Jan 23: on Preparation for Burke Symposium
Dear Good People,
As promised, here is our preparation post for Tuesday's class, the Burke Symposium. For next week, please:
I have arbitrarily assigned sections. As you read, keep in mind that Burke is defining two terms -- "language" and "identification" -- that he personally prefers over the term persuasion. Like Barthes before him, Burke will lay out his definitions through a series of propositions, so stick with the readings as best you can, and try to look for implicit clues as to why Burke prefers these terms over the more traditional notion of rhetorical persuasion.
On Tuesday, I'll split the class into 4 groups for our symposium, and each group will have some time to talk together to pool your views about what you read before applying it to our case study. Please bring extensive notes. If you find Burke's texts difficult, this may help you prepare:
Finally, we may continue to work in this space over the next couple of weeks.
-Prof. Graban
As promised, here is our preparation post for Tuesday's class, the Burke Symposium. For next week, please:
- read and prepare Kenneth Burke's "Nature of Human Action" (pp. 53-55)
- read and prepare either Burke's "Symbol as Formative" (pp. 107-13) or Burke's "Identification" (pp. 180-88)
- If your last name begins A through L -- "Symbol as Formative"
- If your last name begins M through Z -- "Identification"
I have arbitrarily assigned sections. As you read, keep in mind that Burke is defining two terms -- "language" and "identification" -- that he personally prefers over the term persuasion. Like Barthes before him, Burke will lay out his definitions through a series of propositions, so stick with the readings as best you can, and try to look for implicit clues as to why Burke prefers these terms over the more traditional notion of rhetorical persuasion.
On Tuesday, I'll split the class into 4 groups for our symposium, and each group will have some time to talk together to pool your views about what you read before applying it to our case study. Please bring extensive notes. If you find Burke's texts difficult, this may help you prepare:
- identifying any new/unfamiliar or key terms in Burke's chapter
- trying to find 1-3 major issues or arguments in Burke's chapter
- noting 1 critical relationship between Burke's chapters and Barthes's and Fish's essays, where "critical relationship" can possibly mean "complicating" or "disputing" or "undermining" or "extending" or "enhancing" (among other things)
- responding to what Burke writes. Do you agree with what is written? Why or why not? What complicates it for you? What questions would you really want to ask Burke if he were here?
Finally, we may continue to work in this space over the next couple of weeks.
-Prof. Graban