english 1310

 While analysis is essential for most formal academic writing tasks, the tone and purpose of analysis does not always have to be serious. In this short discussion, you will practice using the writing strategies and rhetorical tools from the CEL, Ch. 6 (p. 169-182) to create a "fake sick email" and analyze it sarcastically. 

This week for discussion, you are creating a "fake sick email" in the style of the New Yorker analysis below (Links to an external site.). You will then use a writing strategy or rhetorical tool from the CEL to analyze your own "fake sick email" as well as two of your classmates' responses. 

1. First, make sure you have carefully read the sections on "Analysis" (169-176) and "Rhetorical Tools" (176-185) from CEL Ch. 6. These are strategies you will use to decide what to write about in the text you analyze for your Analysis Essay in this unit.
2. Next, read this humorous take on analysis of a "sick email" from the New Yorker:
   • "An Editor’s Feedback on Your Out-Sick E-mail (Links to an external site.)."
3. For your post this week, create your own version of a sick email with a subject line and a short message.
4. After you write the fake "sick email," follow the pattern in the New Yorker analysis by providing a 1-2 sentence response that analyzes the sick email you just wrote. Use a specific term (i.e. purpose, appeal to logic, counterargument, context, etc.) from the CEL in your analysis, and refer to the page number where you find the term in the CEL.
5.  When you respond to your group this week, use a different analytical term from your classmates to analyze 2 of your classmates' "sick emails." (For instance, if your classmate used "appeal to emotions," you could comment on "facts" (p. 172) or "voice and vitality" (p. 173) instead.

So, to restate, this week for discussion you are creating a "fake sick email" in the style of the New Yorker analysis and using a term from the CEL to analyze your own "fake sick email" as well as two of your classmates' responses. 

Example

Sick email:

Subject: Sick, dude

Body: Yo, professor! I'm sick, dude, and I can't come to class. I'm not sure if it's the whole bag of Doritos I ate last night or what, but I can barely move right now, man! I know you got my back on this one. Thanx!  

Analysis:

The "appeal to character" (CEL p 172) in your email communicates an intimacy with the authority figure that suggests a close relationship. Using the "x" to end "thanx" is especially impressive because it suggest that you are so tight with your professor you don't even need that "ks" at the end of the word! If you don't hang out with your professor on the weekend, though, note that your email risks everything on a relationship that may not be there!