For this formal Rhetorical Analysis Essay, choose one of the following two articles to analyze:
“Memphis Burning” by Preston Lauterbach, pp. 183-201
Purpose:
The purpose of your rhetorical analysis is to analyze another writer's argument. Your thesis (main argument) will be your overall judgment of the effectiveness/ineffectiveness of the argument.
The analysis should:
Give a close examination of how the writer has presented an argument
Analyze the strategies and features the writer has used to be persuasive
Examine quotes and paraphrases as examples of the writer's techniques
Uncover interesting, important things about the way the author's argument has been presented
Evaluate the argument's effectiveness
The analysis should not:
Give extensive summary (beyond a brief introductory summary of the source)
Argue with or agree with the writer's position on the topic
Tell your own personal stories
What Should Be Analyzed?
Listed below are the sorts of things your rhetorical analysis should consider. This list is neither a checklist nor an outline, and not every question will apply to every article. That said, analysis of logos is typically a central component to a rhetorical analysis.
Purpose (What is the writer trying to accomplish with the essay?)
Audience (To whom does the writer try to appeal? How does the writer try to connect with that audience?)
Organization (How has the writer structured and presented the argument?)
Nods to the Opposition (How does the writer anticipate and address arguments that might be made against his/her position?)
Definition (How does the writer define key terms used in the argument?
Examples (What sort of examples/analogies does the writer use as evidence?)
Appeals to Authority (How does the writer use other sources, experts, statistics, etc.?)
Ethos (How does the writer present him/herself to the reader?)
Logos (How does the writer appeal to the reader's sense of logical reasoning?)
Pathos (How does the writer appeal to the reader's emotions, beliefs, and values?)
Kairos (How has the author made use of an opportune moment or place?)
Tone (What is the writer's attitude towards the subject?)
Diction and Imagery (What are the effects of the writer's word choices?)
Recommended Structure:
Introduction: Contextualize the argument (author, occasion, place of publication, audience), and end with your evaluative thesis of the argument's success or failure.
Body: Analyze the rhetorical evidence (appeals to ethos/pathos/logos and any logical fallacies), refutations of a counter argument, figurative language used, etc.
Conclusion: How should we respond to this argument based on the success of failure of the evidence?
Essays should include a Works Cited page with one entry (the article you read).
