RHETORICAL ANALYSIS ESSAY Writing Workshop

Highlight your essay.  Include a “key” to show which colors you will use to indicate the following:  Thesis  Topic sentences (claims)  Text evidence  Commentary (explanation of how the evidence proves your claim)

Your essay should include a clear introduction, organized body paragraphs that directly prove your thesis, and a conclusion that concisely summarizes your ideas. CONTENT

Introduction  Use some version of a rhetorical précis, but beware of verbosity! Don’t be overly wordy.  If you can’t get directly to your point, it may appear that you don’t have one.  Include some contextual information, the rhetorical strategies you intend to discuss, and an overview of why the author chose these strategies for the particular audience, occasion, and/or purpose  Be sure your thesis is direct and clear.  Specify the rhetorical strategies (appeals and/or devices) you will analyze No more than 2-3; discuss them in depth  Use the magic words “in order to”

Writing a Thesis  Try combining Sentences 2 and 3 from the précis paragraph format.  Sentence 2 – explain how the author develops/supports their major claim (techniques)  Sentence 3 – state the author’s purpose, followed by an “in order to” phrase  If you get stuck, use this basic template:  In [category/title of work], [speaker] uses [2-3 strategies] in order to [achieve purpose]. In his 1962 speech regarding the hike in steel prices, President Kennedy uses repetition, allusions, and appeals to authority in order to publicly condemn the steel companies’ actions.

Thesis Examples In his 1962 speech regarding a recent rise in steel prices, Kennedy builds credibility by aligning himself with the American people and his syntax juxtaposes common citizens with the ruthless steel industry in order to defend the interests of the public and pressure the steel executives to rescind the raise in prices.

Body  Use C-E-C paragraph development to help you include the following:  Claim (Topic Sentence) – what is the purpose of your paragraph?  Evidence – what information, details, quotations, or examples will you include to support your claim?  Commentary – explain, comment, and expand upon the evidence, showing how it connects to and supports the idea you stated in your claim.  All of your body paragraphs must connect back to your thesis. (This should be achieved through specific commentary.)  HOW do the rhetorical strategies you are discussing help to achieve the author’s purpose?  WHY are those particular strategies effective?

Body Paragraph Examples

Conclusion  This should be a holistic (overall) assessment of the author’s impact on his audience – what does the author want his audience to think or feel upon finishing the work?  Restate your thesis in a fresh way (try not repeat it in the exact same words) by summarizing the combined effect of the writer’s rhetorical strategies.  Do not introduce totally new ideas in your conclusion! Don’t mention rhetorical strategies that weren’t discussed in your essay, for example.

Conclusion Examples

Talking About Appeals  Speakers make appeals to ethos, logos, and pathos.  Use this language to talk about appeals:  ETHOS The speaker appeals to ethos through… The speaker establishes credibility by…  LOGOS The speaker appeals to logos through… The speaker proves his argument by…  PATHOS The speaker appeals to pathos through… The speaker makes an emotional connection by…

Tips  Outline your essay before writing! It takes 2-3 minutes and will help you write an organized, purposeful essay.  Avoid simply praising the speaker or the work.  Be as specific as possible – try not to make generalizations or use lots of clichés.  Use active voice.  Quickly read each paragraph to yourself after writing it. If there’s anything you need to change, simply draw a line through the words you wish to delete.  Try not to scratch out lines, draw arrows, etc.