On Living and Dying in Rhetoric: An Analysis of the Writings of Jim W. Corder

Abstract

An analysis and discussion of selected writings of Jim W. Corder, this project traces the development of Corder's theory of rhetoric across four decades, spanning from the late 1950s to the late 1990s. As one of the most prolific scholars in the history of the modern discipline of rhetoric and composition, Corder's body of writings is a continuous work in progress, one that begins with Corder's initial interest in rhetoric study within the context of literary criticism and grows into his in-depth consideration of the history and canons of rhetoric, with specific emphasis on theories of ethos and invention, the teaching of composition, the liberal arts tradition, and his later engagement with postmodern theories authorship, memory, and identity. The dissertation seeks to reclaim and reassert Corder's rhetorical perspective as means to shape future research in rhetorical analysis and composition pedagogy.