Rhetorical Short Story

In The Rhetorical Short Story, Purcell examines over ninety short stories as rhetorical artifacts of nearly a century of American history. The words of over seventy-five authors present a pastiche of American voices, from the early days of the Great War to the ongoing conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan. Each of the stories features a type of rhetorical depiction that enables its audience to connect vicariously with the experience presented by the author. This account sees the transformation of the American perspective from an insular one, which emphasizes the purpose driven actions of strong individual agents, to ones in which individuals are caught up in the inevitable consequences of an all-determining stream of events.

This book examines over ninety short stories as rhetorical artifacts of nearly a century of American history, from the early days of the Great War to the ongoing conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan. Each story features a type of rhetorical depiction that enables the audience to experience the tale vicariously.

William M. Purcell is a professor of communication and journalism at Seattle Pacific University. He was educated at Auburn University, the University of Alabama, and Indiana University. He previously served on the faculties of Augustana College and the University of Washington.