Rhetorical Strategies: Cause & Effect and Definition

The rhetorical style of cause & effect (reason & result) can best be explained in terms of a timeline. If all events in your life fall onto this timeline, there is a definite, mappable past, present, and future. Your job as a writer, within this style of writing, is to pick an event (X) and place it on the timeline. The word "event" does not only refer to an occurrence, however. It can refer to many things:

• Beliefs--things accepted as true or right which can't actually be proven
• Attitudes--disposition or feelings toward a person or thing
• Values--abstract concepts of what is right or good; principles or standards

Looking at X, you can trace its causes in the past, or its effects in the future. There are different types of causes and effects: immediate (near X, possibly the most influential), intermediate (further from X, influential), and remote (furthest from X, but still influential). This style of writing is similar to process analysis, but the focus is somewhat different; rather than focusing on all aspects leading to, or following from, the event in a step-by-step analysis, you want to focus on specific, recognizeable factors which influenced the event. After an event has been chosen, there are three general patterns this type of writing can employ:

• from X, look backward to study its causes, both immediate and remote (the past--history)
• from X, look forward to study its effects, both immediate and remote (the future--speculation)
• using X as a point of reference, study both its causes and effects, from the present point of view (in this style, causes can be seen as remote and effects as immediate, leading up to the present [ultimate effect--all history])

There are also two styles that can be used when writing a C&E essay. The first style is Cause & Effect Relation. In this style, focus on two or more seperate causes for a singular event. Each cause may take the form of an individual narrative or example, and they will be linked only by the fact that, when seen as a whole, they led to the effect you are focusing on. The pattern can also be applied to the future (exploring effects). The format for this style is as follows:

• Introduction
• Body
  • First Cause or Effect
  • Second Cause or Effect
  • Third Cause or Effect
• Conclusion

• Introduction (name X)
• Body
  • Remote Cause
    (leads directly to)
  • Intermediate Cause
    (leads directly to)
  • Immediate Cause
    (leads directly to X)
• Conclusion

Effectual Chain

• Introduction (name X)
• Body
  • Immediate Effect
    (from X, leads directly to)
  • Intermediate Effect
    (leads directly to)
  • Remote Effect
    
• Conclusion

Remember: focus only on causes and effects directly connected to your event (try not to stray).

The rhetorical style of definition deals with the description of a person, place, or thing so that "it" can be better understood. There are two distinct ways to describe anything--denotatively or connotatively.

• Denotation, according to Webster's College Dictionary, is description focusing on "the explicit or direct meaning or set of meanings of a word or expression." This type of definition is literal, it "tells" us what a "thing" is; yet it oftentimes does not offer us the "real" meaning of the "thing." In other words, just like its definition, denotation is often boring.
• This is where the connotative description comes in. This is the meaning of a "thing," whatever that "thing" is, which creates some sort of reaction in us. This reaction can be mental, physical, emotional-- anything--as long as the reaction creates in us a meaning beyond the denotative. Connotative meanings are subjective, meaning that they come from you, and are based upon your experiences. This is the best kind of description because it is directly related to your life.

You may ask: How can a subjective definition be understood by an objective reader? The answer is simple.

If you can find a common thread which runs between your and your reader's life, you will be able to allow them to understand your connotative definition. For example, you may not know anything about the feeling of anticipation associated with waiting for a homemade bagel to bake so that you can taste one for the first time, but you will probably be able to understand the concept of sitting in front of the oven, peeking through the glass, watching something bake, whatever it may have been. Along this same line, you may not know anything at all about the size or shape of chicken cutlets, but when you read about how they must be pieced together like a puzzle to cover the bread in a sandwich, you begin to visualize what this type of food looks like.

There are many ways to begin a definition paper. Here are some good ideas to utilize in the introduction, and possibly throughout the paper:

• Synonymous (Synonym) Definition: By focusing on words, ideas, or "things" that are similar to the word, idea, or "thing" you are trying to define, you will show similarities between them all, so that your reader will more easily identify with your "thing."
• Historical Definition: Focus on the origin, shaping, and growth of the thing you are trying to define, throughout its lifetime, so that you eventually end up with your present, connotative definition.
• Negative Definition: Focus on all that your "thing " cannot be, so that through the process of elimination, all that is left is the definition of your "thing" that you want to work with.
• Genus/Difference Definition: Focus on all the different "types" of the "thing" you are trying to define, so that all that is left is the type you want to focus on (much like negative definition).
• Appearance/Operational Definition: Focus on what your "thing" looks like, what its parts are, what it is made of, what it does or is supposed to do, how to make or do it, or a combination of any of these approaches.

• Examples: Show your reader exactly what you mean when you describe your topic through vivid description. Examples can appear in narrative, process analysis, cause & effect, or classification form--all will work. The main thing to remember is that the examples must accurately describe your definition.

While they function well everywhere, the most common place for examples to appear is in the body of the paper. Structure your definition paper around these examples--they are invaluable to your cause. You want your reader to understand exactly what your topic means to you--and they will be able to do this if they are able to understand and visualize your examples.

The contents of your conclusion are up to you. Ideally, your conclusion may focus on your definition's place in the world around you. Show your reader that your definition has earned a place among all the others-- because it is important to you.

Remember: any and all rhetorical strategies can be used in the construction of a definition--simply choose which one(s) will benefit your specific topic.