Rhetorical Analysis Essay

PURPOSE

For this assignment, you will write a short (3-5 page) Rhetorical Analysis Essay. The purpose of this assignment is to begin to understand how other writers construct arguments in order to convey a specific message. OBJECTIVES: Critically read, analyze, and evaluate information, rhetorical patterns, and structural elements in a given text (such as a story, essay, poem, textbook, or visual material.) DESCRIPTION: A Rhetorical Analysis Essay asks you to analyze the ways in which an author has constructed his or her argument. In particular, you will choose one of the source texts and construct a close examination of how the author used specific rhetorical elements (e.g., word choice, statistics, quotes, personal appeal), in order to prove his or her thesis. In other words, your essay should take into account both the author’s purpose and the rhetorical strategies that the author uses to achieve his or her goal. In order to accomplish this task, you will need to read and annotate the article and construct a thesis that you can support by using direct evidence (e.g., quotes) from the article. You will also need to include appropriate work cited. Choose ONE of the following Source Texts to focus your essay on: JFK’s Inaugural Speech Suander’s “Commencement Speech on Kindness” Staples’ “Black Men and Public Space” Orwell’s “Shooting an Elephant”