Summary: It is difficult to be sure (having only read the conclusion), but my guess is that Gold's goal is to establish a history of writing and rhetoric in higher education through the examination of three colleges' programs in the late nineteenth to early twentieth centuries. He draws from these histories to suggest ways we can "[recover] the full richness of the rhetorical tradition" (154). Gold suggests looking beyond English departments for rhetoric and integrating it more in many courses in the English department (not just FYC). He also suggests a stronger connection with students' lives, through the creation of "legitimate classroom communities" incorporating service learning, online forums, and other methods (155). He also suggests we acknowledge students' goals for personal and economic advancement instead of scorning them.
Response: This may be an article that could benefit from more contextualization in the classroom. It was difficult for me to see that he was saying much new. I'm sure this is in part because I haven't read the whole book. I think part of Gold's point is that when we push for a greater integration of rhetoric, we aren't doing anything crazy and new, but that we're actually returning to an established tradition. That's a useful thought.
Uses: Grounding the integration of rhetoric in history? Suggesting that WPAs try to advocate for rhetoric in other classes, not just those in English?
Reading Gold 1-3 is on my list, which turns out to be the whole book. I'll be able to provide more context once I crank that out :)
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