In writing the “Rhetorical Analysis” essay, you will begin by selecting one reading from among the following: Readings for Rhetorical Analysis ( https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1yxXebIEfDgncVQ1oGN_lmuteuVl9a8cK )
After closely reading the text and taking notes regarding the Rhetorical Situation, Methods of Argumentation and Persuasion, and Claim, Evidence, and Warrant, you will compose a “Rhetorical Analysis Thesis.” A Rhetorical Analysis Thesis should say whom an author is addressing, how she is addressing them, why she is saying what she is saying, and whether or not it is effective. If you want, you can plug your ideas into the following sentence to make sure you get everything you need into your thesis, but it will probably sound awkward, so be sure to rephrase it later. Here is the example: “While this text is not effective in using (name the strategies), the text is effective in using (name the strategies) to convince (name the audience) of (name the purpose).”
After you have composed the Rhetorical Analysis Thesis Statement, you can begin to outline your essay. Use Readings #1 and #2 (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MmI1L25puJOjK-zz6VNd0BXPJz6S3QqO/view) and ( https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MmI1L25puJOjK-zz6VNd0BXPJz6S3QqO/view) to help structure your essay. (ALSO UPLOADED) In addition, make sure to have the following:
Introduction of the problem or topic:
Material to get the reader’s attention (a “persuasive lead” or “hook”)
Introduce the text, the problem or topic, and the “Rhetorical Situation”
Introduce your Rhetorical Analysis Thesis, perhaps with accompanying qualifiers that limit the scope of the argument. Make sure to conclude both: (1) which strategies the author is effective in using and (2) which strategies they are not effective in using. You must discuss at least one effective strategy and one ineffective strategy.
Body Paragraphs: Discussion of text
Summary and Analysis
Incorporate Rhetorical Terms:
Claim, Evidence, and Warrant
Identify a claim. What is the evidence that the author uses to support the claim? How does the author connect the claim to the evidence?
Methods of Argumentation: Ethos, Pathos, and Logos Effective or not effective? Why?
Conclusion
Larger context of main idea(s)
Summation of points
Implications of the argument
Questions not answered by the text about the topic/issue/problems Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?
Final evocative thought to ensure the reader remembers the argument
Discussing the text and connecting your ideas with transitions: A successful Rhetorical Analysis essay involves presenting both your sources’ ideas and your own ideas fairly and effectively to your readers. It should be “a conversation about ideas” in which you react critically to your sources. In doing so, you need to effectively discuss the texts and connect your own ideas to them via transitions. Use the “They Say, I Say Templates” handout (Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HOyyaVzy6RUhQZTlo31p_w12m6Vuclpu/view?usp=sharing) for help and guidance with the discussion of sources, connecting your ideas with transitions, in addition to counter-arguments and rebuttals.
In addition, make sure that you incorporate the rhetorical terms–such as Methods of Argumentation and Persuasion (“Ethos,” “Pathos,” and “Logos”) and “Claim,” “Evidence,” and “Warrant”–to discuss the text. However, when discussing and incorporating the Rhetorical Terms, you should not refer to the genre of the term (“Methods of Argumentation and Persuasion,” “Toulmin Model,” etc.); instead, only refer to the term itself (“Ethos,” “Pathos,” “Logos,” “Claim,” “Evidence,” “Warrant,” etc.)
Discovering Unanswered Questions (Conclusion): No text answers all of the questions in the world. There are always unanswered questions and finding them is part of conducting an analysis of rhetoric, in addition to facilitating the inquiry and research processes. One method is the “5 H’s and 1 W” model: Who? What? When? Where? Why? How? When you read your text, discover six questions (one for each of the above) that the source does not answer. For example, for “Who?” perhaps the source does not discuss college students, or bartenders, or left-handed people, etc. For “Where?” perhaps the text doesn’t address New York City, or college, or people from Bolivia. Ultimately, your conclusion should include one of each of these six unanswered questions
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