According to Aristotle, topics are argumentative patterns out of which arguments about specific subjects can be generated. The use of topics is been seen in almost all forms of rhetoric today: spoken, written, visual and even media rhetoric. They are shells that you can fill in with you own specific arguments, ideas, or information. Some of the major topics used in rhetoric today are definition, division, comparison, relationship, circumstance and testimony.
In my documentary about the sentimental value of items, one of the major topics I used was division. This topic is concerned about connecting or defining parts from a whole. I did this in my project by separating each person’s item of value (from the others in the documentary) to show their difference from each other item that was shown in the documentary. Although each item had sentimental value, they had this value for vastly different reasons. But on the other hand, I used the topic of division to bring the pieces back together. I illustrated what each different item showed about us as people and as a whole body not just separate parts. Another one of the topics I used in my documentary was relationship. Relationship is about cause and effect or contraries and contradictions. The relationship between the possessor and their object is extremely important and I wanted to show that effectively. Each of my interviews had some sort of cause bring them to their item. Weather it was a gift, something won, or something obtained; each item had a great affect on that person.
Aristotle’s topics are general patterns that arguments can follow in pieces of persuasion. They are used in all forms of rhetoric and if you look closely they are not difficult to find. Plus, using topics is a great way to from arguments and persuade your intended audience.
No comments:
Post a Comment