lines up with the text, that it explains your argument in both the particularities of the text and the entire text as a whole. You have to be able to back up your ideas by showing where they came from in the text, persuading the text to testify on behalf of your argument. To do this you must analyze part of the text and make all of the parts line up to support your assertion. IF YOU DON'T, YOUR READER IS UNDER NO INTELLECTUAL OBLIGATION TO BELIEVE YOU.

List at least 5 key points made in section [3.14] that might prove useful to you later on.

• The six parts of organization are parts, not necessarily paragraphs • It is only essential that the material in the paragraph support the argument • Whatever part a paragraph inhabits, it must be both unified and coherent; it must represent one thing and it must do so rationally (if not, divide it or reconsider it) • To achieve coherence, include transitions within the paragraph that disclose its design. These include repeating important terms, employing unambiguous (not random, clear) pronoun references, numbering your points, and joining clauses with accurate subordinate conjunctions and conjunctive adverbs (see page 69 for an example of all of these) • Let invention dictate organization; each method of invention will disclose a paragraph arrangement

When Crider uses the term "period," he is speaking of more than a mark of punctuation. To what does "period" also refer?

"If diction concerns the office of naming, a period concerns the office of assertion." It refers to the action of asserting a point or idea or argument using a sentence.

In your own words, explain the meaning of a "language citizen."

A language citizen is someone who is empowered to decide. Language is connected to the world, which is why a language citizen must think about the rhetorical nature of everything in the world.

In your own words, explain the meaning of "immanent design."

A shape that the essay takes NATURALLY and logically that is derived from the work itself; this is the design most appropriate for the purpose of the work. Ideally the organization that you use will be one that comes from within the work.

What must a thesis statement be?

A thesis is a proposition determinate (focused, definite, precise) enough to provide unity and coherence to the essay: it declares something about the subject at hand, what it declares is limited in scope, and that limitation ensures that the essay will be about one thing that will hold together the essay's constituent parts. A thesis is the distillation (the essential meaning, most important aspect) of the essay, the one identifiable point that a reader must believe if the writer demonstrates its truth.

Statement of circumstance

Background the reader needs to situate (put in perspective) the argument

Crider asserts that "subordination allows for greater possibilities of meaning than coordination." Explain, in your own words, why this is so.

Coordinating style balances equal parts, while subordination compares unequal or different ones. It represents greater complexity and is more sophisticated. By using subordination, you are comparing (placing next to each other) multiple different things or ideas that normally wouldn't be placed together. This allows for more complex ideas and arguments. You are comparing unrelated topics in a thoughtful way as opposed to comparing similar ideas, which is fairly straightforward.

Refutation

Counter-argument, the section in which you imagine and critique arguments other than your own in order to strengthen your case

What is "ethos" according to Crider?

Ethos is the appeal to the rhetor's character as it reveals itself in the text itself. One's ethos is the person you appear to be in your writing. Ethos is the writer as he or she appears in the writing itself.

What rhetorical technique does Crider use to explain analysis and synthesis? How is this technique helpful to you, the reader?

He uses an example from Homer's Iliad to explain the analysis (diving down into a part of a text) and synthesis (swimming across the whole of it). He says there is a three-step formula for analysis: articulate your point, quote a passage that supports the point, and relate point and passage and explore. Synthesis relates two parts (of the text, etc.) and synthesizes those parts into an argument about the whole. (Example using the Iliad on pages 37-38)

In your own words, explain what it means to write in the "Middle Style."

High Style: "Aims at loftiness and grandeur", identified by an elevated diction and elaborate syntax Middle Style: Lies in between the two and borrows from both styles; uses words familiar to the general reader, but not overly casual; it requires appropriate, clear, and vivid diction without being to complicates or too simple, and requires appropriate, clear, and vivid punctuation without making the sentences overly complicated or extremely dumbed down and elementary (shows that the writer is intelligent, but not pretentious, well educated but not overly so, and able to relax but not too much) Low Style: "As plain and ordinary as the wording of casual conversation", identified by a familiar, even colloquial (spoken, slang) diction and a simple, casual syntax

What does the conclusion allow for that is seldom allowed elsewhere?

In the conclusions, the writer may express an opinion without proving it. The reader, who has been persuaded of your case already, will allow you to bring up another case without supporting it.

List the 6 parts of classical oration, and briefly define/explain each part.

Introduction, statement of circumstance, outline, proof, refutation, conclusion

8. Complete the following sentences: _____________ is _____ you argue. _____________ is _____ you argue. _____________ is _____ you argue.

Invention- what Organization- what order Style- how

What is wrong with the standard 5 paragraph essay?

Its most powerful limitation is this: it supplies one shape to all arguments, regardless of the nature. It is formulaic and not very flexible—introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion; we can do this without much thought. Once a formula is so easy to parody, it has probably lost its persuasive force.

Introduction

Leads the reader into the essay, establishing the essay's subject, its focus, and (often, but not always) its argument

Using the passage from the Declaration of Independence on page 24, complete the syllogism:

Major premise: All men are created equal (All X are Y) Minor premise: You and I are men (A is X) Conclusion: Therefore, we are equal (Therefore, A is Y)

Complete the following sentence, and then explain what Crider means. "A rhetor who attends to ___ and ___ will be a better leader of souls toward any subject at hand because grammar discloses something constitutive of the world itself: everything has ____, ____, and/or _____."

Nouns, verbs, being, motion, relation A speaker that has control of and properly and affectively uses nouns and verbs will be more persuasive (better leader of souls) than someone that does not because grammar relates to the world itself because like everything of the world, a word will express "what a thing is (being), what it does (motion), or what its relationship to other things is (relation)".

Of Crider's three suggestions for improving diction, which one are you likely to follow? Explain.

Of the three, I would be more inclined to do the second and third suggestions—read widely and listen and emulate your teachers or other speakers. However, out of those two, the one I am most likely to follow would be the second one—read widely. I would benefit from both reading and hearing examples; however, the words and how they are used would resonate in my mind better if I read them and was able to see them used in front of me, as opposed to only hearing them spoken. It will be easier for me to remember the style this way, as I can refer back to it and study it, whereas I cannot do this easily when simply listening to it used.

What is the difference between "revising" and "editing"?

Revision, or "seeing again", is not the same as editing. When you edit, you clean up after all the major work is done; when you revise, you do the work itself. (After you've read the prompt and reflected on your audience, subject, and purpose, write a rough draft, and don't worry about quality; it's just a draft. Then you are ready for and invention revision.)

What is the difference between "rhetoric" and "sophistry"?

Rhetoric is persuasion aimed at the truth; sophistry is persuasion aimed only at the appearance of truth (intent to deceive).

Beginning with section [4.8], Crider reviews sentence structures and their punctuation. Using Crider's examples as models, write original sentences that demonstrate the following sentence types and that answer the question "What does it mean to be a junior in high school?" Write your response(s) as a...

See study questions for example sentences

According to Crider, what four rules should guide the choice of diction? Briefly explain each.

The best diction is appropriate, precise, concise, and vivid.

Socrates said that "the unexamined life is not worth living." How does rhetoric cause us to examine our lives?

The care of words and things—that is, the care of things through the care of words—in a generous, disciplined forum: this human activity is rhetorical throughout. By using words and employing words to persuade, we give a greater meaning to the words. We care for things through the care of words. So by using these powerful words to say powerful things, we are forced to examine what those things really mean. Rhetoric causes us to think of what words really mean and also what those words and beliefs and assertions have to say about our lives.

According to Crider, what may be "the best way to cultivate your public individuality"?

The classical rhetorical tradition may very well be the best way to cultivate your public individuality (ethos).

What rules govern summaries as conclusions?

There are two rules: they must be accurate and they must be brief. Otherwise, the reader will become confused or impatient.

Vivid

When a rhetor uses words well, he or she actualizes their potential, releasing linguistic energy; having chosen precise subjects, select vital verbs to refine your verb choice (stay away from "to be" verbs); if the verb is vivid enough, the rhetor is practicing personification (vivid diction will often be metamorphic)

Why must an academic paper contain synthesis as well as analysis?

When one fashions an argument about a text, one is trying to persuade the reader that the argument does not only apply in parts but also as a whole. An academic paper must contain both synthesis and analysis because otherwise, the reader will suspect that the case is true of parts (analysis) but not true of the whole (synthesis). Synthesis places all the parts into a relationship with one another in order to make sense of the whole and show that the case is true of all the parts as a whole.

Concise

Wordiness (opposite of concision) is a vice committed against economy, the virtue in rhetoric that achieves the greatest ends with the fewest means (why do in 30 words what you can do in 15?)

In your own words, explain Crider's claim that "one does not always argue in the same way regardless of circumstances."

You argue differently based on your current circumstances and you tailor this argument to those variables: genre, subject, audience, and purpose. Different genres (kinds of writing) lead to different resources, different subjects entail different appeals (history paper style differs from English paper style), different audiences demand different approaches (writing to a sibling versus writing to a parent, writing to an academic requires a different approach than those), and different purposes demand different appeals (get a good grade, persuade someone).