Suarez 1

Carla Suarez
Professor M. Gomrad
ENC 1101
23 October 2014
Rhetorical Analysis
The Writing Construct
Throughout secondary school, teachers would tell their students that the use of first
person in their academic writing was wrong. And if they were to do this, they would be
penalized by having points deducted, or their papers would not be accepted due to their
incapability of following directions. The teachers would explain to their students that this is
because using first person causes your writing to be less formal and takes away from the focus
of the paper. I strongly disagree with this writing construct since I believe the complete opposite.
Teachers are encouraging their students to take on some research to incorporate in their writing
in order to establish credibility. By incorporating third person and small pieces of first person
statements, I believe the writer will be able to establish credibility through their third person
research, and follow with first person opinions and comments. By doing so, the students are able
to establish full credibility to their audience, but also be able to reciprocate with their own
educated comments.
Haas and Flower
With that, I have decided to rhetorically analyze two texts arguing that the advising
against the use of first person in academic writing is wrong. Students should be able to write

Suarez 2
what they please and should not be restricted by unnecessary rules. To support my argument I
will be analyzing Mark Edmundsons article Why major in humanities? Not just for a good job
- good life and an excerpt from The Subject is Writing called Memories of Wandering
Thoughts written by Amanda McCorquodale. I chose these two texts because they accurately
answer both of the questions that the Haas and Flower article proposes. The first question is
How does this constructive process play itself in actual thinking process of reading? (Haas &
Flower 167). To answer this through the lens of my writing construct, the students thinking
process is conflicted by all the rules and regulations instructed by the teacher (Rhetor). Students
tend to encounter Writers block more frequently since they are not free to write what they
please. By being restricted to never using first person, students are forced to find an alternative
phrase in the third person. This process takes time and thought, and with these changes to their
work, students lose their voice within the writing. Haas and Flowers second question is Are all
readers really aware of, or in control of the discourse act which current theories describe? (Haas
& Flower 167). This applies to the audience and if they are aware of this restriction. Most
students automatically alter their work to maintain within the confinement of third person. They
do this without noticing since the construct has already been programmed into their brains all
throughout their adolescence in school. The only awareness students have of this rule is when
they are penalized for using first person.

Grant-Davies Constituents
Grant Davies article states, Bitzer defines a rhetorical situation generally as the context
in which speakers or writers create rhetorical discourse (Grant-Davie 264). More specifically, a

Suarez 3
rhetorical situation is described as a complex of persons, events, objects, and relations
presenting an actual or potential exigence (urgency or demand for the discourse). Within the
article, he talks about the four constituents R.A.C.E. The R signifies the rhetor, which is the
speaker or the writer. In this case, within my writing construct, the rhetor is the teacher who is
demanding that the students avoid using first person within their academic writing. The A stands
for audience, which is who the rhetor is speaking to or restricting. This would be the students
since they are being disciplined to write a certain way. The C symbolizes the constraint in which
the rhetor is casting upon the audience (not being able to write in first person). Lastly, the E
stands for exigence, which is Davies main point in his article. The exigence in this rhetorical
situation is the need for creative and writing freedom for students and the demand of teachers to
stop restricting their students to only using third person by convincing them that their work will
lose credibility.
Mark Edmundson
The article Why Major in Humanities? Not just for a good joba good life written by
Mark Edmundson, portrays academic writing with the incorporation of third and first person.
First person writing should be allowed for students to use moderately, but not abuse.
Edmundsons work accurately demonstrates my argument on this writing construct since he
portrays his research through the third person but then supports it with an example from his life
in first person. He states Socrates didnt help them work their way to success; he helped them
work their way to insight and virtue (Edmundson Washington Post). He follows this statement
by referencing his own life experiences As a parent of sons in their 20s, I understand this and
sympathize with it (Edmundson Washington Post). The research on Socrates creates a
foreground for the personal experience he is sharing. By doing this, Edmundson is able to

Suarez 4
establish credibility to his readers, yet he does not exhaust the use of first person. He only uses it
to support his main point and further argue his claim on how humanities is everywhere. By using
the pronoun I Edmundson sets a position for himself. His position in his writing is that he
understands and sympathizes with it. Without the personal pronoun, the audience wouldnt be
able to understand the writers view on his/her work. Some critiques on the use of first person is
that there is no assertiveness and a passive voice instead.
Memories of Wandering Thoughts
In this excerpt the author Amanda McCorquodale talks about her life experience with
walking and then follows it with research. By including her own personal experience, it provides
insight to the main idea. Without personal pronouns, McCorquodale would not have been able to
portray her story which would inhibit the audience from being able to connect to the author. The
excerpt states Walks allow you to creep up on a destination, the switch to the next phase of your
day is gradual (Bishop & Strickland 24) which demonstrates her use of third person, no
personal pronouns whatsoever. But then the author connects this statement with I was given the
full twenty minutes to untangle my own head (Bishop & Strickland 25). Though McCorquodale
used the first person, she did not exhaust it. By implementing minimum but necessary first
person statements, she was able to establish credibility to her audience since she depicts herself
as an expert on walking. Her personal anecdote allows the reader to connect to the writer and
see things in their point of view.
Conclusion
If students were allowed to incorporate third person and small pieces of first person
statements, I believe they will be able to establish credibility through their third person research,

Suarez 5
and follow it with first person opinions and comments. By doing so, the students are able to
establish full credibility to their audience, but also be able to reciprocate with their own educated
comments. With this research, I learned that with writing in first person, comes restrictions. But
if students follow the restrictions, I believe their writing will improve. Including first person
opinions gives the content an authors insight and of the piece, while writing only in solely third
person inhibits the connection. Through the analysis of Mark Edmundson and Amanda
McCorquodales work, I was able to pinpoint how first person is acceptable and strengthens a
work.

Suarez 6

Works Cited

Edmundson, Mark. Mark Edmundson: Why major in Humanities? Not just for a good
job, for a good life: Ct. Madison.com. NP., 18 Aug. 2013. Web. 27 Oct. 2014.
Flower, Linda, and Christina Haas. Introduction to Writing Studies at college of the
mainland. :Haas and Flower: Rhetorical Reading. N.p., N.D. Web. 27 Oct. 2014
Bishop, Wendy, and James Strickland. The subject is writing: essays by teachers and
students. 4th ed. Portsmouth NH: Boynton/ Cook publishers, 2006. Print.
Grant-Davie, Keith. Rhetorical Situations and Their Constituents- Keith Grant-Davie.
Tdtomas02. N.p., N.D. Web 27 Oct. 2014