Blog #2

Essentials of Argument

According to Nancy Wood, the author of Essentials of Argument, the definition of argument is, “to bring about a change in an audience’s initial position on a controversial issue.” (4) When encountering the word “argument”, I think of a squabble between two people who are trying to accomplish a victory over their opponent. After reading the first two chapters of Essentials of Argument I realized that there is much more to arguing than two people screaming at each other. I was able to recognize the different types of arguments that one could have, which range from courtroom arguments to internal debates. Arguments also have to be presented in a certain way so that the desired effect is achieved. This is accomplished through a rhetorical situation that contains five elements (27). These elements are text, reader, author, constraints and exigence, and all play an important role when trying to argue a certain point. I think that arguing one’s case is extremely important when trying to win over an audience. However, this can only occur when the author is conscientious of who their readers are and the words they use in their text. If they are aware of these five elements, they will definitely have a successful argument.


Magazine

The magazine I chose is Rolling Stone. In this particular issue of the magazine there are lists and articles about the top albums, songs, artists and movies of the past decade. It was interesting to read about popular songs from earlier in the decade and look at groups that aren’t around today. For example, there is a page on the boy-band N’Sync (who I absolutely love!) that states that their second album, No Strings Attached, sold over 2.4 million copies in their first week, which is a feat that hasn’t been topped.


Works Cited:

Wood, Nancy. Essentials of Argument. 2008-01-08, 2008.