Rhetorical Analysis Rough draft 1

Rhetorical Analysis of Bartholomae’s ‘Inventing the University’

            Dr. David Bartholomae’s “Inventing the University” is an academic journal written to professors. More specifically; English/Writing professors. Bartholomae begins by explaining the phrase “Inventing the University”. Bartholomae then dives into an essay written by one of his students and adds his own insight on what his student did well and what the student needed to improve. He continues to explain that the student must learn to use the language of the discourse he is writing about. Bartholomae furthers this and describes that students often fail to make an academic conclusion and instead add in their own advice (6). Bartholomae explains how the use of the specified language must flow through the writer instead of the writer coming up with the language himself (8). He furthers this by explaining that it’s the professor’s job to teach the students to revise their writing for the reader in mind. Bartholomae also talks about how the student must learn to use another language, that of which belongs to someone with wisdom on the discourse, in order to speak with authority (17). Bartholomae concludes the paper by saying that students need to learn to mimic the “distinctive register” of the academic discourse they are trying to write for before they know enough to actually write for the specified discourse (19). He finishes this and adds that students need to be evaluated based on their ability to establish authority (20).

Purpose/Audience

Analyzing Bartholomae’s “Inventing the University” was relatively difficult. At first glance, it seems as though he was writing to students. More specifically, students in college-level writing and reading courses. Reading further into the journal, and it seems as though this is not the case. Bartholomae’s true purpose is to better equip professors with the methods to teach their students. He’s writing to English professors. In the text, Bartholomae explains “Teaching students to revise for readers, then, will better prepare them to write initially with a reader in mind” (8). Bartholomae is trying to explain to teachers that readers must learn to write for the targeted audience.

Content Analysis

“Inventing the University” written by Dr. David Bartholomae is a well written piece that

takes a look at the way students learn to use the language of the discourse they are writing for. Bartholomae specifically gives examples of some of his students’ essays and shows how they adapt and use the language of the discourse. Bartholomae states that his student “knew that university faculty would be reading and evaluating his essay, and so he wrote for them”(6). He goes on to explain that despite the student not having much experience on the subject, he does a good job using the language and even defines himself as a fellow researcher instead of just a normal high school student (6). Here Bartholomae is trying to explain that students need to write in this manner when they take on a discourse.

Organization, language, and style

“Inventing the University” by Dr. David Bartholomae was well organized and the language used was very fitting for his purpose. I’d argue that he used a ‘Toulmin’ style to structure his argument as he provided several examples and followed them up with very logical insight. Bartholomae presents his argument in a way that is ever so slightly sarcastic. I personally did not pick up on this tone until reading his work a second time. However, the overarching tone of his work is academic. He does a good job staying objective and providing evidence for his claims, and he manages to add to this by using language that supports his central theme.

Evidence

“Inventing the University” by Dr. David Bartholomae contains more than enough evidence to back up the claims that are made. One of Bartholomae’s main claims is that “ Our students, I’ve said, have to appropriate (or be appropriated by) a  specialized discourse, and they have to do this as though they were easily  or comfortably one with their audience” (9). He backs this up and explains how professors can help their students learn by conducting exercises in which the students take on the role of being one of those that they are writing to. “I think that all writers, in order to write, must imagine for themselves the privilege of being “insiders” -that is, of being both inside an established and powerful discourse, and of being granted a  special right to speak” (10).

Overall Assessment

            After first reading Dr. David Bartholomae’s “Inventing the University”, it took a while for Bartholomae’s points and overall message to reveal itself to me. What was first revealed to me was that Bartholomae was not writing to students. Bartholomae says that “Teachers, as a  result, could be more precise and helpful when they ask students to “think,” “argue,” “de-scribe,” or “define” (12). Here it becomes clear that he is writing to professors, not their students. With ‘Inventing the University’, Bartholomae was attempting to help equip English and Writing professors with ways that they can help their students write and adopt a language that is not their own. This publication is extremely useful, as I’ve never realized how important it is for writers to manipulate language to appear as if they are one with those they are writing to.

Conclusion

            Bartholomae did a great job touching on students’ need to adopt a language and write for a discourse and the proper ways to do so. His points were very well received, and now I know as a student how I can better write to my audience by becoming one with them by use of language. When writing to different discourses and professors, I will keep Bartholomae’s points in mind and try to act as if my audience are my fellow peers and speak to them as such.