We all have read a book. Sometimes for
pleasure, sometimes it's forced upon us, most times we don't even realize we
are reading. Words are everywhere as are images. So what? What does that mean
to me? Well to me it means that my thoughts are being invaded by the written
word or images every day and in most cases it is changing the way I think as I
read.
Knowing the different Rhetorical tools
we are learning in class helps me to catch the fact that I am thinking differently
because of something I read or an image that I saw. They say "A picture is
worth a thousand words" and I know that is true. So when I see a picture
on an advertisement I have had a virtual novel thrown into my head. Moving
pictures are even worse we can watch the flow of the pictures across the screen
and watch them change, move, breath.
Some Rhetorical tools that we need to
be aware of are Persuasive Theme, which we see a lot around election time, which is a way to persuade
you to think something that evokes feelings of nationalism, tradition, and
nostalgia. This way the writer can persuade you to think what he wants because
of your feelings even though they may not be truly aligned with what is true to
you.
Master Narrative is kind of like a Persuasive theme in
that they are related to your story, your region or countries story. A turkey
or an eagle means something completely different to us then they would to
someone in say Pakistan. Although with our strong history with the eagle and
the turkey other countries might just see them as an American thing if they
know much about us.
We also
must be aware of Content and Technical Signature which
can help us recognize the place where the information is coming from and why
the writer is putting the information out.
Last we
cannot forget Audience Resonance and effects
we want to know what kind of an impact the information we put out has on our
target audience and if they have been reached or not. Was the investment made
profitable in changing a thought or creating a desire for a product?
These
are a few of the Rhetorical tools that we need to be aware of when reading or
viewing images. Our minds are bombarded constantly with information and we need
to be able to distinguish what is useful and what is not.
Paul, I really enjoyed this entry, i had forgotten about a couple of these terms and your description of them brought thier meanings fresh back into my mind. I also ejoyed your analagy of when you view an advertisement that it is like a virtual novel being thrown in your head. Good job on this.
ReplyDeleteThis entry worked really well. It captured my attention and kept in the entire time. I like the way you talked about the need to distinguish what is useful information and what is not. Your descriptions were short but accurate, and I liked that! Good job!!
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