Rhetorical Analysis Essay

Rhetorical analysis is a careful discussion of an essay’s characteristics and the techniques used by the essay’s author. To begin a rhetorical analysis, read the essay carefully. It is generally a good idea to read it at least twice — once for understanding ("with the grain") and at least once to identify rhetorical characteristics.

As in all of our reading-based essays, begin with a brief (150 words or fewer) summary of the essay. (Remember the characteristics of good summary.) Then provide a thesis statement and response based on your observations about the essay’s style/rhetorical characteristics. Here are some common strategies that you might look for:

* author (credibility? bias?), audience (who was it written for?), purpose (to inform? persuade? entertain? some combination of these?)

*organization (arrangement of ideas/topics)

* Does the essay address opposing/alternative viewpoints? Is there a rebuttal?

* Use of examples

* Tone (the author’s attitude toward the subject) — look at word choice in particular (connotations)

*Comparisons (includes metaphors, similes, analogies)

* allusions (cultural references)

* supporting research (quotes, statistics, etc.)

* emotional appeals to the reader’s values

* personal anecdotes/stories

* Irony (related to sarcasm), hyperbole (exaggeration), understatement

* Punctuation and capitalization

* Sentence structure (long or short sentences? a combination?)

* repetition (often of key ideas/words)

* imagery/figurative language
Once you have made some observations, you will need to choose 1-3 characteristics to focus on in your essay. You should not discuss everything that you have observed. You should also not only demonstrate that these characteristics are present in the essay but also discuss how these rhetorical techniques contribute to the essay’s overall meaning or effect. That means you will probably want to focus those rhetorical characteristics that you can clearly link to the author’s purpose and/or meaning.

As usual, your essay should be typed and double-spaced, with 12-point, Times New Roman font. Use MLA-style headings, and be sure to use properly marked direct quotations and/or paraphrases to support your points.
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