Writing Wednesday?

Who wants to learn about rhetorical questions?

Happy Wednesday peeps.

Y’all know what rhetorical questions are, right? If you’re like most everyone, you’ll say something along the lines of “A question that you ask without expecting an answer.” And that’s half right: a rhetorical question is a question that doesn’t expect an answer because it isn’t really a question—it’s a statement masquerading as a question.

One of my favorite scenes in the show The West Wing (which, for the third time in the 25 years since it first aired is serving as my fantasy government in exile) comes in season 2, episode 3. The White House is hosting a reception for radio hosts. One of these hosts is a provocateur who (mis)uses the Bible to promote anti-LGBTQ ideology on her show and during the reception. Bartlet walks by the event, already in a full grump, and sees her holding court. Quickly, he extemporizes a barrage of spicy questions and hurls them her way:

I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as stated in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?

I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of menstrual uncleanliness—Leviticus 15:19-24. The problem is, how can I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense.

Leviticus 25:44 states that I may buy slaves from the nations that are around us. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify?

I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself?

See, this is how one engages with disrespectful press when one has an intellect. When one does not, apparently “quiet, piggy” must suffice.

Bartlet clearly did not expect answers to these questions—and that’s because they aren’t really questions at all. He was asking them to make a point—these are simply declarations wearing a Halloween costume. Rhetorical questions are often pointed, and, as demonstrated above, can carry a sarcastic tone. But, they can also be extremely powerful tools to change the rhetorical distance between a speaker and their audience, creating an “us” and a “them.”

After the break, I’ll break down some examples of this use of rhetorical questions. Join us, won’t you?