Writing essay

Rhetorical Analysis of a Text with Annotated Bibliography

Adapted by J. Lynch-Greenberg from a handout created by Susan Roach in Summer 2013

The following submissions will be required:

 The proposal, which must be typed, is due on Day 1 of Week 7 (Oct. 6), including the following:

o Your intended topic and why you are interested in writing about it o Your subject-matter question (SMQ) o At least two pieces of significant research regarding your topic, listed in

MLA Works Cited format, with at least one of them in annotated bibliography form

 The first draft (ideally, three copies) of the Rhetorical Analysis of a Text with Annotated Bibliography for peer review on Day 1 of Week 9 (Oct. 20)

 The second draft (a clean copy) of the Rhetorical Analysis of a Text with Annotated Bibliography for instructor review on Day 2 of Week 10 (Oct. 29)

 The final draft of the Rhetorical Analysis of a Text with Annotated Bibliography for a grade on Day 2 of Week 13 (Nov. 19)

The Rhetorical Analysis of a Text should be focused on one academic journal article or an article in an anthology (a book with a collection of related essays). You will need to add a couple of additional sources to show you’ve thoroughly researched your topic. For the more detailed analysis, you should choose an article you are considering for use in your Position Essay (a persuasive paper you’ll write later in the semester). The goal of this paper is to assure you can carefully evaluate a source and to illustrate your ability to do academic research. Here is a sample outline of the essay, which I suggest using:

I. Introduction a. Identify the author, text, and original source b. Identify the overall topic being discussed c. Make a claim about the effectiveness of the text (as your thesis)

II. Body

a. A brief summary of the article, in which you identify the author’s thesis, purpose of the original text, and overall message

b. Explain the context of the article i. Why was it written? ii. To what issue/event/idea is the author responding (you may

actually need to incorporate other research to discuss this) iii. Why is this text significant

c. What are the author’s credentials (what is his/her ethos appeal)? d. Who is the (original) audience of the article?

i. Where was this article originally published? Who reads this type of journal or anthology?

ii. Is the author part of the group to which this piece was written? How so (or, why not)?

e. What is the voice of the article?

Rhetorical Analysis of a Text with Annotated Bibliography

Adapted by J. Lynch-Greenberg from a handout created by Susan Roach in Summer 2013

i. What language choices does the author make? Is jargon used? If so, is it explained?

ii. How formal is the article? Is it in first, second, or third person? Why do you think this is so? What genre is this written in? How do you think this has influenced the way the article is written (if it has)?

f. What appeals (ethos, logos, and/or pathos) are used in the article? Why? Are they effective? How does the author support his/her point(s)?

III. Conclusion a. Evaluate the effectiveness of the article b. Make a recommendation—is this an article that should be used when

writing about this topic? Why or why not?

IV. Annotated Bibliography a. Using MLA Works Cited format, list at least three sources (including the

one you’ve discussed in detail) b. For all sources except the one you’ve written about in detail within this

essay, include an annotation (a paragraph or two discussing the source). The source you’ve written about in detail within this essay does not require an annotation.

Use the Say-Do-So What pattern of questioning:

 What does the writer say? (the matter, the ideas, the content) Content? Thesis? Details?

Consider the layers of meaning – how are you interpreting what is said? What’s not said?

 What does the writer do? (the manner, the style) What writing techniques are employed? Form? Organization? Language?

 So What? What is the effect? Why do you think the writer made those choices? Do you find those to be smart, effective choices?

Submission Format:

 Your essay should be approximately four pages in length and in MLA format

 On the first page, on the left-hand side (not in the header), please include the following information:

o Your full name o Your course number (ENGL 10000) and section number (02 or 04) o Jade Lee Lynch-Greenberg (your instructor’s full name) o The name of the assignment o Draft number1 o Due Date (of this particular draft)

 In the header, you should include your last name and the page number (on all pages)

1 For example, First Draft --or-- Draft 2.

Rhetorical Analysis of a Text with Annotated Bibliography

Adapted by J. Lynch-Greenberg from a handout created by Susan Roach in Summer 2013

 The document should be typed in Times New Roman, 12pt font, double-spaced, in black ink on white paper

 You should give your paper an original title2, which should appear (centered) on the first page (which is the only place it should appear)

Here are some samples of how an annotated bibliography entry is constructed: This sample is from the Purdue OWL (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/614/03/) Ehrenreich, B. (2001). Nickel and dimed: On (not) getting by in America. New York: Henry

Holt and Company. In this book of nonfiction based on the journalist's experiential research, Ehrenreich attempts to ascertain whether it is currently possible for an individual to live on a minimum-wage in America. Taking jobs as a waitress, a maid in a cleaning service, and a Walmart sales employee, the author summarizes and reflects on her work, her relationships with fellow workers, and her financial struggles in each situation.

An experienced journalist, Ehrenreich is aware of the limitations of her experiment and the ethical implications of her experiential research tactics and reflects on these issues in the text. The author is forthcoming about her methods and supplements her experiences with scholarly research on her places of employment, the economy, and the rising cost of living in America. Ehrenreich’s project is timely, descriptive, and well-researched. This sample is from California Polytechnic State University’s Library (http://lib.calpoly.edu/research/guides/bibliography.html#samples) Gottlieb, P. D. (1995). The "golden egg" as a natural resource: Toward a normative theory of

growth management. Society and Natural Resources, 8(5): 49-56. This article explains the dilemma faced by North American suburbs, which demand both preservation of local amenities (to protect quality of life) and physical development (to expand the tax base). Growth management has been proposed as a policy solution to this dilemma. An analogy is made between this approach and resource economics. The author concludes that the growth management debate raises legitimate issues of sustainability and efficiency. This sample is from The University of Oklahoma’s College of Liberal Studies (http://www.ou.edu/cls/reference/bibliography.html) Aras, B., & Caha, O. (2000). Fethullah Gulen and his liberal “Turkish Islam” movement. Middle

East Review of International Affairs Journal, 4(4). Retrieved on September 6, 2005, from http://www.biu.ac.il/SOC/besa/meria/journal/2000/issue4/ jv4n4a4.html

Fethullah Gulen has founded a movement that attempts to be modernist, nationalist, Islamic, and democratic all at the same time. The article is a brief survey of Gulen, covering his life and influences, the foundations of the movement, the relationship to the military and Islamic community. The secular elites are covered, but not in any great depth. The authors provide a well reasoned and insightful analysis of the significance of the movement, and conclude that Gulen's role will be an important one as a religious leader in modern Turkey, despite the multiple conflicting interests of his followers.

2 Do not use the title “Rhetorical Analysis of a Text” or the name of the article you are analyzing for the assignment—you should make up your own title.