RCL #10

Published on Author njk5440Leave a comment

I was incredibly late to the first class RCL class ( and my first ever college class) due to my lack of spatial intelligence and not only overestimated my ability to locate the Sackett Building but also underestimated how long it would take to arrive at my classroom’s door. This was nerve-wracking, embarrassing, and quite frankly, made me feel inadequate. Looking back I understand that this is all very irrational and the product of being overly anxious about a common occurrence that is very understandable. Following this, I was unable to fully pay attention, because I already was self-conscious in a class full of students who I had perceived as far more intelligent and put together. Thankfully, in one of the earlier class sessions, Bella proclaimed her lack of understanding of the course’s material and we became good friends from thereon.

Of course, I had taken government studies classes prior to RCL but I was unsure of how civic duty and rhetoric were going to be able to fit into one course. Rhetoric was always something that had been taught and practiced in traditional English classes – for analysis of poetry, literature, novellas, etc. How would rhetoric be used to better understand civic life? I genuinely had no answer for myself.

As the weeks progressed and Rhetoric became something that was not confined to the words on a page of Dickens or Dickinson, it is less binary than that. Rhetoric can be a conversation, written work, etc. regarding anything and it usually is. For my rhetorical analysis, I was able to combine my rhetorical analysis work on Rosie the Riveter and the Brave Girl statue; in turn, I was able to analyze the circumstances surrounding the two civic artifacts and the conversations and situations that they had created.

I cannot say that over the course of the semester I began to think about rhetoric in all aspects of my life, that would be a lie and honestly, quite unrealistic. However, I thought of rhetoric in books that I had previously read in past English classes. For example, Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God uses, African-American Vernacular English, known as AAVE, to draw emphasis on the culture of African Americans in the southern United States in the early 1900s. Colloquialisms, words written phonetically, and colorful dialect help establish and characterize the lives of African-Americans in the post-reconstruction era south. For greater context, Hurston published Their Eyes Were Watching God during the Harlem Renaissance; during this movement, authors, artists, and poets toiled to erase the Uncle Tom, colloquial, country African-American stereotype that was alive in the south and participate in the racial uplift movement. However, Hurston celebrated the culture of southern African-Americans. Her work even earned her a spot alongside other African-American authors who rejected the teachings of W.E.B DuBois and Booker T. Washington, in the FIRE! magazine where copious African- American writers found a place to celebrate all African- American subcultures. Hurston’s usage of AAVE not only brought attention to pre-existing situations but also created new situations in which conflict in ideologies arose, regarding curating a  perception/ perceptions of African-Americans in the post-reconstruction era.

By applying my new knowledge of rhetoric to literature, I am now able to utilize my understanding of everyday life. As the impeachment trial continues, I can draw conclusions regarding politician’s actions and their consequences. This, in turn, influences American’s understanding of civic duty. During this modern Trump/Ukraine/Whistleblower “gate”, Americans have more duty than ever, similar to Watergate. As the 2020 election draws nearer and nearer, choosing a Democratic nominee weighs heavily on the millions of Americans, Democrats and Republicans alike, who distrust President Trump and his administration.

Growing up in this day and age, with a constant stream of information of President Trump, his revolving door of cabinet members, and a new scandal every day, I believe that learning about Rhetoric and Civic Life is more crucial than before. My peers and I, all recently of voting age, are fortunate to get a crash course in analyzing all situations with rhetoric perspective and are able to determine its impact upon ours, and others’, civic decisions. Being said, I believe that I have learned a  great deal of essential knowledge, skills, and information regarding rhetoric and civi life over the semester.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *