Rhetorical Analysis Got an opinion? Good! How do you prove it? Using the textual evidence to prove a statement or belief about the work. Create a strong thesis first to guide your analysis.

Thesis Statement Declares what you believe & what you intend to prove Is SPECIFIC & FOCUSED Avoids first & second person o NO “ I ” “ we ” “ you ”

Thesis Statement Steps Topic (text + author) 2. Direction (at least 3 strategies + adjectives for diction and syntax) 3. Claim (verb + direct object) 4. Qualifier (proving that, illustrating, resulting, showing…) 5.Universal idea (abstract noun)

Thesis Statement Steps Author, in “title,” 2.through the use of adj. strategy, adj. strategy, adj. strategy, 3.contrasts/compares/shifts (something from the story) 4. in order to … (purpose/u.i.) 5.

Part 1 of Thesis: Topic 1. Topic = the author of the work & the title. That ’ s it! o In “The Chase,” Annie Dillard… o Jonathan Edwards, in “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God…”

Part 2 of Thesis: Direction 2. Direction = rhetorical strategies that contribute to your analysis (adj) _______ & (adj) ________ & (adj) ____ Blanks = specific strategies or elements of style You MUST have adjective for DICTION AND SYNTAX Adjectives descriptive, focus on effect

Part 3 of Thesis: Claim 3. Verb What does the author DO in the story in order to help the audience understand the purpose? What does he contrast, compare, reveal, etc? o CONTRASTS…, COMPARES…, Use present tense when talking about literature “ slang diction reveals ”

Part 4 of Thesis: Qualifier 4. Qualifier Transition between what the author does (claim) and why he does it (universal idea) o In order to show, in order to illustrate that, in order to reveal…

Part 5 of Thesis: Universal idea 5. Universal idea = what the “ direction ” points to o What the author is trying to reveal about life through the work (PURPOSE!) Based on an abstract noun (something you can ’ t touch) o Love … freedom … independence … individuality …. heritage … violence … education …

Thesis-Making With a partner, create a thesis for this prompt: o Create a thesis for a paper in which you would analyze the methods Tan uses to reveal the significance of the Christmas dinner she experienced as an adolescent o 1. Topic o 2. Direction o 3. Claim (verb) o 4. Qualifier (so that…, in order to…) o 5. Universal idea

Thesis Making Underline the topic Draw triangles around each direction Box the claim Circle the universal idea Squiggle the qualifier