Written vs. Visual Arguments

A written argument and a corresponding visual argument could both be trying to make the exact same point, but they could be viewed entirely differently than one another because visual arguments are more open to interpretation. For example, in a written argument such as a rhetorical analysis paper, the writer has pages and pages of space to fully articulate his or her message, to sway the reader, to provide an introduction, evidence, support, a conclusion, etc. On the contrary, a visual argument such as a picture, comic strip, billboard, or commercial, occupies a much smaller space. They often only have seconds to portray their argument, so the creator of the visual object must find a fast, catchy, and instant way to catch the readers attention. They have no time to introduce, support, or conclude their argument. It must be consise, yet thorough, and it must make its claim in a small amount of space with few or no words, in a short amount of time.