Basic Knowledge
Herrick’s book revealed some of the hidden facts about rhetoric and its implications on language and communication. The reading enhanced my understanding of rhetoric in several ways and helped me develop an inquiry into the arguments and criticisms of rhetoric. Through this book, I realized that I have been wrongly applying rhetoric in communication, a fact that I had never considered before. First, the book taught me that the different meanings and cultural associations of rhetoric impact its role in society. Those who associate it with empty talk have discouraged it, while those who value it have advocated for its use. I have always valued its role in communication and I was surprised to learn that some people view it as empty talk.
Second, I developed a new perspective of rhetoric away from the common view that rhetoric entails persuasion. Before reading the book, I believed that rhetoric is meant to coerce people to follow certain paths. However, I learned from Herrick’s work that rhetoric also delivers important and authentic points to society. Third, I understood that for a person to use rhetoric effectively, it is important to comprehend the culture and needs of their audience, as it influences their attitudes towards the speaker.
Metaphor and Argument
The book is centered on the question: How is it that such distinguished observers can come to such diametrically opposite conclusions on rhetoric’s nature or value? The author answers this question through several metaphorical references related to rhetoric’s history and theory. First, rhetoric is described as a planned undertaking in a house construction metaphor (Herrick 8). This metaphor holds that as a builder plans before constructing a house, so does a person plan before using rhetoric for various purposes, hinting at the high value of rhetoric in the central argument. Second, rhetoric is shown to be adapted to the relevant audience following the argument that rhetoric appeals to an audience differently, just as the colorization of a black-and-white film pleases today’s generation (Herrick 9). This second argument adds to the central argument that people tend to use rhetoric differently depending on their audience.
Third, rhetoric is shown to reveal human motives in line with the argument that rhetoric shows an individual’s state of mind. The author gives the example of a politician whose rhetoric speech shows hidden motives, adding to the central argument that people may use rhetoric to conceal their motives (Herrick 11). Fourth, the metaphor “rhetoric is responsive” is used by Herrick to show that a speaker expects some form of response to their statements, as proposed by the central argument (12). The author’s position is logical and unbiased assuming they had no pre-formed attitude of rhetoric.
Relevance
Herrick’s book is relevant and valuable in the language and communications field. Rhetoric is a significant part of communication in formal and informal setups. Therefore, this book is essential for facilitating everyone’s proper use of rhetoric. Since it tackles the reasons and factors affecting rhetorical language, this text can help people understand each other better. In the communication class, this book contains valuable information that will help students avoid incorrect use of rhetoric and understand the impact of their rhetorical talk on their audiences. This book will help people learn how to use rhetoric to persuade, appeal to the audience, and decipher people’s motives in the marketplace.
I will use the lessons learned from this book to become a better communicator, using rhetoric only where applicable. Although I value rhetorical communication, I have often used rhetoric incorrectly, hindering people’s understanding of my message. In society, people hold different views of life, which calls for an understanding of cultural values to avoid conflicts in communication. By applying rhetoric, I will correct people humorously and achieve the best results without being offensive. I should also understand people well and judge their motives by their rhetoric. This way, I will avoid many communication challenges and hold fruitful dialogues with people of all ages.
Work Cited
Herrick, James A. The History and Theory of Rhetoric: An Introduction. 4th ed., Allyn & Bacon, 2008.