1. Doing Rhetorical Criticism
“One way to define criticism succinctly would be as the systematic process of illuminating and evaluating products of human activity.” --- James R. Andrews

2. Purpose Answer a general question about communication
Answer questions about a specific artifact
Apply or refine a particular method
Understand author or culture from which an artifact came
Evaluate Effectiveness or Ethicality of Artifact

3. Process 1 2 3 4 Preparation Engagement Reflection and Analysis
Expression

4. Basic Process: Preparation
General research question or assignment that calls for rhetorical analysis
Preliminary secondary research and observation to determine basic focus

5. The Role of Theories & Method
Concepts from theories and methods make us more sensitive to features of text
Focus our attention
Clarify evaluations and judgments
Methods helps us analyze more systematically

6. Basic Process: Engagement
Select Artifact(s)
Engage in description of artifact(s)
Engage in description of context
“Please do secondary research. Use the jargon of the medium!”

7. What type of text to select?
Representative
“Typical” superhero movie
Unique
Significant historically
Significant topically
Significant visually

8. Basic Considerations Extrinsic Analysis
Period/Situation
Audiences
Occasion
Speaker
How do factors outside the text shape speech/text and explain its success or failure?
Intrinsic Analysis
Argument
Logic
Word Choice, Imagery, etc.
Delivery
How do factors within the text explain its success or failure?

9. Do Quick Extrinsic Analysis
Name factors related to
Comic industry
Other mediums
Social environment
Political environment
Historical events
Economic concerns

10. Do Quick Intrinsic Analysis
Name factors related to
Character (origins and motivations)
Plot (type and flow)
Imagery (diegesis and composition)

11. Basic Process: Engagement
Formulate focus for analysis (argument)
Look for patterns
Look for omissions
Look for relationships
Your argument links the I/E analyses to your theory

12. Basic Process: Reflection and Analysis
Identify approach that best illuminates your emerging argument about the text
This approach should both aid in your analysis and help to express your findings better than you could have without the theory/approach

13. Basic Process: Reflection and Analysis
Apply approach with a goal in mind
This is what it means—interpretation
This is why or how it “worked”—explanation

14. Basic Process: Expression
Write the critical essay
Discuss key elements of artifact (informed by secondary research)
Describe theory (informed by secondary research)
Conduct your analysis and report key findings
Connect findings to larger conversation about American values or power

15. Response Paper 1
Discuss story/art elements of artifact (informed by secondary research)
Describe theory (informed by secondary research)
Offer an argument

16. Response Paper 2
Revise Response Paper 1 (informed by research on genre or fandom)
Conduct interpretive or explanatory analysis (informed by factors related to context, story and/or art)
Connect findings to larger conversation about American values and power

17. Application Read and Think!
Integration of comic book concepts as criteria or support for your arguments will be key to your success in final presentation.