Table Of ContentMaking Sense of Messages
Making Sense of Messages, now in its second edition, retains the apprenticeship approach
which facilitates effectivelylearning the complex content and skillsofrhetorical theory and
criticism.
A new chapter on “The Rhetoric of Ignorance” provides needed theory and examples
that help students deal with the new rhetorical landscape marked by such discursive
complexities as “fake news,” “whataboutism,” and denial of science that creates rather
than reduces uncertainty in public argument. A new chapter, “Curating and Analyzing
Multimodal Mediated Rhetoric,” deals with problems of media criticism in the digital age.
It provides theory, models of application, and commentary that help novice critics under-
stand and mindfully practice criticism that leads to insight, not mere opinion. Throughout
the book, extended and updated examples and commentaries are designed to promote
“novice-to-expert” agency in students.
This textbook is ideal for introductory courses in contemporary rhetoric, rhetorical
criticism, and critical analysis of mass media.
Mark Stoner is Professor Emeritus of Communication Studies at California State
University, Sacramento.
Making Sense of Messages
A Critical Apprenticeship in Rhetorical Criticism
Second edition
Mark Stoner
Secondeditionpublished2020
byRoutledge
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FirsteditionpublishedbyPearson2005
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ISBN:978-0-8153-5538-0(hbk)
ISBN:978-0-8153-5540-3(pbk)
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Contents
Preface xiv
Acknowledgments xvi
PART1
Introduction 1
1 WhatAreRhetoricalMessages? 3
Vocabulary 3
CharacteristicsofRhetoric 3
RhetoricTypicallyAddressesPublicAudiences 4
RhetoricIsPurposeful 4
RhetoricRespondstoorCreatesSocialConcerns 5
RhetoricIsBuiltfromVerbalandNonverbalSymbols 6
RhetoricShapestheWayPeopleThink,Act,Believe,andFeel 6
DefinitionofRhetoric 7
RhetoricalTerminology 8
WhyStudyRhetoricalMessages? 8
Summary 9
Exercises 10
Notes 11
WorksCited 11
2 Criticism:WhatCriticsDowithRhetoricalMessages 12
Vocabulary 12
ReactionversusCritique 12
CharacteristicsofCritics 13
CriticsStudyMessagesSystematically 13
CriticsHaveaResponsibilitytoTeachOthers 14
ACriticalStance:IntheBalcony 14
HowThisBookCanHelp 18
vi Contents
MessageAnalysisMatters! 19
Summary 19
Exercises 20
Notes 21
WorksCited 21
PART2
ProcesstoProduct 23
3 FourKindsofCriticalThinking 25
Vocabulary 25
CreativeandCriticalThinking 26
TheProcessofCriticalAnalysisofMessages 28
Description 29
Analysis 31
Interpretation 35
Evaluation 37
Summary 38
Exercises 39
Notes 42
WorksCited 42
4 TheProcessofDescription 43
Vocabulary 43
ApproachestoDescribingaText 44
PlannedSurvey 45
AskingQuestions 46
RecordingYourThinking 46
ApproachestoDescribingContext 48
SpecificCircumstances 50
SimilarCircumstancesorSimilarMessages 50
RhetorandAudience 51
Text–ContextInteraction 53
Conformity 53
Non-Participation 53
Desecration 54
ContextualReconstruction 56
ApplicationofText–ContextInteractions 57
Summary 58
Exercises 58
Note 60
WorksCited 60
Contents vii
5 TheProcessofAnalysis 61
Vocabulary 61
NamingthePartsoftheMessage 62
UsingSearchModels 62
UsingGeneralKnowledge 63
RecordingYourThinking 64
LookingforRhetoricalPatterns 69
PatternsofRepetition 69
PatternsofSequencing 70
PatternsofOmission 70
AnomaliestoPatterns 70
PatternsofRelationships 71
DerivingInterpretiveQuestionsfromtheAnalysis 73
Summary 74
Exercises 74
Note 76
WorksCited 76
6 TheProcessofInterpretation 77
Vocabulary 77
ThreeApproachestoInterpretation 78
CreativeThinking 78
SubjectiveThinking 78
InferentialThinking 79
HowDoesaCriticDevelopanInterpretation? 80
AskingQuestionsfromAnalysisFindings 80
ComparingObservationsfromAnalysis 83
Summary 87
Exercises 87
Notes 89
WorksCited 90
7 TheProcessofEvaluation 91
Vocabulary 91
TypesofJudgments 93
Truthfulness 93
QualityofEvidenceandReasoning 95
Effectiveness 96
EthicsandValues 97
SelectingaTypeofJudgment 98
SampleEvaluation 98
viii Contents
Summary 100
Exercises 101
Note 102
WorksCited 102
8 WritingYourIdeas 103
Vocabulary 103
EffectivelyArguingYourClaimsaboutMessages 104
PresentNewIdeas:“AnInferentialLeap” 105
MakeanArgument:“APerceivedRationale” 105
SupportYourClaim:(“RegulateUncertainty”) 107
LogicallyOrganizeIdeas:(“RiskaConfrontation”) 107
Research,Organize,andWriteWell 109
DocumentingYourSources 110
ChicagoStyle 111
MLAStyle 111
APAStyle 111
GoodWritingIsBasedonGoodSentences 112
Summary 113
Exercises 113
Notes 114
WorksCited 115
PART3
AnalyticalTools 117
PrefacetoChapters9–10:ClassicalApproaches 119
9 AncientRhetoric 121
Vocabulary 121
SomeClassicalRhetoricalConcepts 122
Style 125
Arrangement 128
Delivery 131
Memory 131
Invention 131
TheClassicalModelApplied 136
BarackObama’s“MorePerfectUnionSpeech”:ReconstructingApology 137
Summary 142
Exercises 143
WorksCited 144
SuggestedReadings 145
Contents ix
10 NewRhetoric 146
Vocabulary 146
ToulminandEverydayArgument 147
ArgumentFields 147
Field-InvariantandField-DependentElementsofArguments 148
ModalTerms 148
ForceandCriteria 149
ThePartsofArguments 150
PerelmanandtheNewRhetoric 153
ReasonablenessandAudiences 153
TheUniversalAudience 154
MeansofFormingGoodOpinions 155
CreatingPresence 156
UsingArgumentStructures 157
TheNewRhetoricApplied 158
(More)Analysis 158
(Further)Interpretation 161
Summary 161
Exercises 162
Notes 163
WorksCited 163
SuggestedReadings 163
PrefacetoChapters11–13:DramatisticApproaches 165
11 TheNarrativeParadigm 167
Vocabulary 167
SomeTerminologyoftheNarrativeParadigm 168
NarrativeElements 168
TwoConcepts—FourConcerns 171
NarrativeProbability 172
NarrativeFidelity 172
NarrativeParadigmApplied 173
GettysburgAddress 174
NarrativeApproachAppliedtoSmackdown! 176
Summary 179
Exercises 180
Notes 181
WorksCited 181
SuggestedReadings 181
