Towards an Art of Rhetoric in Electronic Literary Works: The Figures of Manipulation

By Scott Rettberg, 8 January, 2013
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Abstract (in English)

On the basis of electronic literary works, we can identify specific rhetorical figures in interactive writing: the figures of manipulation. It is a category on its own, along with figures of diction, construction, meaning and thought. For example, the figure of appearance/disappearance (responding to an action of the reader) is as a key figure among the figures of manipulation. What is emphasized in such figures is the coupling action/behavior, which could be considered as a basic unit in interactive writing. This coupling can be conceived independently from the medias (text, image, video) it relies on. Thus, it seems relevant to have an a-media approach when defining an art of rhetoric in interactive writing.

(Source: Author's abstract, 2008 ELO Conference)