Canons of Rhetoric- Invention

In the words of Aristotle, The principle canon of rhetoric meant “discovering the best available means of persuasion.” Invention may be one of the most difficult stages in writing or creating a rhetorical piece as it lays the framework for your entire argument. All other phases rely on a successful invention of ideas and concepts in order to powerfully and tactfully convey the message. In Bigelow’s “The White Problem” he divides his article into areas in which segregation influenced the most during the time. The terms ‘segregation’ and ‘inequality’ are broad, extensive, and relatively meaningless unless put into a real-world perspective. By pinpointing the actual life experiences of African Americnas and others protesting segregation within the systems and social structures of voting, education, employment, and overall justice, Bigelow allows his audience to compare their own experiences to those he describes. This allows him to convey the discrimination that African Americans faced and allowed the audience to walk a bit in the shoes of the afflicted. The specific topics covered in the article aid in how Bigelow develops his overall argument and gives it a persuading effect.