analysis argument essay

The Rhetorical Analysis - 3 page Essay (I expect, at minimum, 3 full pages of text)

Rhetorical Analysis

The purpose of a Rhetorical Analysis is to break down a text into its component parts and determine whether or not these components work well together to effectively communicate/argue the author’s perspective.  As such, you will be writing about how the author puts together their argument and NOT what they are arguing.

Invention and Research (i.e., discovering what you’re going to say in this paper)

1. Find and read an appropriate argumentative text

a. You will need to find an argumentative essay/article that covers your topic

b. You should be looking for a text arguing the opposition’s point of view

c. Try to identify the author’s thesis and their main arguments

2. Re-read your text. 

a. What is the thesis, what is the overall argument the author presents?

b. What did the author choose to study? Why?

c. What is the writer’s purpose? To inform? To persuade? To criticize?

d. Who is the author’s intended audience?

e. How does the writer arrange his or her ideas? Chronologically?

f. How does the writer use diction? (Word choice, arrangement, accuracy, is it formal, informal? Technical versus slang?)

g. Does the writer use dialogue? Quotations? Why?

h. Are important terms repeated?

i. What is the sentence structure of text? Are there fragments, run-ons? Is it declarative, imperative, and/or exclamatory? What effect does this have?

j. Does the writer use punctuation to create an effect? Italics, underlining, parentheses?

k. Which marks does the writer use, and when?  

Arrangement (i.e., organizing what you’re going to say in this paper) 

Ultimately, you want to organize your paper in the manner you think will prove most effective with your classmates and I, but here are some general guidelines:

· Introduction - Introduce your topic and subject matter.  At this point, it might be appropriate to give a short summary of the text in question.

· Thesis: You are making an argument, so you will need a thesis.  After analyzing the author’s rhetorical choices, you must decide whether the strategies applied make for an effective or ineffective argument.  Your thesis should reflect this.  Your thesis should basically state whether or not the text provides an effective argument or not.

· Body Paragraph 1 - appeal (ethos, logos, pathos) or rhetorical strategy to be analyzed.

. Clear topic sentence which details the appeal or strategy being analyzed and its effect

. Identify supporting textual evidence.  DO NOT summarize.  Pinpoint examples and show its purpose

. Transition

· Body Paragraph 2 - appeal (ethos, logos, pathos) or rhetorical strategy to be analyzed.

. Clear topic sentence which details the appeal or strategy being analyzed and its effect

. Identify supporting textual evidence.  DO NOT summarize.  Pinpoint examples and show its purpose

. Transition

· Body Paragraph 3 - appeal (ethos, logos, pathos) or rhetorical strategy to be analyzed.

. Clear topic sentence which details the appeal or strategy being analyzed and its effect

. Identify supporting textual evidence.  DO NOT summarize.  Pinpoint examples and show its purpose

. Transition

· Conclusion -

. Summarizing main ideas and re-stating thesis.

. DO NOT introduce new information or new evidence

-adapted from “What in the world is a rhetorical analysis?

Evaluation Criteria