+1 862 207 3288 Writing Assignment: Rhetorical Analysis
Description:
For this assignment, you will be given the choice of analyzing a rhetorical situation, use of
rhetorical appeals, and grammatical and syntactical elements in a text from our rhetorical
analysis readings. Using the strategies discussed in class and your readings, you will
analyze the text and write a 3-4 page paper (minimum 800 words) describing how the
author employs the rhetorical techniques discussed in the course, contextual or situational
factors that are relevant to the work, and whether or not the author successfully
accomplished his or her purpose, based upon the elements of the rhetorical situation and
use of rhetorical appeals. You should, at a minimum address the following:
Author: (Who is the author?)
Purpose: (What is the author trying to accomplish? – Why did the author feel
the need to write the text?)
Audience/Relationship to the Reader: (To whom is the text addressed? What is
the author’s persona?)
Context: (What are influencing factors surrounding the event of the text?
Where/When was the text written?)
Voice: (What is the overall tone of the text?)
Genre: (What type of writing is the text? Speech, Essay, Book, etc.)
Strategies: (How did the author write the text? Does the author follow
prescribed methodologies? Does the author deviate from the norm?)
Effectiveness? (Is the author rhetorically effective? Does the text ‘move’ you?
Does the text convincingly get you to think critically? Is the author’s argument
effective enough to persuade you to think differently about the topic/subject
matter?)
Your rhetorical analysis should also demonstrate how the author addresses or relies
on one or more of the three elements of the rhetorical appeals:
Ethos: Appeals to the character and expertise of the writer or speaker
Logos: Appeals based on logic, reasoning, and evidence concerning the subject
Pathos: Appeals to the beliefs and values of the audience
Remember, the rhetorical appeals are results of specific decisions that the author
makes in his/her writing. When discussing rhetorical appeals, focus on the
grammatical, syntactical, and organizational decisions of the author and explain how
they result in effective (or ineffective) use of the rhetorical appeals. You may wish to
consider observing these basic writing choices as a starting point for your analysis:
your argument, you may want to address how the author uses these basic writing
strategies.
Word Choice: The words an author uses, specifically adjectives and verbs, to
create mental images in the mind of the reader.
1,000 200Adapted from Sean Mitsein of Purdue University.
Repetition: The repetition of words, phrases, and/or ideas.
Grouping: The arrangement of like or complimentary items within the text.
Dichotomy: A split (intentional or unintentional) that is applied between two ideas.
Contrast: Distinguishing words or ideas by juxtaposing them against different
words or ideas.
Audience:
Remember, the writing you do in this class is considered public writing. Therefore, the audience
for your rhetorical analysis paper is a knowledgeable stakeholder or educated member of your
discourse community (e.g. your instructor, fellow scholars, and/or your classmates). You will be
conducting a peer-review after each stage of your writing process (draft, revision, and final).
Purpose:
The purpose of this assignment is to:
Analyze the rhetorical situation and how the author makes an appeal to one
or more of the rhetorical appeals.
Analyze the use of grammatical, syntactical, and organizational elements to
enhance the effectiveness of an argument.
Articulate and develop a critical and analytical perspective in writing
Develop strategies for critically engaging information and develop it in
writing as evidence for arguments
Study writing in relation to articulating human values, cultural
perspectives, or interdisciplinary understanding
Process:
1. Find Passages That Are Worth Analyzing: Select a reading, then find sections of the
text that interest you. Next, select passages that call for closer analysis. Notes, journal
entries, and previous assignments are good places to start (note: what you select
will depend on many various factors — it is not always “easiest” to choose the obvious or
an article you “like” the most).
A NOTE ON SELECTING A TEXT: In choosing a text, students often have an
propensity to want to choose short works or pieces that, at first glance, appear “easy.”
Keep in mind, however, that a rhetorical analysis is asking you to do something very
different than what you would be asked to do when reading for content or conducting a
Literary Analysis. In choosing your artifact, you should choose an item that lends itself
to this type of analysis. You are being asked analyze the rhetorical nature of a
text.
2. Consider The Rhetorical Situation: Read/view the text several times over the course
of different times/days, paying special attention to not only what the author is saying, but
perhaps more importantly, how he/she presents his/her ideas. A good way to begin is to
write out on a separate piece of paper what you think the text’s purpose is, including: the
thesis, the audience, the context in which the text was written, the tone, and the genre of
the text. Think about the rhetorical situation (issues of purpose, audience, context,Adapted from Sean Mitsein of Purdue
University.
voice, strategies, genre, etc.) in terms of the author’s choices. [Hint: you will want to at
least touch on all of the elements mentioned above (in the Rhetorical Situation and
Rhetorical Appeals sections, respectively), as each of these elements (inter)act upon the
others]. A word of caution; however, don’t try to write in-depth about all of the elements
of appeal and rhetorical situations, or your paper may quickly become unmanageable.
Likewise, beware of not going into enough detail or not covering the relevant elements.
There is a delicate balance you have to find between these two strategies – one for
which there is, unfortunately, no hard fast set of rules for how to accomplish this. While
you will need to address all elements, you may wish to focus on those elements most
relevant to the text you choose (going into greater depth for those), and go into less
depth for those which are not as relevant.
3. Consider The Rhetorical Appeals: Though your focus can be on one or two of
the rhetorical appeals, you should address all three elements of rhetorical
appeals (Ethos, Logos, and Pathos). How does (or does not) the author utilize
one (or all) of these three approaches? Note: texts rarely utilize only one of the
appeals, but rather typically utilize elements of all three.
4. Consider The Grammatical, Syntactical, and Organizational Elements: All
texts utilize some elements of visual design. A common method for analyzing a
text’s elements is to dive in and look at the grammatical, syntactical, or
organizational patterns that the writer is using. Try to focus only on one at a time
and read through a passage several times, since authors often employ several
simultaneously. Are there features that occur frequently throughout the text? Are
there features of the text that seem to “jump out” at you? Does the author group
his/her words or ideas in a way that enhances the text’s effectiveness? Take note of
how/why the author uses these elements to make the document more effective.
5. Develop A Clear Thesis Statement: This is perhaps the most critical step in the
writing process. You must ask yourself, “What is my purpose for writing this
analysis?” Based upon your answer, you should be able to come up with a strong
(unique) thesis statement. A thesis statement should reflect what you do in your
analysis (i.e. a thesis statement is a roadmap for the rest of your analysis). Do not
simply restate the author’s original thesis (remember the elements of the rhetorical
situation — your purpose is different than the original author’s). In addition to
stating your stance, your thesis should provide the reader with a clear direction of
where you’re heading (e.g. what’s your topic/issue?, what are your units of
analysis?, what conclusion do your come to?, and/or what is the significance of your
work?).
Support Your Thesis Statement: The body of your analysis should be devoted to
supporting evidence for your thesis statement (i.e. it should follow your roadmap). This will
entail techniques of direct quotation, paraphrasing, and your own assessment. Do not
simply summarize what the author has already stated (this is your analysis). There is an
important, but subtle, shift in focus from your thesis to your supporting evidence (your thesis
states what you will do, but your supporting evidence reflects what (or why) the original author is
doing (it)). This can be tricky, and causes some students difficulty, but we was covered in class.
Additionally, your paragraphs should each, subsequently, address the various rhetorical
elements and the aspects of the rhetorical situation of the original essay (hint: you should limit
yourself to one particular element/aspect per paragraph). Be sure each paragraph directly
addresses your thesis statement. Note: for several of the rhetorical elements, you may have to
go outside of the original text to find the appropriate information (e.g. you may need to do a little
research to find the author’s birth date and/or professional experience, what was happening, inAdapted from Sean Mitsein of Purdue
University.
the world, at the time the essay was written, etc.), if these things are relevant.
For each point you want to make in your analysis, you will want to give examples to
support your claims. Using examples to support your claims will help your reader
understand why you are making the claim you are making. For example, if you find a place
in the text where the author is using pathos to appeal to the readers emotions, you should
quote the place in the text where this appeal takes place.
