ENGL 101 Mrs.

Carpenter Fall 2012

Rhetorical Analysis Essay For this assignment, you will be writing a rhetorical analysis of an article from one of the two sources located below under Directions. Remember that when you are asked to do a "rhetorical analysis" of a text, you are being asked to apply your critical reading skills to break down the "whole" of the text into the sum of its "parts." You try to determine what the writer is trying to achieve, and what writing strategies he/she is using to try to achieve it.

Directions: 1. Select one of the following to analyze: a. A popular commercial (could be a current or older commercial), such as the Apple Ads or a Gatorade commercial b. An essay from the 50 Essays reader Note: Make sure that your selected commercial or essay lends itself well to analysis. In other words, if you are not able to identify clear appeals to logos, ethos and pathos in the piece, it probably would not work well for the assignment. 2. Write a thorough rhetorical analysis of the article/commercial using the techniques we discussed in class.

Things to consider: Remember: Analyze each element of the article/commercial first, then figure out how the author uses each element to appeal to ethos (credibility), pathos (emotions) or logos (logic) of the audience. Does the authors tone (casual, professional, authoritative, etc.) contribute to ethos? Does the author try to build a rapport with the audience to appeal to pathos? Is the authors argument very precise and logical (an appeal to logos)? Does the author effectively consider possible counterarguments?

Structure of the essay: Introduction Introduce your essay with two or three sentences that introduce your topic (the commercial or essay chosen for the assignment). Second, give any relevant background information on your topic (the time in which the commercial aired, when the essay was written, social perceptions and influences relevant to how the audience received the commercial or essay). Third, write a thesis statement that tells the reader what the authors/commercial creators purpose was in writing the

ENGL 101 Mrs. Carpenter Fall 2012 essay or commercial. Be sure to mention logos, ethos and pathos in your thesis, as well. Main Body Write 1-2 paragraphs that explain how the author or commercial creator uses logos to influence the audience. Next, write 1-2 paragraphs that explain how the author or commercial creator uses ethos to influence the audience toward his/her purpose. After that, write 1-2 paragraphs that explain how the author/commercial creator uses pathos to influence the audience. If you wish, you may also include a paragraph on style. Explain how the author or commercial uses language to appeal to logos, ethos or pathos, being sure to list the exact wording and cite it. In all of these paragraphs, remember to refer to specific sentences, arguments and words as you point out the three appeals in them. Remember to use in-text citations to indicate what material you have quoted or paraphrased. Be sure to mention how each instance of an appeal helps the author accomplish his or her purpose in influencing the audience to think about or see an issue in a certain way. For a commercial, be sure to point out how the appeals work toward getting the audience to take an action (buy something, support a cause, switch insurance companies, etc). Conclusion Summarize your findings in your conclusion. How well did the author make his or her point? Did the author fail to address one of the three appeals? Which appeals did the author use well? Was the author ethical in his or her use of the appeals? Or did the author unethically Format: 500-750 words (2-3 pages), MLA, double-spaced Due Date: Peer Editing (Wednesday 10/15); Rough Draft (Monday 10/22)