8.4: Asking Rhetorical Questions

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Here are a few rhetorical questions you might consider asking:

• What is the rhetorical situation in which Anzaldua finds herself
using different language forms? (Rhetorical situation refers
to the context, intended audience, and purpose for writing.)

• Does Anzaldua’s writing attempt to invoke an emotional response
from its readers?

• What makes Anzaldua credible to speak about language practices
as a condition of access into a community?

• Does the author make any logical appeals to persuade readers?

• What assumptions about culture can we make based on the
content of Anzaldua’s text?

Asking rhetorical questions provokes a process of inquiry-based thinking that is useful for learning how to participate in academic conversations in a way that investigates the decisions writers make when they compose and arrange compositions. As you read, get in the habit of asking rhetorical questions about the composition of texts. This will further guide your prewriting process of brainstorming and frame decisions for how you might compose your own texts. Freewriting can be an initial invention exercise that begins your composing process.