Date Approved
11-30-2012
Date Posted
2013
Degree Type
Open Access Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department or School
Communication, Media and Theatre Arts
Committee Member
Raymond Quiel, Thesis Chair
Committee Member
Jack Kay, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Nick Romerhausen, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Michael Marion
Abstract
In this study, I detail the forensics education of Kenneth Burke, a leading rhetorical theorist and critic of the twentieth century. After investigating this previously unexamined area, I argue that Burke’s competitive forensics experiences pivotally informed his rhetorical schema. Theoretically guided by Burke’s pivotal term the forensic, I begin by mapping the contours of Burke’s educational biography. Next, I analyze and reconstruct Burke’s forensics education by focusing on the forensic organizations of Peabody High School, Burke’s literary society experiences at Ohio State University and Columbia University, and the literary activities of Greenwich Village. Finally, I proffer connections between forensics and two of Burke’s key terms, the parlor and ritual drama, and discuss illuminations, contributions, and directions regarding the pedagogy, theory, and biography of Kenneth Burke.
Recommended Citation
Wright, Courtney James, "The forensic Burke: A for(u)mative member of the parlor" (2012). Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations. 534.
https://commons.emich.edu/theses/534