The Rhetoric of Digital Argumentation in Literary and Critical Articles as a Selection

Abstract

This study explores the rhetoric of digital argumentation in literary and critical essays, considering it a dynamic and evolving field shaped by the transformations introduced by the digital medium. The research argues that argumentation in digital essays is no longer a mere extension of traditional print logic, but rather a system based on new rhetorical strategies that respond to the multimodal nature of digital texts, the interactive space of publication, and the shift in audience roles from passive readers to active participants in meaning-making. The study builds its theoretical foundation on New Rhetoric (Perelman and Olbrechts-Tyteca), Pragmatics (van Dijk), and Multimodal Rhetoric, and applies its analysis to selected Arabic digital essays from reputable literary platforms. Findings reveal a paradigmatic shift in the structure and tools of argument in the digital literary article, including: Interactive argumentation, Hypertextual intertextuality, Visual and multimedia-based persuasion, Emotionally coded (encrypted) pathos, and the construction of digital ethos. The research concludes that digital literary and critical writing reshapes classical rhetorical concepts and demands a renewed critical apparatus capable of addressing the features of digital discourse: multiplicity, interactivity, and textual openness