Monthly Archives: March 2009

Burke commentary

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…

Words as distraction

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

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.…

Commentary on Goffman

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

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

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

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…