Writing Journal #8 Find two people in the class that read the same chapter as you. What is the key argument in the first half of your chapter? What details are most important in the first half of your chapter? What are the elements of effective writing in the first half of your chapter?

What-How-Why: Rhetorical Analysis Goal: Create an argument about the effects the author is creating in his audience in order to achieve his purpose. What do you think this goal means? Discuss it as a group.

What-How-Why: Rhetorical Analysis Goal: Create an argument about the effects the author is creating in his audience in order to achieve his purpose. Vocabulary Terms: Author’s purpose: Author’s claim: Strategies Effects What: How: Why:

What-How-Why: Rhetorical Analysis Goal: Create an argument about the effects the author is creating in his audience in order to achieve his purpose. Don’t make these mistakes: We don’t care about what the author does to interest the audience, make the audience think, care, or anything else that every good piece of writing does. You’ll have to completely redo every assignment that includes ethos, pathos, or logos Quotes should be short– aim for four words or fewer If you say the author does something, it should be directly related to the purpose. This is hard– do everything you can to engage, think, self-evaluate, and improve.

Rhetorical Analysis Handouts: Side one Write the author’s claim/purpose in one to two sentences: Optional format: In chapter ____________ of Outliers, Gladwell _________that __________________________ . Gladwell writes to _________________ his audience that _________________________________________________. In chapter one of Outliers, Gladwell introduces his claim that situations are as important as talent and hard work in determining the success of outliers. Gladwell hopes to convince his audience that common assumptions of what makes someone successful is a problem and they should think about success in new terms.

Practice: Introduction How: Look for how the writer is writing in levels. (Avoid effects, just look for how) Level 1: Big picture: what genre does this fit best? Reasoning style? Overall tone Level 2: Organization: How does the author seem to decide what comes first, second, third? What transitions is the author using? Is anything left out? Level 3: Strategy: What elements of writing is the author using? Metaphors, descriptions, imagery, comparison, logical reasoning, questions, examples, details Level 4: Words: What groups of diction do you see? Is the author using certain words for a reason? What are those words?

Rhetorical Analysis Handouts: Side two Choose two level three or level four “hows” from your chapter. (Level 1 and 2 can be used only if you can connect them to purpose) Write a topic sentence describing how the author is writing and what effect that has on the audience. Bullet-point specifics from your topic sentence showing why this how creates the effect you claim it does.

Play by play by birthday Presents pattern first, then explains why Example: Gladwell develops the example of hockey players’ birthdays to create skepticism around the idea that talent is all it takes to be successful. Roster of birthdays Play by play by birthday Presents pattern first, then explains why Logical reasoning shows an unlikely pattern that can’t be explained by talent. Illustrates how birthday months have such an impact on who plays professional hockey. Creates a sense a of mystery which can only be explained by questioning our current idea of success.