Essay Instructions: Rhetorical Analysis Paper
Overview:
Your purpose this time is to investigate how the core reading is put together?paying attention to linguistic and rhetorical elements such as language, style, structure, imagery, evidence, authorial credibility, intended audience, etc.?in order to analyze how the author moves his or her readers to feel certain ways, agree or disagree with certain conclusions, understand the meaning or purpose of the writing, or decide on a particular course of action. What is the author trying to do in this writing, how does he or she go about it, and how well does he or she succeed?
To prepare, you will need to study rhetorical analysis carefully, and then critically understand the core reading with these new questions in mind.
As part of your rhetorical analysis, you will also be asked to find and use one outside source. Consider finding and using one of the following types of outside sources: an article about the author of the core reading; an article about the core reading itself; another writing by the same author that uses similar or different rhetorical strategies; an article about the same subject as the core reading, that may use different or similar rhetorical techniques to deal with the subject. This additional outside source does not need to be the major focus of your discussion. Instead, use it to shed light on or supplement one or more of your points about the author and his/her intentions or rhetorical strategies.
You?ll need to consider the nature of your own readers carefully. Keep in mind that your readers are not the same as the readers intended by the author of the core reading. Put some thought into the audience analysis activity before undertaking your first draft.
Specifics:
? 1200 words minimum, double-spaced, using 12-point Times New Roman font
? Clearly developed main point (thesis) analyzing author?s intentions or rhetorical strategies
? Well-reasoned analysis of core reading?s rhetorical strategies, supported with evidence
? Audience awareness
? Observation of the conventions of Standard English
? Use of at least ten documented quotes (words, phrases, or key sentences) and/or documented paraphrases (key details or ideas rephrased in your own words), documented with correct in-text documentation in MLA style These quotes/paraphrases should come from both the core reading and the outside database source, in whatever mix is relevant to your analysis.
? MLA manuscript style with in-text documentation and Works Cited or References list citing your two required sources (this page does not count in the minimum word count requirement). If you make use of additional sources beyond the two required sources, you must include each in the Works Cited or References list as well.
? First draft must include a minimum 200-word audience analysis. This analysis should appear as the first item in your first draft, before page 1 of the actual paper. Audience analysis is to be removed from the final draft.
Procedure:
What claims about that core reading strike your classmates as believable? What seems unlikely to them? What needs more information before your readers can make something of it? Are there other writings that this reminds you of?
What can you find out about the author of the core reading? What else has this author written, and how does it compare to this work? Are there events, places, situations and experiences that might give insight into this author?s intentions, motivations, interests, or purposes here? What ?rings true? with what you might know about the topic/theme, and what seems contrived or not quite right?
2. SHAPE your writing.
Choose an organizational pattern. Possible patterns include using spatial or chronological order, comparison/contrast, definition and classification, or causal analysis. You might also consider organizing by listing the strategies you plan to talk about in order of importance, order of appearance, least-to-most effective, or most-to-least effective order.
Create a thesis statement. This should be your major claim about the rhetorical methods used by the author of the core reading. The thesis should be an analytical thesis that makes a claim about how, why, or how effectively the author communicates his/her purposes and intentions.
Create a working outline of the points you want to make, and review this list before you start your rough draft. This list should follow your organizational pattern. You may find yourself returning to this list to revise it as you write. Edit any new ideas into your working outline so they don?t get lost or end up in confusing places in your writing. In the list identify the lines and passages that you want to quote, paraphrase, and discuss. As you select which passages to work with, think once again about YOUR purpose and audience. What terms might they need to have explained? Which ideas or events might they be familiar with, and which ones may need to be discussed further to make sense to this kind of audience?
3. DRAFT your writing using the list you created as a rough outline. Be sure you?ve noted passages from the core reading that support each point you are making.
Use MLA style in-text documentation.
Use topic sentences and transitions between paragraphs. Be sure body paragraphs have topic sentences that relate to the list of supporting claims in your working outline/list or the main claim/thesis in your introduction. Solid development may require more than one paragraph to discuss any one particular point from your list. When that happens, effective paragraph transition can give your readers a clear indication that you are still on the same general point or that you are moving on to a new point.
