Anatomy of an Essay Essay Production Cycle Thinking About Writing: The Rhetorical Triangle What is an Argument? Making an Argument Essay Structure

Essays or Personal Letters Have you written either an essay or a letter during the summer? Which? Essays and letters are similar because they both have structure and purpose. However, a letter is usually either personal or business, while an essay can have a variety of purposes. How many essays have you written in the last year? All of high school? How confident are you in writing an essay today? How is an effective essay different than an ineffective one?

Essay Production Cycle Thought Argument Essay Memorize this and make it a habit.

Thinking About Writing: Aristotle and the Rhetorical Triangle The writing process, which begins with thought and an idea, is only limited by the thought process and, in some cases, by dictated themes or prompts. Every written instrument from a formal essay or letter to an instant message or email has all the components Aristotle describes in his triangle: author-ethos, audience-pathos, and topic-logos as well as purpose, genre, and context. Formal essays can have one of several purposes: to inform, to persuade, to argue, to entertain, to provoke, or others. Essays should be carried out with that purpose in mind. Our main focus is the argumentative essay.

Aristotle’s Ideas According to Aristotle, the rhetorical transaction consists of three basic components: logos - representing the author's ability to reveal logic and reason in the text; ethos - representing the author's ability to reveal his or her credibility in the text, and pathos - representing the author's ability to appeal to the audience through the text. These components are suggested by the rhetorical triangle or Aristotelian triad. (The diagram follows on the next slide.) Logos – Topic or text Note the claims the author makes, the exigence. Note the data the author provides in support of the claims. Note the conclusions the author draws. Ethos - Author Note how the author establishes a persona. Note how the author establishes credibility. Note any revelation of the author's credentials or personal history. Pathos – Audience Note the primary audience for the text. Note the emotional appeals the author makes. Note the author's expectations of the audience. 

Aristotle’s Rhetorical Triangle There are many versions of this triad, but they are basically similar and address the three components of all written instruments: Author, Audience, and Topic.

Argument v. Opinion “I like brown M&M’s better than any of the other colors.” “Brown M&M’s are tastier and sexier than any of the other colors of M&M’s.” “I think people who are radical in their ideology are detrimental to society because of their extreme ideas.” “A variety of ideas and ideologies are important to a growing, changing society.” Write a set of theses, one opinion and one argument, about the same topic. Note the differences.

Forming an Argument An argument is simply an idea that is arguable. It must have at least two sides – an opposing point or points or view, if you will – in order to qualify as argumentative. An argumentative essay seeks to inform the reader as to the writer’s opinion and make arguments for that opinion. It is not a persuasive essay, but an informative, argumentative one. A simple opinion is not an argument. An argumentative essay is, at its core informative. What Makes an Argument? Exercise Choose a partner and exchange ideas; write them down. Consider each other’s ideas as an argument. Is there an opposing point of view? If not, it isn’t an argument. Partners discuss the merits or downfalls of each argument; rewrite if necessary to conform to guidelines. Now with legitimate arguments, each person should outline the details they will use to support the argument.

Supporting Details The support that is chosen to uphold an argument will make or break the essay’s effectiveness. Weak or easily defeated ideas used as support will make the essay weak and the ideas easily defeated. Strong, reliable, logical details or support make an effective argumentative essay that will hold up throughout. Each detail should lend credibility and logic to the essay. Remember, opinion doesn’t count; information counts. Effective argumentative essays acknowledge and refute the opposing view.

Basic Essay Structure Introduction and Thesis Statement The thesis statement is the main statement of purpose of the essay, and it should be in the introductory paragraph. The introduction should include all the main ideas to be presented. Main ideas and support: Body Paragraphs Each paragraph should contain a topic sentence, which indicates the topic and purpose of that paragraph. The topic sentence is normally the first meaningful sentence of each paragraph. Each subsequent sentence in that paragraph should directly support the topic sentence. Each should be on topic and offer some kind of support or detail concerning the topic sentence. Transitions should lead the reader from sentence to sentence, if required, and from paragraph to paragraph. The sentences should be written and revised to flow naturally and logically to accomplish their argumentative purpose. Conclusion The conclusion is different than the introduction, but it echoes the thesis statement and reinforces the argument that was presented.

Quiz 1. Compare and contrast personal letters and essays. Name the production cycle of an essay. Explain the three divisions of Aristotle’s Rhetorical Triangle: ethos, pathos, and logos. What type of essay seeks to change someone’s mind to agree with it? What type of essay seeks to enlighten and inform someone of the writer’s viewpoint on a particular topic or issue? What can happen to an argument that is not well supported by details and evidence? Outline the structure of an essay (main points and sub-points).