Mulderrig,Savannah+Nicholette

Journal Assignment

Annotative Bibliography



The text that I examined is, in fact, rhetoric. It is a story that has a purpose. Savio does not speak to his audience for no reason; he is looking for them to accept his policy. One may tell that the text is rhetoric by asking if it invovles five basic move that is outlined by //Modern Rhetorical Criticism//. First, the rhetor, Savio, is attempting to make a change by using symbols, his words. Second, he can be seen as a helper, he is not attempting to exploit his audience. Third, Savio is trying to show his audience that his new choice must be accepted, that there must be a change. Next, he narrows the choices his audience has to choose from. They are either with the sit-in or with the administration. Lastly, the book outlines that the rhetor would be subtle and not give the specific details of the policies. Savio is clear that the policies of the administration are wrong and that they need a change. He tells the audience that his policies will bring about change. I do not agree that Savio is subtle, but believe this to still be rhetoric. Savio is clear that the right policies are the opposite of the administrations policies. He is clear that he is seeking free speech for all. My study on the Savio text helped to show how this artifact worked as rhetoric. By using the Burkian search method I was able to show that the administration and the context involved in the sit-in where the scene that this piece lived and the act of the sit-in was the purpose of this speech. It is really the work of Burke that gets one further into the meaning of the text. Burke outlines the philosophical ideas associated with each piece of the pentad. Savio's focus on the scene and the purpose lead the reader to understand what is important to him, stopping the materialism associated with scene and that of taking the audience to a new reality of mysticism, he seeks to change the university into something it has not ever been, where the exchange of ideas is free. I wrote about these points within my study, but I don't feel it was me teaching anyone about the message; it was Burke teaching me about the message and me relaying the message.
 * Was the text you examined, in fact, rhetoric? Justify your answer using what we've read so far.
 * What does __your__ study teach someone about how the message studied worked as rhetoric? (If it didn't, freely admit that and explain what it did do.)

Savio, M. (2 December, 1964). Sit-in Address on the Steps of Sproul Hall. //American Rhetoric//. Retrieved from http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mariosaviosproulhallsitin.htm

Stoner, M., & Perkins, S. (2005). //Making sense of messages: A critical apprenticeship in rhetorical criticism//. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Hart, R., P., & Daughton, S. (2005). //Modern rhetorical criticism, ed. 3//. Boston, MA: Pearson.