The purpose of a rhetorical analysis is to allow you to gain familiarity with rhetorical strategies that authors use to appeal to their readers so that you can understand these strategies and introduce them into your own writing

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Unit 1: Rhetorical Analysis

Rough Draft Due: Submit Unit 1 (Rhetorical Analysis) to the dropbox labeled “Unit 1 (Rhetorical Analysis) Rough Draft” by Wednesday, March 3rd at 9:35 a.m. (Central Time) (This essay must be completed according to the assignment guidelines outlined in the assignment sheet for the author to receive credit for completing the assignment and to be eligible to participate in the peer review session)

Final Draft Due: Unit 1 (Rhetorical Analysis) due in dropbox marked “Unit 1 (Rhetorical Analysis) Final Draft” by Monday, March 8th at 11:59 p.m. (Central Time)

Purpose: The purpose of a rhetorical analysis is to allow you to gain familiarity with rhetorical strategies that authors use to appeal to their readers so that you can understand these strategies and introduce them into your own writing. In order to do this, you must shift your focus from critiquing an author’s argument to analyzing the way that the author makes the argument. The difference between these two objectives, at first, may seem confusing; however, what is important to keep in mind in performing a rhetorical analysis is that you are examining the way that the author formulates the argument and not the argument itself.

Tasks (How to write this essay):

  • Write a minimum of 5-6 pages (Must be a minimum of halfway down on the last page for it to count as a page). The essay must also include a correctly-formatted works cited page that does not count toward the 5-6 page minimum page count.
  • Write for an academic audience (No contractions, no slang, no clichés, no first- or second-person perspective).
  • The writer should start by choosing either “Pop Culture Reckoned With #MeToo in Radical New Ways in 2020—Even as It Receded From Headlines” by Eliana Dockterman at: https://time.com/5924015/sexual-misconduct-movies-tv-me-too/ (also linked on eLearn under “Content”) or THE ONE I CHOOSE: “How Black Lives Matter Changed Hip-Hop and R&B” by Greg Tate at: https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/how-blacklivesmatter-changed-hip-hop-and-rb-in-2015-61161/ (also linked on eLearn under “Content”). Please only choose one article.
  • The essay’s argument (thesis) should focus on the effectiveness of the rhetoric of the source article, and it should not comment on the article’s content. For example, the author should not comment on whether or not s/he agrees with the material in the article.
  • The essay should utilize one body paragraph with a brief (200 word) summary of the main arguments of the article.
  • The essay should devote one paragraph to exploring how each of the following concepts impacts the article: target audience, ethos, logos, pathos, counterargument(s), and fallacies.
  • Each body paragraph (except for the summary) should include a minimum of one quotation from the article to support the author’s argument for that paragraph (topic sentence).
  • Citation: The writer should provide correctly-formatted signal phrases/attributive tags for all summaries, paraphrases, and quotations that reference material from sources, and correctly-formatted in-text citations must be provided for all paraphrases and quotations. Furthermore, a works cited page must document all sources and be formatted according to MLA guidelines.
  • Research: You should not research for this assignment. This assignment is based solely on the analysis of the article. Research does not help you here. However, if you do decide to research, then you must accurately cite the information that comes from sources. Please see me if you use research so that I can help you to cite your sources correctly.
  • Format: The essay should be formatted according to MLA guidelines, which are accessible in your textbook or through the Purdue Online Writing Lab.
  • Grammar and mechanics: Has ability to write using edited American English. Proofread and edit for issues that include, but are not limited to, those regarding spelling and word usage. Subject-verb agreement, pronoun-antecedent agreement, run-on sentences, sentence fragments, fused sentences, absence or misuse of apostrophes, and absence or misuse of commas exemplify other problematic issues.

Skills (Learning Outcomes Achieved): Demonstrate understanding of and ability to read and respond to

the demands of the rhetorical situation (author, audience, and

subject) in both oral and written communication.

Read critically and analyze various types of assigned readings on

the basis of structure, pattern, and meaning in order to produce

original papers that show development of topic through

organization (such as topic sentence, support of the central idea

through details, and rhetorical patterns).

Invent, write, revise, edit, and rewrite formal essays in response

to readings which develop appropriate rhetorical patterns (i.e.,

narration, example, process, comparison/contrast, classification,

cause/effect, definition, argumentation) and other special

function(s) (i.e., literary analysis or research) while

demonstrating writing skills from process to product.

Produce final papers that show growth in principles of good

writing, such as organization (e.g., introduction/body/conclusion

or outlining), development (clarifying transitions between

sentences and paragraphs), unity (connected ideas), and which

demonstrate an understanding of the substance of the topic.

Complete at least one writing assignment that demonstrates a

limited use of MLA documentation form and basic research

ability.

Participate in collaborative work with other students via small

group discussions and presentations, workshop-style classes

devoted to particular issues (such as paragraph structure or voice

and tone), and produce, accept, and use constructively feedback

from writing instructors, other students, and other university

writers/instructors to take control of your own writing.

Create mechanically sound papers relatively free of errors in

grammar and mechanics.

Criteria for success: Please consult with the rubric for this assignment.