ABSTRACT
One of the biggest differences between a rhetorical approach to texts and a traditional literary approach is rhetoric’s explicit emphasis on purpose. Rhetoric’s eminently practical focus means that rhetorical acts of communication target real audiences, situations, and outcomes——outcomes that Aristotle sees as entirely dependent on context. Students usually need just a minimal amount of backstory to get the gist of each of these scenes. Deliberative, or “political,” rhetoric aims at establishing the benefits or drawbacks of a proposed future course of action and urges people to do something or not do something in response to a question of policy. Deliberative rhetoric makes a direct appeal to the interests of the audience with an eye to promoting its security, prosperity, and happiness. High school students can practice purpose-driven communication when they engage questions of policy. A key step toward deepening students’ understanding of how purpose functions in rhetorical situations is to analyze a text in context.
