Week 7 Journal

Personally, I believe the most important concepts I have learned so far in this course are rhetoric, discourse, and context. Without any of these three concepts, everyday writing (let alone writing in general) would be very bland, and hardly even interesting. Rhetoric by itself is a unique concept because it involves almost everything that defines persuasiveness and effectiveness in writing, including memory, style, delivery, and arrangement. It is what truly gives any written work the spark that it needs to stick to the reader. Discourse is what allows everyday writing to truly communicate itself to us. Without such a concept, we would most likely be unable to comprehend any type of written work. Context is a concept that truly makes a name for itself in writing, proving that sometimes it's not all about exactly what you write, but where. Based on the impact of last week's reading, the context of writing can greatly dictate the strength of its impact to the world.

All three of these concepts also align with tattoos. Depending on how they look, some tattoos have the ability to catch our eye, whether they are expressed through pictures or words. The fact that tattoos have the tendency to catch our attention and occasionally mean something to us strongly signifies the use of rhetoric. Tattoos which resemble short but powerful quotes, or even things such as "R.I.P *name*" are types of tattoos in which rhetoric can casually be identified. Discourse can also be indicated within tattoos. This week's reading is a primary example, as tattoos can be used to send a strong or vital message to other people around them, such as indicating to others that you happen to be infected with a deadly virus, or you advocate for something, such as gay rights. tattoos are also a common way to communicate non-verbally in prisons, whether its to show how long someone has been in, or to symbolize how dangerous they are. Context is the concept that makes a tattoo truly unique. Considering that a tattoo is labeled onto your body, it has the potential to have a sort of impact on the people around you, depending whether or not the tattoo is located in a commonly revealing spot, such as the arm or neck. Considering that tattoos are capable of being applied to the major concepts of rhetoric, discourse, and context, I would agree that they are a form of everyday writing. Though some may disagree and claim that getting tattoos isn't a casual form of everyday writing, I personally see it as a unique casual form of everyday writing. People get tattoos more often than you would think, and almost all of them are created for a purpose, whether it is to visually catch the attention of the public, send a message, or even both.