Backpacks vs. Briefcases by Laura Bolin Carroll talks about Rhetorical Analysis.  The author starts off by opening a scenario to the reader in order to get one thinking about first impressions.  She helps visualize the first day of class when our professor first walks in.  The questions that come to mind, the observations we make, and the judgment that it results in. Only after reading this did I realize that I have in fact done this to my professor without even knowing it. Just in a more limited way, since we only get to meet on a zoom conference call. So, I made sure to expand my resources without knowing of course, that subconsciously I was doing this to make a fair judgment of character.  The first thing I did was look up “Jesse Rice – Evans’ ‘ on Rate My Professor. That was my first step in gaining intel to draw my conclusion.  I was so relieved and happy to see the rating and read the comments on what others had to say about them. That was also the first textual interpretation, the second being when I received a response from them by email. I was unaware that I was judging the language professor Evans used in the email, but they sounded enthusiastic and welcoming, further adding to my so-far favorable conclusion. I also dived into the website she had linked under her email to further gather information. Following that, I had watched the zoom recording and joined the next zoom meeting in which I had the chance to see her live. I unknowingly made good judgments off of her cute hair style, her attitude and energy. I even took into notice her background and little details such as the little avocado drawing on her wall, super cute. I drew a solid conclusion that she seemed like an amazing person who would lead an easy and enjoyable class.

Carroll’s article discussed how we practice rhetorical analysis in our daily lives without realizing it; we have also become informed consumers of rhetoric. I may have practiced rhetorical analysis while commuting to my classes without knowing. As I enter a train cart my first instinct is to look at the other commuters around me on the train. Who is standing alongside the doors in an empty train cart? Why does an individual make their way across the cart to sit in a specific spot? When analyzing the commuters on the train, I analyze how they dress and often compare their sense of style to mine. Though it might seem a bit unsettling to analyze strangers on the train, I do this as a way to pass my boredom. When comparing my style to a stranger, I first look at the color palette as a whole. Choosing to wear bright colors or a more neutral tone can inform a person about their personal interests or values. For instance, as a nature-loving person, I often wear more earthy tones such as green or brown. The conclusions that I drew based on whether someone wore a dress or a pair of jeans are influenced by social media: TikTok and Instagram. Fashion trends that are circling around the internet are always followed by assumptions about those who follow them. Whether I am fully aware of it or not, the conclusions I made, based on clothing, are a result of the social influences in the fashion industry. The way that an individual presents themselves allows me to understand the context when practicing rhetorical analysis. 

A rhetorical situation that I found myself in is asking for an extension on a final paper. The framework of the situation or the exigence was the abundance of workload in other classes; therefore, making it more difficult to allocate time to spend on writing my paper. My teacher at the time was my audience and I had to develop a well-thought-out argument to support my case. Yet, there were constraints as the deadline for the paper was already discussed and students other than myself may have already finished writing the paper.