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The Forensic Burke: A For(U)Mative Member Of The Parlor, Courtney James Wright

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

In this study, I detail the forensics education of Kenneth Burke, a leading rhetorical theorist and critic of the twentieth century. After investigating this previously unexamined area, I argue that Burke’s competitive forensics experiences pivotally informed his rhetorical schema. Theoretically guided by Burke’s pivotal term the forensic, I begin by mapping the contours of Burke’s educational biography. Next, I analyze and reconstruct Burke’s forensics education by focusing on the forensic organizations of Peabody High School, Burke’s literary society experiences at Ohio State University and Columbia University, and the literary activities of Greenwich Village. Finally, I proffer connections between forensics …