PLEASE NOTE: The final weekly writing assignment is located in the post immediately after these guidelines.
For your third assignment, you must choose a visual or hybrid text that contains an argument (e.g. a political cartoon, television commercial, photograph, or work of art). Once you have your primary text selected, analyze the piece by paying close attention to the types of rhetorical strategies (page 31 in “Envision2.pdf”) & appeals (logos, pathos, & ethos) utilized. A discussion of the text’s cultural resonance may also prove fruitful. As such, you will want to ask yourself, & then answer, the following questions: “What is the argument of the text?” “In what ways is the argument structured?” “What types of claims are being made?” & “What design elements are employed to forward the argument?”
The rhetorical analysis requires substantial time and thought, so it’s best to find a text you find interesting or feel passionate about. If you know a topic/text well, you’ll have a sense of what arguments are being made about it, and you’ll likely be eager to undertake sustained research and analysis.
A rhetorical analysis looks at the way an argument works (NOT HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT THE ARGEUEMENT) and may evaluate its effectiveness. You might think of your analysis as an argument about and argument. Accordingly, rather than simply listing every rhetorical detail you see in the texts, you should focus on some specific thesis, or claim. After examining the arguments closely, generate a claim with supporting reasons that describe or assess the way the text works
If you’ve chosen arguments that interest you, readers will sense your enthusiasm and want to learn more. But remember that won’t necessarily be familiar with the text you’re analyzing. You’ll need to provide background information and enough examples—quotations and images—to show them how the argument works.
When you write a rhetorical analysis, it’s obviously important to study your chosen texts carefully to identify key patterns. It is also important to lay out for each text the basic facts of what is called the rhetorical situation: who is writing about what for which audience. Conduct research in the library or on the internet so that you can accurately identify the argument, where and when it appears, in what medium, and so on. You may need to provide a paragraph or more of background information early in your paper to set the context for the argument.
How will you most effectively accomplish this assignment? Examine logical appeals by looking carefully at how well the claims made in a piece are stated, qualified, and supported. Be specific in identifying these appeals, quoting from verbal arguments and describing visual arguments. Examine the emotional appeals by identifying emotions and explain how they are generated. Evaluate their relevance to the claim offered. Again, be specific, quoting or describing the emotional details clearly enough for readers to understand them. Examine ethos and assess the credibility of the writer, artist, or sponsoring institution. Is the argument presented by someone you are moved to trust? Is the appeal honest? Explain why, using specific evidence from the argument you are analyzing.
These analyses will make up the body of your essay. You’ll also need to frame this discussion with an introduction, perhaps outlining your thesis and providing relevant background information, and a conclusion that comments on your focal point and answers the “So what?” question.
Check that the logistical elements of the paper work smoothly: If you’ve incorporated images, are they clear and readable? Have you documented any outside source materials? Does the structure and content of your analysis make sense—can readers move easily from idea to idea as you develop your analysis?
Minimum Criteria: a) 1000 words, b) 2 multi-media elements, c) 2 hyperlinks, d) 1 print-based secondary source from the library integrated into the fabric of your text, & e) a works cited section at the end of your post.
REMEMBER: You will need to construct a clearly articulated thesis statement in your introduction that specifically addresses the argument you will be forwarding about the text you have chosen. Think of this an argument about an argument.
Once you have chosen your primary text, answer the questions on the Prewriting Checklist on pages 52-4 in “Envision2.pdf.” Since you do not have the last three questions on page 54, I have transcribed them in their entirety below:
Rhetorical Appeals: How does the author of the text use images to work in conjunction with rhetorical appeals? For instance, does the image reinforce an appeal to reason? Is it designed to produce an emotional effect on the audience? Does the use of a certain style, such as black-&-white authority, contribute to the ethos of the text?
Strategy of Development: What strategy of development does the text rely upon? Narration? Definition? Comparison-contrast? Example & illustration? Classification & division? How do these strategies contribute to the ad’s persuasive appeal?
Cultural Resonance: Does the text use ethos—in the form of celebrities, famous event or places, or recognizable symbols—to increase its persuasive relationship to a cultural movement?
The Prewriting Checklist on page 25 of “Envision1.pdf” may also be of use as well.
Finally, refer to your MLA handbook for proper integration of secondary source material. If you have any further questions about this assignment, please feel free to stop by my office hours.
