Reflection Paper On Rhetorics

III. Project 3: What is Rhetoric? (Rhetoric?)
A. Media Tools Utilized: Photoshop CC & Adobe Premiere Pro
B. Media Theory/Rhetorical Goals:
When asked how I define rhetoric, I often refer to Aristotle’s definition, that rhetoric is “The faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasion.” I believe that being an effective rhetorician highly depends on being able to see and understand how people can be persuaded to change, and seizing opportunities in which it is the opportune moment to persuade an audience or individual. As a result, I chose to focus this project around that idea and Aristotle’s view of rhetoric. In order to ensure that the project was appropriate for graduate level discussion, I chose to demonstrate this idea through events the majority of Americans are aware of, and that are still relevant today. I wanted to create a video that left the participant with questions, but also gave them an idea of how an actual person (President Barack

As a vegetarian, I am often asked why I chose to become one. People are often confused when I explain to them that I view meat just as it is: a dead animal that was once alive, that made sounds and felt pain just like we as humans do. So, I thought about how I could create a visualization that conveys my thought process when I am explaining this concept to people. As a result, I decided to create an interactive document. I realized that this form would not only be accessible to various people, but would also help convey my message clearer than I could through mere talking. I also thought the interactive portion would allow me to experiment with Lester’s idea of “Iconic Signs, “in which signs “most closely resemble the thing they are meant to represent” (Lester 54). Through attaching sounds to both the live and dead animals, I hoped my message that I view them as the same would be