Bitzer and Edbauer express very
different viewpoints in their respective articles and to understand each it is
important to first understand rhetoric. Rhetoric is defined as: “the art of
effective or persuasive speaking or writing, especially the use of figures of
speech and other compositional techniques.” This means that essentially
rhetoric is the art of effective communication.
Rhetoric is constantly evolving.
Societal changes and political reformations usher in new developments in
communication every day. The way we persuade one another is something that we
will always study as it is ever changing.
The sheer amount of rhetoricians
that study the always altering field brings us many different viewpoints on the
process and purpose for effective use of rhetoric. Blitzer and Edbauer are a
good example of this.
Take for example a review of a new
movie. The purpose of the review is to either convince or dissuade a reader
from seeing the film. The author of the review might use certain tried and true
methods to accomplish one of these ends. For example, he might appeal to pathos
and write a review that triggers an emotional response in his audience. This
has everything to do with rhetoric. This boiled down version of the concept is
where Bitzer and Edbauer would most likely agree.
When we try to look closer at what
makes the particular rhetorical situation effective or ineffective, we begin to
see where their views oppose.
Bitzer believes in what I will a
more “direct” approach. What I mean by this is his arguments paint rhetoric as
a situational phenomenon. He breaks his theory of rhetoric into three
components: exigence, audience, and constraints. Bitzer would take a look at
the review of a movie as an isolated event that utilizes these three components.
Edbauer would differ greatly from
this. In the case of a movie review, Edbauer might look to past reviews as well
public views on the film before reading the review. She might also look at the
ad campaign or the actors involved with the movie. For Edbauer all these
components would be essential in understanding why exactly the review was
effective. Edbauer subscribes to the viewpoint that rhetoric is not situational
but is rather a big picture concept.
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