Project 2: Rhetorical Analysis
Purpose: The purpose of this assignment is to assess a text’s rhetorical effectiveness by identifying the text’s purpose and analyzing how elements of that text are used to persuade the intended audience toward that purpose.
Goal: A rhetorical analysis explains how/why a text might be effective for a particular audience. Your goal will be to analyze the effectiveness of a written text’s rhetoric, using classical/Aristotelian analysis as it is explained in Student’s Guide.
Assignment:
Select one of the following texts:
Claudia Rankine – “Graphite Against the Sharp White Background” – https://slate.com/culture/2015/08/serena-williams-… (Heres the link to the reading)
Determine the specifics about the texts rhetorical situations:
1.You need to identify the specific audience the texts addresses.
2.You must determine what’s the “message” or “purpose” for this audience.
Note: Your thesis should address WHAT the text is doing (its purpose or argument), HOW it is doing that (persuasive strategies), and WHY it is effective or not effective for its intended audience (this last component should be saved for your reinstated thesis).
Do not devote too much time to introductions or conclusions; the bulk of your work should be dedicated to analysis. The introduction should state the creator’s purpose and thesis, as well as briefly introduce/describe the text. The conclusion should discuss the implications of your analysis and offer your final thoughts on the rhetorical effectiveness or ineffectiveness of the piece.
Your essay must be separated into paragraphs that form a coherent and logical argument. Your essay needs to be fully developed, with each point you make adequately supported by illustrations from the text and thoroughly explained in full and clear detail (PIE Paragraphs).
You will be allowed the option to set up a “lens” for your analysis with outside sources–as long as sources are approved by Rafael.
Note: Remember, one paragraph—one idea.
The finer details:
·There is no reason for any deviation from the standard formatting (no “cheap tricks” of messing with margins or character spacing, etc). Your essay must follow MLA guidelines for format: Typed, Double-Spaced, Size 12 font (Times New Roman or Times font), with 1” margins on all sides.
·4-5 pages in length, not including Works Cited. Any essay that is less than 4 pages will not receive full credit because it won’t be long enough to effectively explain your thesis.