In this blog post, I will be looking at Bitzer's essay on rhetorical speech and apply it to my own life. For my example, I will be looking at when my friend invited me last-minute to cruise with her and her roommate last January. The obvious rhetorical situation is me going on the cruise with them. The reason why they needed me to go was because their third roommate hadn't paid my friend back for his ticket, and it was getting down to the last few weeks before they would leave for the cruise. They had originally wanted to go all together because it would be a way for them to get to know each other better and have fun. However, the third roommate has proven himself time and time again to be financially irresponsible, and my friend was frustrated that she had wasted her money because it was obvious he wouldn't pay her back. (She had bought the tickets in bulk to get the best deal possible.) She had previously mentioned to me how annoyed she was with her third roommate and even though she wanted to go to the cruise, it would have definitely brought the mood down if she had to pay for a whole other ticket.
The three major parts of Bitzer's rhetorical situation is the exigence, audience, and restraints. The exigence of this situation is that my friend's roommate not being able to pay her back for his ticket is causing her stress, and seeking me out to see if I wanted to go instead. One audience could be me, as it's my decision if I even want to go, or if I can even afford to go. Another audience could also be my boyfriend, as he wouldn't be able to go with me and even though he doesn't care what I do, I still wanted to talk to him about it and make him feel involved. And finally, the constraints are reasons the have the ability to persuade the situation, like my financial ability, my ability to take time off work, and my relationship with my friend and her roommate. At the time, I was working two jobs and taking a year off of school, so I would be able to pay her back in a timely manner. Second, even though I had two jobs, I had a good relationship with my managers at both locations and I was able to request the week off in plenty of time. Finally, my friend and I have been friends for years, and we've taken vacations together in the past so I knew I would have a good time. When she called to ask me if I wanted to go, she said she trusted me to pay her back whenever I could, and that I was the first person to ask because I'm usually down to do anything. Her roommate is also someone who I've hung out with a lot, and although I was apprehensive to spend an entire week with him, I was still interested in hanging out with him because he was funny. After everything was taken into account, I decided to go. Because of the reasons listed above, I decided it was a pleasant surprise and because I could afford to go, it would be a wasted opportunity to not go! I had a great time and made memories of a lifetime. :)
1 Comment
Kait Smithson
2/9/2020 10:56:25 am
This is an interesting take on a rhetorical situation. It intrigues me that any moment can be rhetorical. I think you covered Bitzer's views well. I like that you included your boyfriend as part of your audience. I didn't realize how many people I could include as my audience in my own blog post until I sat and thought about everyone that was directly involved in the situation. You also effectively explained the constraints of your rhetorical situation.
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