***Please base paper off attached previous thesis, intro, conclusion, and etc attached.***
Read critically in order to analyze an argument.
What is the main argument/claim?
What reasons (sub claims) are being made to support the argument?
What evidence is being used to support the argument?Facts? Statistics? Examples? Testimonials by authorities? Appropriate anecdotes or stories?
What are the key concepts (ideas and terms that are central to the main point of the text), and how are they defined?
What does the author want the audience to believe? Feel? Do?Is there a take away for the reader presented in the conclusion?
Provide a clear interpretation of the text’s central argument in your thesis.
Support your interpretation of the argument through evidence found within the text.
Incorporate examples from the reading through summary, paraphrasing, quotations, and analysis.
Choose an appropriate organizational structure and style.
Evaluate the construction of the argument.
Who is the author and what is their background/expertise?
Does the author sufficiently support their claims? Are the reasons and evidence appropriate, plausible, and sufficient? How convincing is the evidence? Does it come from a reliable source? Are you convinced by them? If not, why? Does the author ever confuse facts with beliefs or opinions?
How does the author appeal to readers? Do they appeal to your emotions? Rely on logic? Try to establish common ground? Demonstrate credibility?
How evenhandedly does the writer present their argument? Is there any mention of counterarguments? If so, how does the author deal with them? By refuting them? By acknowledging them and responding to them reasonably? Does the writer treat other arguments respectfully? Dismissively?
What is the author’s tone? Is it appropriate?
Audience
You are writing this paper for a general, academic audience. Therefore, you cannot assume that people have read your chosen text and will need to introduce the source before using it. This also means that the distinction between your thoughts and the author’s thoughts need to be clearly demarcated (in your thesis, signal phrases, and with moments of analysis).
