Internal Rhetorics: Toward a History and Theory of Self-Persuasion (review)

Abstract

Nienkamp's work is one of the most important contributions to rhetorical theory of the last several years. The history of self-persuasion that Nienkamp expertly and persuasively draws builds toward her theoretical construct, the "rhetorical self," which "is made up of a colloquy of internalized social languages" (127), "voices" (128), or "cultural imperatives" (135). The rhetorical self practices internal rhetoric to "maintain a fragile equilibrium of personal identity and to resolve ambiguous or conflicting imperatives for attitude, decision, and action" (128).