For this assignment, you will choose ONE of the three essays below from Practical Argument and write a rhetorical analysis. You will analyze the article for its communicative qualities. In other words, you will explore the relationship between text, author, and audience, i.e. the Rhetorical Situation. You will explain how effectively the author uses the rhetorical appeals and the four pillars of argument to make his/her argument. You may make either a positive or negative judgment (or even both), but you MUST use evidence from the text to support your position.
- Christian Bot "A Conservative Case for Universal Basic Income" (pages 632-635)
- Sally Satel "The Myth of What’s Driving the Opiod Crisis" (pages 672-677)
- John Lee "Secure the U.S.-Mexico Border: Open It" (pages 686-689)
- If you do not have the book yet, all three essays can be found here: 3 Rhetorical Essays opens in new window (Unit 1 folder)
SOURCES
You should first analyze the essay in-and-of-itself. Then you may incorporate one other popular source; however, using a secondary source is optional. Any source material (the primary source =your original article and the secondary source = article you look up for support) should be cited “in-text” and on your Works Cited page using MLA format. See section 56a and 56b in your Rules for Writers for more help.
RHETORICAL APPEALS / FOCUS
For a text to be effective, it should incorporate and balance all three rhetorical appeals: Ethos, Logos, and Pathos. Refer to “An Introduction to Argument” in your Practical Argument (pages 14 – 21). This section contains several helpful, guiding questions. Your focus should be critiquing how effectively the author wrote his/her argument.
You are NOT discussing the topic! You are NOT arguing for or against the topic.
ORGANIZATION and THESIS
Your audience is an educated individual who has not read your article, so you need to include a summary (most likely immediately after your introduction). Your summary should offer the basic points about the text: who wrote it, when, and what the overall message is. You will use your body paragraphs to elaborate on the use of ethos, logos, and pathos. Make sure before starting your body paragraphs, however, that you have a clear THESIS STATEMENT. Sample:
Thesis – Your thesis should indicate whether you believe the essay achieves its rhetorical goal. The thesis should be one to two sentences long. It should tell the reader if the essay is effectively written. Example:
“The Written Word” by Chris Piper attempts to convince college professors that attendance policies are unreasonable. Piper’s failure to include credible sources and data that supports his claim make his argument ineffective.
FORMATTING and GUIDELINES
As with all your major paper assignments, you should follow the Paper Formatting Guidelines opens in new window posted in the Grade Rubric folder. Refer to the MLA section in your Rules for Writers or Guide to Writing opens in new window. Also, per the Paper Formatting Guidelines, "Each writing assignment for this class must be your original work." Therefore, this paper should be original work you’ve created for the first time after reading this assignment sheet. You cannot use a paper you have previously written. Doing so constitutes recycling work, i.e. self-plagiarism.
EXTRA CREDIT
If you attend a Writing Center appointment opens in new window, you will earn 4 points on your final grade.
Include in the following when you make the appointment:
- Copy and paste this message: "Please send an email to Professor Andrea Green that confirms I attended this appointment: [email protected]"
- Upload this assignment sheet so the tutor can better assist you.
- Include details about what you would like help with.
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