Christopher Hutson

Composition ll
15/02/2016

Rhetorical Reflection
Rhetorical Knowledge
During the rhetorical analysis project over George W. Bushs speech, it was important to
focus on a specific purpose and audience. The audience that that was chosen was Mrs. Gail
Richard who was unaware of the 9/11 crisis taking place in America and wanted to know the
effect that it had on the nation. In the essay, I had to support my opinions by providing
background information over the topic and by using the rhetorical appeals logos, ethos, and
pathos. By doing this, I was able to convince the audience about the viewpoint I had on the terror
caused by the terrorist. One example is when President George W. Bush uses the rhetorical
appeal pathos in the beginning to helps gain the admiration of the audience by using emotion to
pull them in. President George W. Bush says, These acts of mass murder were intended to
frighten our nation into chaos and retreat. But they have failed. Our country is strong (paragraph
1). I used this example to show that by referring to the very fact and freedom that they possess
was at stake, it made them realize that this very nation will not fall so easily at the hands of
terrorist. I had to learn to use a voice that was informative but yet formal so that I could get my
point across to the audience. I always end up not putting enough detail or examples into my
writing so I have to be aware of that at all times.

Critical Thinking, Reading, and Composing

In any writing assignment, it is important to analyze the workpiece. This could be done
by addressing the authors personal views on the matter, describing any rhetorical appeals that
may have been used, using any evidence that the author uses to support the argument, and

Christopher Hutson
Composition ll
15/02/2016

deciding if the argument if convincing enough to where the reader will agree or disagree. By
doing this, I was able to support my ideas and provide evidence that would better back up my
argument. With the vast amount of information out on the internet and articles, it was my
responsibility to find information that was worth using to better support my argument writing.
After finding these source, I would analyze and evaluate them to see if any of the information
provided would be of use to me. I also had to provide an answer to evidence that could possibly
conflict with my argument. During peer reviews, I took advice from my classmate that looked at
my paper. He suggested that I provided more evidence in my paragraphs so that my argument
could be better supported. Also, he gave me the idea of taking my information that I found online
and putting it in the beginning. That way it would draw the reader in as to what the argument is
about. There were other suggestions, but I thought these were some of the better ones that I
decided to take.

Processes
For me, writing one draft after another isnt what Im use to, I simply just stick to one.
But, with the help of doing peers reviews and allowing multiple people to look at it is what
allows me to see the mistakes that I have made. Even after revising my paper, I felt like it still
wasnt right somehow. I corrected spelling errors and grammar problems while also reading my
paper out loud to see if it sounded right to me. If I didnt receive any feedback from my peers, I
would have had a difficult time coming up with ways to better my paper. Receiving another
persons opinion could help you reach your audience more. My classmate helped me realize
certain concerns about my paper and gave me advice on what to do that would benefit me.
Anything that was said about my writing was given to me as advice. While giving criticism over

Christopher Hutson
Composition ll
15/02/2016

a peers paper, I learned that by doing this I am helping them improve on their writing and giving
them a different perspective of thinking.

Knowledge of Conventions
The writing assignment was written in essay format and MLA format was used to write
the works cited page. Though I didnt have faith in writing my sources myself, I used the website
EasyBib to help me with what I didnt know how to do. I had to provide enough information in
my writing so that I could gain the attention of the reader over the 9/11 event. While I was trying
to inform the reader over the argument, I still had to remember to write in a formal manner. The
thing I struggle with the most is run on sentences and grammar. Ive always had problems with
them and will continue to do so. Im working diligently to try and improve my writing to where
its an acceptable piece of work.