12 Defining Audience and Purpose

While we may not think of genre as rhetorical, genre is in fact another tool for persuasion, which identifies it as such. And whenever we’re working with something rhetorical, we’ve got to think about our specific purpose and a specific audience. Each time we write or communicate, we’re relying on particular audience expectations in order to be successful in that writing and communication.

Here’s how this might play out with a medium we interact with regularly: movies. Let’s say that we are watching The Proposal, another rom-com featuring an executive who falls for her assistant. What do we expect to happen? First of all, we expect to laugh, right? We also expect that after some foolish  situations, a few obstacles, and a little character growth, the protagonists would end up falling for one another. In an alternate scenario, let’s say we are watching SuperBad, a coming-of-age story of two friends—Evan and Fogell—about to leave for college but not before a night of mishaps  involving such plot twists as a fake ID incident before Evan wins his true love’s heart. What would we expect to happen in this young-adult, “buddy”  movie? First, we expect it to be funny, right? Second, we expect various shenanigans to occur as a result of Fogell’s mistake with the fake ID. Both comedies include  a clear romantic  plot and silly situations that produce humorous moments the audience can relate to. However, the humor hits differently in these movies. The Proposal’s humor is lighthearted and charming while SuperBad’s humor is a bit more crude and specific to younger viewers. In terms of genre, what do these examples show? Genres diverge depending on purpose and audience, both of which determine our expectations.  These movies are similar in genre.

Think back to our discussion of genres. This section tells us that while certain movies  are classified as specific genres, most have sub-genres that fit the overall expectations but vary key elements for new or different situations, purposes, and audiences. The conventions used  in the film show which audience the script writer has in mind, and what they hope to accomplish by relating to that particular audience. Likewise, with written composition, the genre conventions present in your work  reveal your purpose and audience. By the same token, your audience and purpose shape and inform your writing. Each point, paragraph, and moment of insight connects your reader to your purpose.