Kenneth Burke’s Dramatism Essay

Life is drama playacting roles in relation to other people. Interest in the interaction of language and action. Symbolic InteractionistLanguage is symbolic action. Verbal symbols argon meaningful acts from which motives earth-closet be derived (Griffin, p. 329). Human beingsare a symbol-creating, symbol-using, and symbol misusing zoology (Littlejohn, 1978, p. 69). A theory of Motiveswhy do people act (particularly grandiosityally) the way they do? Assess motives.Texts/Speeches created by people to DO SOMETHING. Can be analyzed to determine what it is they are trying to do.Distinguishes human action from Animal MotionAction MotionDone on purposeBehaviors that are non-voluntary behavior purposeful/non-meaningfule.g. DramatismAll animals and objectsPeoplehave motion Forms of ThoughtThe study of motion ismechanismUnderstood through motives Pentad(tool for dread motives)Motive Linguistic Product of Rhetorical Action Created a Grammar of Motives (grammar meaning rules, principles, e lements, structure and/or book) Motives are viewed by Burke in price of internal sources of action but rather in terms of how language and terms are used to make actions understandable. Guilt as Motive guilt is an general-purpose word for any feeling of tension within a personanxiety, embarrassment, self-hatred, disgust, etc. (Littlejohn, 1978, p. 70).We communicate to heave ourselves of guilt.Guilt arises out of language.Three sources of guilt1. The Negative Language allows for rules, morals, etc. that surround us and we cant escape violating.2. The Principle of Perfection Language allows us to imagine the ideal (should).3. The Principle of Heirarchy organize society with competing class and group distinctionsWe seek redemption (reduce or eliminate guilt) through communication/rhetoric/dramatism1. Mortification self-blame2. Victimage external enemy is the source3. Scapegoating blame other(s)Substance general nature of a issueConsubstantiation (shared substance, commonality)Ide ntification (same as consub) degrees of conscious or unconscious1) material identificationgoods, possessions, things2) idealistic identificationvalues, ideas, feelings, attitudes3) starchy identificationform or arrangement ofact/conventions roles, customs, etc.Divisiondifferences with others (source of guilt)PENTADTool for mind motivesActSceneAgentAgency Purpose(Hexad Attitude delayed or incipient action)Statement of motives will react What was done (act), when or where it was done (scene), who did it (agent), how it was done (agency), and why it was done (purpose).