Reading the Burke texts only emphasized how problematic words and definitions can be. Xing talked about the problems that develop when looking for translation and meaning across cultures and languages, but Burke pointed out that misunderstanding and varying meaning can…
Monthly Archives: March 2009
The Path to a New Rhetoric-Commentary Week Six
by Mike • • 1 Comment
Mike Calou 3-26-09 Commentary Week Six The Path to a New Rhetoric At this point in the semester I think a brief chronology of our rhetoric studies is appropriate. This “walk” through the history of rhetoric is not meant to…
Commentary #2 A Rhetoric of Motives by Kenneth Burke
by Keri • • 1 Comment
In the chapter from A Rhetoric of Motives, author Kenneth Burke establishes that rhetoric serves a “realistic function” (Burke 43). He argues that rhetoric serves a purpose in our language–it has a job. Then, as a recurring theme in our…
Words as distraction
by Adam • • 0 Comments
I found the concept of terministic screens presented by Burke to be a very interesting one. The idea that the way we construct an argument and the word choices we make affect our interpretations. We see examples of this constantly.…
Vico’s Influence
by tbell • • 0 Comments
Tina Bell 5001 Commentary Week 5 19 March 2009 Vico’s Influence I continually find it interesting in our study of the history of rhetoric, how long the discussions and debates concerning the proper way to educate our youth have endured.…
Musings on Terministic Screens and the Queen of Domesticity, Commentary
by lmarik • • 2 Comments
Burke’s concept of terministic screens or the “reality” that “has been built up for us through nothing but our symbol systems” (48) is a useful construct. It’s sort of a more elaborate, more far-reaching conception of looking at the world…
Commentary on Goffman
by mgarcia5 • • 1 Comment
My immediate reaction to Goffman in The Presentation of Self was that he was saying we are all fakes; all “actors on a stage.” However, after much consideration, I have changed my position. I believe his essay describes human nature,…
The Visual Learner
by dhamilton3 • • 1 Comment
I am a visual learner. In order to truly grasp the meaning of any piece of writing, I must be able to image it. If my I am unable to produce a conceptual image, I’m lost. This fact has led…
Goffman Commentary
by nweidner • • 2 Comments
I believe it was Shakespeare that said “all the world’s a stage. And all the men and women merely players.” This is precisely what Goffman is saying in The Presentation of Self. We are all actors on this stage. We…
Commentary #5
by arussell • • 1 Comment
Adam Russell Establishing Presence in the Classroom As I was reading Goffman, I kept thinking about Harry Wong’s First Day of School. In Wong’s book, he stresses the importance of presence in the classroom. Throughout my 8 years of…