ABSTRACT
The speeches, ads, stories, rallies, documents, debates, yard signs, and name-calling are examples of rhetoric, and are opportunities for communication scholars to engage in rhetorical criticism. Rhetoric and rhetorical criticism are the oldest forms of scholarship in the communication discipline. The study of rhetoric and rhetorical criticism can be a daunting task. Rhetoric and rhetorical criticism have a close relationship with many of our sister disciplines including philosophy, English, sociology, religion, anthropology, and psychology. A rhetorical critic, therefore, seeks to recognize how people understand and respond to symbols, and how the use of symbols can shape our perceptions of reality. Rhetorical criticism as part of modern education started in the early 1900s, and focused on speakers and their speeches. The fantasy theme approach to rhetorical criticism was developed by Ernest Bormann at the University of Minnesota. A rhetorical vision occurs when a series of fantasy themes merge to form a fairly cohesive viewpoint.
