Rhetorical Situation: Synthesis Essay

'The Rhetorical Situation' by Lloyd F. Bitzer

Bitzer explains that a person's speech defines the in which position they are in. For instance, an individual claiming that the situation is dangerous illustrates the existence of objects, events or people that threaten the speaker, something of significance or others (Bitzer 1). When the narrators comment that they find themselves in an embarrassing state, the declaration suggests a particular conditional characteristic. Therefore, there are occurrences that are considered as embarrassing, ethical or dangerous. However, there are characteristics that are measured as "rhetorical situations" that help the audience understand the state of the context under discussion in which the writers or speakers establish a rhetorical discourse (Bitzer 4).

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Bitzer discusses that the existence of the rhetoric discourse designates the occurrence of a situation that is rhetorical. The presence of an oratorical address is an illustration of the existence of a situation. However, situations sometimes are unaccompanied by a discourse and the rhetoric address does not always provide situational existence (Bitzer 11 ). Rhetoricians are expected to characterize and distinguish the speech types. Rhetoric is said to be situational, therefore, the rhetorical situation is equated to a persuasive condition in cases where the addressees have altered in action or belief through the modes of speech. Therefore, rhetoric is a means of changing reality through the establishment of a discourse that allows alteration via the intermediation of action and thoughts. It changes the reality by getting a certain discourse into existence in the audiences' actions and thoughts, therefore, the rhetoric is usually persuasive. A certain discourse exists due to certain situations or conditions that promote utterance (Bitzer 7).

According to Bitzer, a rhetorical situation is regarded as a natural setting of exigence, events, relations, persons and objects which greatly bring about utterance. The invited statement naturally contributes in the condition and in many cases necessary for the situational activity completion (Bitzer 10). The situation usually attains its rhetorical character and meaning via the participation of the invited statement. For instance, in the case of Trump's trade war with China, he is to give a speech as a command or supply of information to his audience. Trump's speech on trade war was called upon by particular objects, relations, and events as well as by a demand that mounted to an overbearing stimulus (Bitzer 13). Therefore, rhetoric is usually situational when; a rhetorical discourse exists as a response, a speech is offered the rhetorical significance due to the situation in existence, it is a must for the rhetorical situation to occur as a necessity for the rhetorical speech. Rhetorical situations can remain unanswered thus leading to rhetorical statements. A discourse remains rhetorical as it pursues to function or functions as a response fitting to a state that invites it. Just like the answer is controlled by the question so does the condition regulate the rhetorical response and the solution is controlled by a problem (Bitzer 6).

The rhetorical situation can be described as the complex of relations, events, persons or objects presenting a potential or actual exigence that can be partially or completely removed if addressed, introduced to the relevant situation. Rhetorical situations can also restrain human actions and decisions so as to ensure the significant amendment of the demand (Bitzer 5). Before they discourse, rhetorical situations are made up of three main constitutes which are necessity, audience, and constraint. The restrains affect the rhetoric and are used in bearing upon the listeners. An exigence is usually an imperfection accompanied by earnestness such as the escalated trade conflicts of the U.S and China. The demands are normally the obstacles and defects that need to be dealt with ((Bitzer 14).

'The Myth of the Rhetorical Situation' by Richard E. Vatz

Vatz article critically analyzes Lloyd Bitzer's concept of the rhetorical situation. His main objective is to stress the rhetoric as a theory that needs to be appreciated in various means and reasons. He uses his opinions in the explanation of the rhetorical situations using dissimilar processes to those of Bitzer. For instance, according to the starting statement of Bitzer, Vatz discusses that the declarations do not infer to the "situational characteristics". He explains that the statements supposedly define circumstances but only update individuals on the phenomenological perception of the utterer. There is a limited evidence that illustrates that the speakers feel embarrassed or fear. The statement also fails to describe the situation's qualities.