7. State Your Conclusion: The purpose of your conclusion is to clearly, but
briefly, reiterate what you were hoping to accomplish in your essay. In other
words, it should reflect (mirror) your thesis. Note: It should not simply be a
restatement of your thesis. It is designed to have the reader (re)contemplate on
the thesis, in light of the evidence you provided in the body of the text.
Cautions:
Avoid lengthy, verbatim quotations and/or paraphrases of the original text. While
sometimes helpful/necessary, you should limit your use (and/or the length) of
these. The majority of your paper should consist of your own analysis.
Avoid a chronological summary of the artifact (where you move from paragraph to
paragraph in the original essay), where you explain each of the author’s successive
steps. Rather, organize your essay around the point mentioned in the “Process”
section (ensuring that you address the relevant areas of the rhetorical situation and
appeal. If an element in not applicable, you don’t necessarily have to address it in
detail – use caution however that you don’t omit something important. Additionally,
you may want to include something not mentioned by the author, if its omission is
significant).
Avoid attributing your own opinions/beliefs to those of the author. In other words,
avoid putting words into the author’s mouth. If the author presents an opinion you
agree/disagree with, clearly differentiate whose opinion you are addressing. A
rhetorical analysis is much less about your emotional response to an issue
addressed by the author, and more about your reaction to the process by which the
author achieves (or not) his/her intention. This essay is not about whether or not
you ultimately “like” or “dislike” what the author has stated. It is about
whether the author was successful in persuading you to his/her own opinion
(there is a subtle, but critical difference). Adapted from Sean Mitsein of Purdue University.
Final Words of Advice (applies to ALL assignments):
ASK QUESTIONS!!!: Unfortunately, there is no simple, formulaic, one size fits all, answer to this
conundrum. However, this does not mean there is no hope. The answer, often, lies in simply asking
the instructor or your fellow classmates (i.e. if you are unclear about any aspect of the
assignment, please ask your instructor or fellow classmates). This is important to keep in mind
during each stage of the writing process (starting from before you even begin the actual writing, to
the moment you turn in your final-draft). Note: it is not uncommon for students to feel like they have
no idea how to begin a paper. One of the best places to start is reviewing the assignment-sheet; this
often provides clues as to how to proceed. If, however, after reviewing the assignment-sheet and
you are still having questions/difficulties, by all means ask for clarification.
Instructors, in general, are much less intimidating and are more willing to help than it often appears.
Likewise, it is not uncommon for students to start a paper one way, and discover during the peerreview process other students are
doing things completely differently – this is an example of a
situation where discussing this with your peers and/or the instructor will clarify things for everyone
involved.
Finally, although a cliché, it is often the case that if you are struggling with something or have
questions, your peers will often have these same questions or struggle with the same thing(s);
however, it seems, students are often intimidated or have a fear of “being wrong,” that prevents
them from asking questions. In my experience, this unfortunate psychological phenomenon
needlessly causes no end of confusion and disappointment for all involved (students are frustrated
because they don’t do well on the assignment, and instructors are distraught over not clearly
indicating their requirements). Ultimately, this entire situation can be avoided, but only if there is an
active and ongoing dialogue amongst students and instructors.
This really is a “win win” situation for everyone (if, everyone involved asks questions, when
things are unclear). Speaking from personal experience (as both a student and an instructor),
asking for clarification is never a bad idea; chances are many of your peers have the same
questions, and instructors are constantly revising and (re)adjusting their teaching materials
and teaching methods, to better suit their student’s needs. So, by asking for clarification, you
serve to enlighten both yourself and everyone involved – this has the result of everyone
performing better, in the long run. Thus, I highly encourage you to engage in an active
dialogue with your fellow students and your instructor, whenever anything is unclear.
Due Dates:
Mar. 29th: Due: Rhetorical Analysis, 1st Draft
Mar. 31st: Due: Rhetorical Analysis, 2nd Draft
April. 5th: Due: Rhetorical Analysis, Final Draft
Note: For 1st and 2nd Drafts, be sure to bring TWO copies of your printed work on the due
date. You will be conducting peer review at these stages. Your Final Draft submission will
include all copies of your drafts, and all peer-reviews you have received.
Evaluation Criteria: See Essay Grading Rubric
Draft ProcessAdapted from Sean Mitsein of Purdue University.
