Eng301 Writing and Rhetorical Conventions
Rhetorical Analysis Essay Guidelines
Peer Evaluation: Wednesday, September 7.
Due Date: 12 p.m. Monday, September 12.
Overview:
Rhetorical Analysis, “a close reading of a text to find how and whether it works to persuade,” goes beyond summarizing a text, but may include several developmental and organizational strategies, including summary, comparison and contrast, and definition. A good rhetorical analysis shows readers how effectively or poorly an argument succeeds. Keep in mind that a rhetorical analysis does not make an argument about the text’s topic—our focus should always be on the text itself.
Visual rhetoric uses visual cues, pictures, colors, text, fonts, and other visually oriented elements, to persuade, often in combination with written texts. A rhetorical analysis of an example of visual rhetoric should break down the important parts of the example and demonstrate its effectiveness or lack of effectiveness. You might choose to examine the use of ethos, pathos, or logos in the image, perhaps all three, or perhaps examine other rhetorical devices used in the example. What you analyze depends on what you, the analyst, sees as most significant and worth examining.
One example: The Daily Show’s website works effectively to provide its target audience access to content and information they are most interested in. I will examine the website’s layout, use of fonts and text, and its pictoral elements (such as pictures and links to videos).
A weak and off-track example: I will compare and contrast Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump's' websites and argue that neither is fit for candidacy because of their failed policies and misleading rhetoric. (What exactly does the argument in the second half have to do with comparing and contrasting the websites?)
A good rhetorical analysis identifies specific rhetorical moves and shows how they function.
Assignment:
Choose a campaign advertisement from one of the current presidential candidates that connects to a problem or issue in your major, then analyze the advertisement, using concepts and principles from the readings and class discussion.
The example may be multimodal (i.e. it includes visuals and text). If it is a video it must be thirty seconds or less and must be linked in your essay. You are welcome to compare and contrast more than one example, such as two advertisements or posters, but the use of more than three examples or an effort to analyze an entire campaign or publication should be avoided.
No sources besides the example(s) you choose to analyze are required, however you are welcome to use other sources if they contribute to your analysis.
Your target audience should be the editor for a popular journal in your field who would like to know how the current campaign rhetoric may effect your field. Your language and style should take into account how this audience may expect your analysis to be presented.
Goals and expectations:
- 3-4 pages typed and double-spaced, with an appropriate heading and descriptive title.
- works cited/reference pages do not count toward the page requirement.
- Clear establishment of the example, its importance, and appropriate context to frame your approach.
- A specific thesis statement centered on the purpose and analysis you will conduct, which is followed through the entire essay.
- Clear and logical organization, including a strong introduction, conclusion, well-developed supporting paragraphs, and effective transitions.
- Use of specific, concrete details in each supporting paragraph which not only identify the specific points and supporting reasons and evidence you are analyzing, but which also provides sufficient analysis and interpretation to connect your reasons and evidence to your claims and thesis.
- A conclusion which not only restates your thesis but which also draws conclusions or makes a final point about your topic.
- Use of either MLA or APA documentation styles to document your sources, including the image(s) you choose to analyze. Drafts without a works cited/reference page will not be accepted.
- Revised drafts should demonstrate careful proofreading and revision, including but not limited to revising claims, support, organization, grammar, and sentence mechanics.
Your draft must include a half-page to full-page Draft Reflection, in paragraph form, on:
- your goals for this essay
- which journal you believe your analysis would appeal to, and why
- your draft's strengths
- your draft's main areas for improvement
- your plan for revision.
Drafts which do not have a Draft Reflection and which have not been submitted for peer evaluation will not be accepted and will not receive credit for submission.
Our overall goal for this essay is to begin practicing the key skills we will use in future essays, including the establishment of claims, use of supporting examples, analysis of these examples to show how they support our claims, and the application of analysis to rhetoric.
A draft of the essay must be submitted for peer evaluation to the appropriate topic thread in Blackboard by the start of class on Wednesday, September 7. A draft is due to the appropriate dropbox in the Essays folder in Blackboard on Monday, September 12. Instructor notes and feedback will be posted by Monday, September 19.
Note: All essays will be randomly checked for plagiarism, and writing samples from you will be kept to cross-check papers. Don’t take the chance—don’t plagiarize!