Essay #1: Rhetorical Analysis
Formal Requirements
For this assignment, you are asked to write a critical analysis essay that addresses the following requirements:
• Must contain at least 700 words in AT LEAST five well-developed paragraphs.
• Must be composed in an exam book.
• Must provide a clear thesis statement that indicates the overall effectiveness of the author’s rhetorical strategies (pathos, ethos, logos).
• Must provide clearly written, fully developed analysis of the article in support of your thesis.
• Must be organized into proper essay structure (intro, at least three body paragraphs, and conclusion)
• Body paragraphs must be fully developed. (If you were typing, a body paragraph would contain 8-16 lines of typed text. Typing your draft will
help you gauge the development of your body paragraphs. Using PIE–Point, Illustrate, Explain–as a guide may help you to see where your body paragraphs
need more development.
• Must provide an appropriate introduction (providing all necessary background information) and conclusion (summing up the points of your
analysis) paragraph.
• Mustquote from the source in each body paragraph (******do NOT quote in the introduction OR the conclusion******), and provide correctly
executed in-text citations. Note: paraphrases with correctly executed in-text citations are acceptable, but not in lieu of quotes. Quoting from your
source provides specific evidence for your analysis directly from the author’s article, and in preparation for your research paper, I’m looking to help
you increase your confidence with using and responding to sources properly.
• Must provide proper in-text citations for quotes and paraphrases.
• Must provide a correctly formatted MLA Works Cited page.
• Must demonstrate effective analysis, college-level reading comprehension, and proper grammar and syntax.
Topic: For this essay, you will choose to critically analyze and evaluate one (only one!) of the articles from Chapter 21 of Practical Arguments.
Before you begin to write, consider the following in addition to the requirements listed above:
• You must read the articles carefully and critically to gain a deep understanding of the arguments the author presents and to help you evaluate
their effectiveness.
• Your thesis will indicate the effectiveness of the article and you will support your thesis with your analysis of the author’s rhetorical
strategies from the reading.
• Before writing: consider the article’s original publication: what is the article’s purpose? What is the primary argument made in the article?
What claims (besides the primary argument) are made? What evidence does the author provide to substantiate his or her claims? Is the evidence effective?
How and why? Are evidence and claims free of logical fallacy? What are the most important aspects of the analysis that demonstrate the article’s
effectiveness (or lack of effectiveness?)
• Consider, the author’s appeals to pathos (emotion), ethos (authority, credibility), and logos (logic). Are these effective? Why or why not?
