Rhetorical Analysis

Length: 4-5 pages (At least 4 FULL pages) with a Work Cited page

Source: Choose one of the articles from either Gender Roles Articles for Rhetorical Analysis, Morality & Ethics Articles for Rhetorical Analysis, or Identity & Personhood Articles for Rhetorical Analysis. If for some reasons the links here do not work for the articles, you can find them in the Week 8 module.

This Summary (20%)/Response (80%) will combine your skill of summarizing with the ability to voice your own analysis.

After carefully reading the assignment, which you are to analyze (annotate), complete the assignment by doing the following:

Remember that this is a formal, writing assignment. As such, you should adhere to the elements of formality and convention expected in a college writing class – precise grammar, structure, mechanics, word choice, formality level, paragraphing, thesis statement, essay structure, etc.
Evaluate the reading, not simply as a reader, but also as a writer yourself. Your developing skills of evaluation will help you to become a better writer.
Carefully consider the important elements within the essay you have read. Use diction to identify Ethos, Pathos, and Logos
Write an analysis in which you analyze the above elements of the assigned reading. You must include specific examples (at least two quotes from the text) for each element you are analyzing. For example, if you believe that the tone in an essay is sarcastic, you must include in your analysis a quoted portion of the essay which shows your reader that the tone is sarcastic.
Remember, this is not an opinion assignment. You are not telling me if you liked the reading, but instead if it was convincing (or effective).

Sample outline:

1. Introduction paragraph

a. Hook – this sentence should draw your reader in

b. Introduce the author, article title, and the pop culture

c. Short summary of the article (3-5 sentences)

d. Thesis statement with three main points

2. First body paragraph

a. Topic sentence – this sentence should introduce the topic of the paragraph

b. Introduce quote with signal phrases

i. quote – be sure to use in-text citations

c. Explain how the quote proves/demonstrates your thesis/claim

d. Introduce quote with signal phrases

i. quote – be sure to use in-text citations

e. Explain how the quote proves/demonstrates your thesis/claim

3. Second body paragraph

a. Topic sentence – this sentence should introduce the topic of the paragraph

b. Introduce quote with signal phrases

i. quote – be sure to use in-text citations

c. Explain how the quote proves/demonstrates your thesis/claim

d. Introduce quote with signal phrases

i. quote – be sure to use in-text citations

e. Explain how the quote proves/demonstrates your thesis/claim

4. Third body paragraph

a. Topic sentence – this sentence should introduce the topic of the paragraph

b. Introduce quote with signal phrases

i. quote – be sure to use in-text citations

c. Explain how the quote proves/demonstrates your thesis/claim

d. Introduce quote with signal phrases

i. quote – be sure to use in-text citations

e. Explain how the quote proves/demonstrates your thesis/claim

5. Conclusion paragraph

a. Restate thesis (see Thesis Statements for instructions)

b. Summarize paragraph#4

c. Summarize paragraph#3

d. Summarize paragraph#2

e. Call to action – this sentence should send your reader off with the information they learned in your essay