Rhetorical Analysis Essay; 1000 to 1200 words.

Choose a Topic:

Choose one of the topics given below, and write a rhetorical analysis essay of approximately 1000 to 1200 words (about four double-spaced typed pages). Expect that if your essay goes over the length requirement, your essay could be returned to you for revision.

Choice One:

Carefully read "The Rhetorical Stance" by Wayne C. Booth. Then, survey the textbook in search of three non-fiction essays, one that illustrates a degree of the pedant's stance, one that illustrates a degree of the advertiser's stance, and one that illustrates a degree of the entertainer's stance. Also search for an example of the rhetorical stance (as Booth defines it). In a formal essay, provide your findings with sufficient explanations to support your opinions. For this topic, you do not need to provide additional research sources, but you will need to properly document Booth's essay, along with all other essays discussed.

Choice Two:

Select an essay or article and analyze the rhetorical strategies and appeals employed to persuade readers.

Do one of the following:

1. Choose a non-fiction essay (with a sufficiently substantial basis for a meaningful analysis) from the textbook. Please choose an essay you have not worked on before.

2. Ask your tutor to recommend non-fiction articles (outside of the textbook) that might be appropriate choices for this assignment.

3. Choose from this list of recently published articles:

i. "Your E-Book is Reading You" by Alexandra Alter
ii. "How to Have a Conversation" by John McDermott
iii. "The Death of Honesty" by William Damon
iv. "Daddy issues" by Sandra Tsing Loh (This one is long but worth it.)

How to Proceed with the Rhetorical Analysis

1. Decide on an approach to your essay. You can focus on either the content of the article or on its rhetorical methods and style (examining how the text persuades its readers).

2. If you choose to focus on the content of an article, be careful to avoid the trap of stepping away from rhetorical analysis. The article has to be at the forefront of your discussion at all times.

3. If you choose to focus on the article's rhetorical methods and style, visit the University of British Columbia Writers' Workshop segment called "Rhetorical Analysis: Critical Writing"

4. Review the guidelines provided to you in the textbook's chapters on critical and rhetorical analysis, as well as on the checklist below, but note this: In your analysis, you will report on the rhetorical techniques the writer uses to support his or her thesis. Your job is NOT to mark the essay or article, NOT to write a review of the essay or article, just to analyze its rhetoric.

The key to a good rhetorical analysis is to discover and report on how the writer gets the message to the reader. Follow the FOUR D's outlined below for every technique you choose to discuss.

a. Discover the technique.

b. Define the technique (as necessary). For help with this, Google "Rhetorical Devices."

c. Describe the writer's use of the technique by including at least three examples (quotations) of each, making sure to integrate them properly.

d. Discuss the writer's probable motive for the technique and its impact on the reader.

Decide how you are going to limit your analysis. Consider limiting your discussion to as little as one technique per body paragraph.

5. Write a working thesis.

6. Create an outline and consider speaking with your tutor to review your thesis and outline. We strongly encourage you to do so.

7. Write your first draft.

8. Create a Works Cited or References page, and as we have reminded you previously, do not guess, and do not use a software program. Just pay careful attention to detail, and ask your tutor for help as required.

9. Revise and edit your draft. You should have produced and edited at least one preliminary draft before you hand in the final copy.

10. Consider using the Write Site's coaching services. Tutors are not expected or encouraged to review your drafts, but reviewing drafts is one of the mandates of the Write Site.

11. Study the assignment checklist and answer the questions honestly.

Checklist for Rhetorical Analysis Essay

After you have completed your analysis, use the checklist below to evaluate how well you have done.

• Did you use MLA or APA guidelines to format your essay? Did you check your formatting against examples in the textbook or on the Purdue Online Writing Lab site? (See this unit's lesson for links.)

• Did you introduce the reading by identifying the author, the title, and the subject matter? Did you put the title of the essay in quotation marks?

• Did you include a summary of the article following your sentence of introduction?

• Is your thesis the last sentence of the first paragraph, or do you have a good reason it is not?

• Did you consider including an essay map/preview statement with your thesis sentence? (Speak to your tutor or see item #2 in Lesson 1 for further information.)

• Have you used third person point of view throughout? If not, do you have a good reason you didn't? Check and make sure you have not shifted into first-person or second-person point of view.

• Does each paragraph have a topic sentence with at least two supporting points and a conclusion?

• Did you use a transitional word, phrase or sentence at the beginning of each body paragraph? Did you use transitional words and phrases as necessary to connect sentences within your paragraphs?

• Did you follow all the assignment parameters?

• Did you include quotations from the article? As you did so, did you follow the four required steps?

• Did you check each use of research to determine whether you integrated it?

• Did you make sure that no paragraph (excepting the conclusion) ends with a quotation?

• Does your in-text citation properly match the corresponding Works Cited or References entry? Check this very carefully-remember that the first word of the citation has to match the first word of the corresponding entry.

• Did you make sure to do your in-text and Works Cited or References entries correctly? Did you check each citation word for word and punctuation for punctuation against an example from the textbook, the Purdue Online Writing, or another reputable up-to-date source?

• Did you create a suggestive, emphatic conclusion rather than one in which you unnecessarily repeat the main supporting points?

• Did you revise very carefully for grammar and mechanics?