Kenneth Burke’s Dramatism Essay

Life is drama; playing roles in relation to other people. Interest in the interaction of language and action. Symbolic Interactionist—Language is symbolic action. â€Å"Verbal symbols are meaningful acts from which motives can be derived (Griffin, p. 329).† â€Å"Human beings†¦are a symbol-creating, symbol-using, and symbol misusing animal (Littlejohn, 1978, p. 69).† A theory of Motives—why do people act (particularly rhetorically) the way they do? Assess motives. Texts/Speeches created by people to â€Å"DO SOMETHING.† Can be analyzed to determine what it is they are trying to do. Distinguishes human â€Å"Action† from Animal â€Å"Motion† Action Motion Done on purpose;Behaviors that are non- voluntary behavior purposeful/non-meaningful e.g. DramatismïÆ' ª ïÆ' ªAll animals and objects Peoplehave motion ïÆ' ªÃ¯Æ' ª Forms of ThoughtThe study of motion is ïÆ' ªmechanism Understood through motives ïÆ' ª Pentad (tool for understanding motives) Motive: Linguistic Product of Rhetorical Action Created a Grammar of Motives (â€Å"grammar† meaning rules, principles, elements, structure and/or book) Motives are viewed by Burke in terms 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 â€Å"all-purpose word for any feeling of tension within a person—anxiety, embarrassment, self-hatred, disgust, etc. (Littlejohn, 1978, p. 70).† We communicate to purge ourselves of guilt. Guilt arises out of language. Three sources of guilt: 1. The Negative: Language allows for rules, morals, etc. that surround us and we can’t escape violating. 2. The Principle of Perfection: Language allows us to â€Å"imagine† the ideal (should). 3. The Principle of Heirarchy: Structure society with competing class and group distinctions We seek redemption (reduce or eliminate guilt) through communication/rhetoric/dramatism 1. Mortification: self-blame 2. Victimage: external enemy is the source 3. Scapegoating: blame other(s) Substance: general nature of a thing Consubstantiation: (shared substance, commonality) Identification: (same as consub) degrees of; conscious or unconscious; 1) material identification—goods, possessions, things 2) idealistic identification—values, ideas, feelings, attitudes 3) formal identification—form or arrangement of act/conventions; roles, customs, etc. Division—differences with others (source of guilt) PENTAD Tool for understanding motives Act SceneAgent Agency Purpose (Hexad: Attitude: delayed or incipient action) Statement of motives will answer: 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).