“The Rhetorical Situation” It’s all about relationships . . .

CONTEXT Subject Writer Reader Text

Writer Relationship to the subject: EXPERTISE Relationship to the audience: TRUSTWORTHINESS The writer might already have a relationship with the audience, but can also create a relationship in the text.

What difference does the writer (or source) make?

Reader How can you tell what the writer assumes about the reader? What does reader know? need to know? What language is familiar to the reader? What examples are familiar to the reader?

Subject What’s the MAIN POINT? What’s vital, and what’s extra? How are the claims and evidence connected?

Text In what forum does it appear? How does it use graphics? What genre is it? How is it organized? How long is it? Text How formal is it? How complex is it?

CONTEXT What’s REALLY GOING ON here? What is the writer trying to ACCOMPLISH? What are the apparent (or possible) GOALS? What EXPECTATIONS are/aren’t met? What does the writer AVOID doing? What CONSTRAINTS is the writer working within?

CONTEXT Subject Text Audience Writer LOGOS: Facts about the subject/situation CONTEXT Subject ETHOS: Character of the writer PATHOS: Emotions of the audience Writer Text Audience