Revisit "Helping Students Use Textual Sources Persuasively" by Margaret Kantz (find it on the

library's online database).

Revisit your journal entry from Week 11:
Explain the concept of the rhetorical situation (the rhetorical situation triangle). What is
it? How can you use it in your research? What is rhetorical reading? What is a rhetorical
gap?
**For the Reader Response, choose a chapter from The End of Absence. Using the
"rhetorical situations triangle", find rhetorical gaps and discuss those gaps. Answer any
combination of the following questions. Write cumulatively 300 words.
1) If you were to respond to a particular gap, how would you respond to that gap?
2) What conversation could you generate from that gap?
3) How might you fit your voice in the conversation?
In reference to Chapter Nine:
2) If I were to generate a conversation from the rhetorical gap in chapter nine of The End of
Absence, I would begin by asking why Neil Postman suggests that we maintain a psychic
distance from any technology. From that Id continue to ask why there is a gap, to me, between
the text and the audience. Im not really sure what audience he is speaking to because its not
clearly stated. The conversation could go on to discuss why he feels that was and how he planned
to connect with the audience, even though he did not. Another conversation could be that the
writer, Neil Postman, seems only concerned with himself and comes across as selfish in the
remarks made in the text. Therefore, another gap between the author and his audience. The
amount of conversations are endless, but the gap here is between the author and his audience.
3) I would fit my voice into the conversation by stating the questions that I sated above. In my
mind, the best way to insert yourself into a conversation and seem important is by asking
questions. However, you cannot ask stupid questions, because contrary to most peoples common

beliefs, there is such a thing as a stupid question, and stupid people. Therefore, you would have
to carefully place your questions into the conversation at the correct point in the conversation to
make yourself seem intelligent. The gap here is still between the author and the audience due to
the lack of commitment and clear declaration of who/what his audience is. Neil Postman needs to
be more audience centered in his writings and not so selfish and self-concerned when he states
his opinion on a situation. After asking questions one could make statements like these to
elaborate on the questions asked.

Reader Response #9 Reflection

I chose to include this reader response to represent my understanding in rhetorical gaps
and how they relate to UWRT 1102. A lot of this class was about understanding rhetorical gaps

and using them in my writing. At the beginning of the semester I had no idea what a rhetorical
gap was or what it meant but after this class and the many assignments that dealt with rhetorical
gaps I now have a strong understanding of what they are. Also, this reader response was one of
the last that dealt with The End of Absence and wrapped up the book.