Essays which do not fulfill the requirements of the assignment will not earn passing grades.
Essays do not fulfill the requirements of the assignment if they:
Are incorrectly formatted,
Are short of the minimum word count
Are not on one of the selected visuals in the Rhetorical Analysis of a Visual module
Do not analyze the chosen image in terms of Rhetoric (and, for example, summarize it instead)
Do not use supporting examples and at least make an attempt at citing them correctly
Do not include Work Cited Page–See citing from coursework.
Rhetorical Analysis of a Visual Medium
NOTE: We are analyzing these visuals (see next module for images) in terms of rhetoric, not graphic design nor advertising. I am looking to see if you have mastered the concepts for this module.
Compose an essay analyzing the effectiveness of the image where you discuss how the authors use ethos, pathos, logos and (if applicable) kairos to persuade their target audience This essay should three full pages (a minimum of 750 words—not including title, heading, or Work Cited). You should include the image you are analyzing on a separate page. This essay should conform to the expectations of academic writing including:
The use of formal standard American academic prose (which we discussed in the Essay Basics module)
Being typed, with 12 pt font, in Times New Roman, 1-inch margins, double-spaced, without the extra spaces between the paragraphs, and with the appropriate heading (Template can be found in the Essay Basics module)
Having an interesting and appropriate title.
a formal argumentative thesis statement (not implied)
Example: This image is effective in its persuasive argument because _________.
Fully developed paragraphs including an introduction and a conclusion.
IN THE ESSAY YOU SHOULD:
Use an organizational strategy (Points from greatest to least or least to greatest works well. but also consider that the effectiveness depends upon the target audience.)
Use the standard vocabulary we have established in this class (connotation, denotation, ethos,
pathos, etc.)
State your opinion and validate (back it up) with evidence from the image.
Essays will be graded according to the standard BRCC English 102 Rubric.
A Sample Rhetorical Analysis
The United Nations campaign “More Than Meets the Eye” is a series of images designed to challenge and expose cultural perceptions and assumptions about race, gender, and ethnicity. One particular image is of an attractive black male dressed in what seems to be a well-made shirt. He looks affluent and well-groomed, with close cut hair and fashionable “scruff” on his face. Over this image are the words “What Do You See?” with check boxes next to “Athlete,” “Nurse,” and “Drug Dealer” as choices. Even though the logos presented in the advertisement could be construed as faulty, the ethos is solid and the pathos succeeds in forcing the viewer into a moment of introspection to examine possible prejudices and question cultural assumptions.
The target audience is hard to limit since the internet is easily accessible to most people. Since this is posted to the United Nations’ website some might contend that the authors of this ad are unsuccessful in reaching their target audience because of their strong ethos. The United Nations is known not only for its peacekeeping missions but as being a defender of human rights worldwide. Its document The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a well-known and respected as being the framework for human rights and dignity, thus lending authority to the argument. However, because of their ethos in human rights, it could be argued that those who would normally access the United Nations’ website are advocates for human rights and are aware of racial prejudices. However, when the viewer allows him or herself to “play the game” proposed by the image and think about first impressions, the viewer might confront unknown subconscious cultural assumptions regardless of the assumed racial awareness.
Some may argue that the logos of this image is based on a logical fallacy–the choices are limited to three, one obviously racist (“Drug Dealer”) one from a racist cultural assumption (“Athlete”) and one which could be considered unconventional (“Nurse’) and which can be presumed to be the “correct” choice. The fallacy here would be that these are the only possible choices a viewer would make–not actor, astronaut, teacher, lawyer, professor, fashion designer or any other possible career. This might be a flaw with the argument, but oddly this flaw seems to be vital to the strength of the argument. By narrowing the choices to three–one overtly racist, one falsely benign, and one presented as a challenge to cultural expectations–the image forces the viewer to make a potentially uncomfortable choice.
The pathos of this advertisement depends on the discomfort of the viewer in order for its ultimate goal to be achieved–fighting racist stereotypes, even the seemingly innocuous ones. By challenging the viewer’s cultural assumptions, the viewer becomes uncomfortable and, hopefully, introspective, examining his or her possible wrongful assumptions. The apparent goal would be that once examined, the viewer would be more mindful and stop before making assumptions of others.
