Critical Evaluation Essay on Franklin D. Roosevelt’s First Inaugural Address

Decide whether the reading offers a persuasive and convincing argument. If you decide it is persuasive and convincing, discuss why. You may use the structure of the argument, the tone, the use of rhetorical appeals, and any other argumentation strategy as proof of the argument’s success.

Make sure that your essay has an introduction that contains a hook, body paragraphs that discuss one proof at a time (one paragraph per example), and a conclusion. If you decide that the essay is not convincing, then discuss the fallacies that the argument makes or other failings, such as structure, tone, and so forth.

You are still required to have a strong introduction, body paragraphs that discuss one supporting point at a time, and a conclusion. You may also discuss how the essay is successful with reservations. In this case, point to both the weaknesses and the strengths you have found in the work.

You are not offering personal or historical commentary, commentary on the writer/speaker, or responding to the ideas in the argument; you are only evaluating the argument itself in rhetorical terms. This is an opportunity for us to learn from other writers/speakers’ approaches to posing an argument.