In accordance to Vatz, a return in any of the circumstances must reflect two significant communication steps which are the creation of meaning of a given material by transforming them, and the selection of the relevant events and facts (Vatz 154). By considering the factors, the critique provides a clear understanding of the association between the situation representation and the situations themselves. Vatz provides an explanation on how he differentiates his understandings from those of Bitzer's, he also gives his suggestions about a clear definition of a rhetoric. Vatz argues that rhetoric can be used in the regulation of a situational reaction (Vatz 160).

In Bitzer's arguments, he claims that rhetorical situations are made up of three main constitutes which are necessity, audience, and constraint prior to creation. However, the exigence element attracts Vatz's interest, according to Bitzer, he defines "demand" as the faultiness marked by earnestness; it is an obstacle, something that needs to be done or obstacle (Vatz 155). Conversely, Vatz suggests that the explanation is based on Bitzer's point of view, he seems to denote that the "positive transformation" required for the exigence is clear. Vatz claims that Bitzer tries to imitate "melioristic bias" as explained by Richard Weaver (Vatz 157).

Unfortunately, or fortunately, the meaning of the rhetorical situation is not fundamental in "situations", facts, events or people. Excepting the circumstances that directly confront people's practical reality such as trading in this case trade between the U.S. and China. In such empirical states, individuals lean on events and facts that are communicated to them from someone else, that is Trump's trade war with China. Such situations consist of a two-phase process which is the selection of the communication events and the events or facts conversed to people as the choices from their information sources (Vatz 156).

How Donald Trump’s Speech on the Trade War With China Brought Change

In accordance with the idea of Bitzer about "rhetorical situation" in which speakers like Trump create a verbal discourse with a given situation in mind for discussions, in this case, the trades war with China. Trump is currently winning as he focusses to an ebullient American economy together with a stock market. Basing on Bitzer's idea, the rhetorical speech influences the perception of the audience towards the reality of the trading status between the two nations thus enabling Trump's win (Betts 29). However, Donald Trump might find it challenging to attain conquest over China in his war of trade against China in the long run. On 24th of September, the U.S. president ordered officials to place tariffs on $two hundred billion in Chinese products.in vengeance, Beijing claimed to hit $ sixty billion in the U.S. goods together with the duties. Bitzer discusses that the rhetorical condition consists of three elements which are the constraints, exigence, and audience. However, Trump's rhetorical situation failed to keep in mind of the restrain constitute (Betts 30).

Trump's confrontation with China comprises the strong-arm strategies he applied as a real-estate tycoon, which involve snuffing out any idea that he is under the pressure of making trade deals (Betts 29). The actions illustrate Bitzer's reflection of "positive transformation" for the exigence being clear and imitating a form of "melioristic bias" as explained by Richard Weaver. Trump's influence might be short-lived. The success of the Democrats in the congressional voting might lead to the curtailing of the political power of the president. As the economy of the U.S appears to be resistant to the trading wars, the increase from the year's tariff cuts is estimated to fade (Betts 34).

Conclusion

Rhetorical situation is a concept that was brought forward by Bitzer who described it as the setting in which writers or speakers establish a rhetorical discourse with a situation in mind for developing arguments. He further discussed that a rhetorical situation comprises three elements prior to creation which is necessity, audience, and constraint (Bitzer 3). However, Vatz critically analyzed Bitzer's article and came up with 'The Myth of the Rhetorical Situation'. His main objective is to stress the rhetoric as a theory that needs to be appreciated in various means and reasons. He uses his opinions in the explanation of the rhetorical situations using dissimilar processes to those of Bitzer's (Vatz 159).

Works Cited

Betts, Richard K., ed. Conflict after the Cold War: arguments on the causes of war and peace. Taylor & Francis (2017); 29-34.

Bitzer, Lloyd F. "The rhetorical situation." Philosophy & rhetoric (1968): 1-14.

Vatz, Richard E. "The myth of the rhetorical situation." Philosophy & rhetoric (1973): 154-161.