COM 431: Rhetorical Criticism

COURSE OVERVIEW AND OBJECTIVES We are surrounded by rhetoric.  This course focuses on the intellectual tools and techniques that can aid you in insightfully analyzing the various types and genres of rhetoric.  To say that we are critics engaged in rhetorical analysis does not mean that our goal is to simply say, “I like it”; rather, our goal is analysis and judgment.  A good rhetorical critic should be able to pull apart a piece of rhetoric, explain how it works, render a judgment about its efficacy or its worth, and then argue convincingly for her/his interpretation.  As a smaller discussion class, we will fill our critical toolboxs with the methods and practices of rhetorical criticism and refine our analyses through discussion.   There are four main learning objectives for this course.  By the end of the quarter, students should be able to: Explain the process of analyzing rhetorical artifacts. List, explain, and critique different rhetorical frameworks. Apply different rhetorical frameworks to the analysis of a variety of rhetorical artifacts. Produce a scholarly and well written piece of rhetorical criticism that justifies the artifact and methodological choice, advances and defends an insightful interpretation, and explains the relevance and applicability of the interpretation.