
This image illustrates the different perspectives of senators, staffers, reporters and Judge Jackson at her supreme Court confirmation hearing
Perspective is
- a writer, speaker, knowledge worker’s unique world view
- a theoretical lens used to evaluate a text
Key Concepts: Interpretation, Persona; Point of View; Rhetorical Stance; Rhetorical Reasoning
Perspective as the expression of a character, a point of view
One example of perspective is a narrator’s attitudes or beliefs about an event, person or place. For instance, a narrator could take a humorous, satirical rhetorical stance.
Readers, listeners, users . . . read literature to learn about the cultures, histories, and perspectives of others.
Perspective as a rhetorical tool of analysis
Perspective is the use of a theoretical lens to interpret a text. For instance, a writer may adopt a historical, cultural, rhetorical, psychological, or scientific lens to evaluate or develop a knowledge claim.