Speaking near by

A lot of common ground can be found between Trihn T. Minh-ha’s rhetorical option of speaking near by and Wayne Booth’s listening rhetoric. Minh-ha’s work is grounded in a desire to open up perspectives and expand viewpoints, which is what Booth also believes could be accomplished with true rhetoric, especially in the realms of politics and the media.

Speaking near by involves listening and honoring the voice of another – “a speaking that does not objectify, does not point to an object as if it is distant from the speaking subject or absent from the speaking place. A speaking that reflects on itself and can come very close to a subject without, however, seizing or claiming it. She explains that it is not simply a rhetorical technique but ‘an attitude in life, a way of positioning oneself in relation to the world” (FRT, 247).

In his optimistic way, Booth would like to see political leaders adopt such a stance, especially while engaging in the current war rhetoric. However, in our American/global society, such a move ends up being seen as a weakness.

In her revolutionary way, Minh-ha points out that there is strength in openness to others and that differences do not threaten one’s own identity. “Interdependence cannot be reduced to a mere question of mutual enslavement. It also consists in creating a ground that belongs to no one… Otherness becomes empowerment” (RFRT, 218). I imagine Booth would like to see much of the current rhetrickery taken to that level of a ground that belongs to no one.

It’s likely that Booth operates a little too much “inside the system” for Minh-ha, but I think she would appreciate that Booth’s work can be based upon her theory.