Think about the writer’s argument. What does the writer want readers to think or do?
Think about the context and genre. Is it an article, political cartoon, song, or speech? How does the genre influence the message, the structure of the message, and the style of writing? Place the article in its rhetorical context. Why is this piece relevant or important for the moment it was written? Give evidence from the text to support your analysis of the context. Analyze the impact on the argument.
Think about the writer (ethos). Do a quick Google search on the writer. What are the writer’s background, expertise, and affiliations? What do you think is the writer’s purpose? How much does the writer’s personal perspective influence the text? What words in the text support the writer’s credibility?
Think about the argument (logos). Does the argument or message make sense? Does each point logically follow one another? What gaps, contradictions, or unanswered questions are you left with? What points of view and pieces of evidence are ignored by this writer? Does the writer use evidence or sources to support the argument? Does the quality of the evidence bring a strong case or fall short?
Think about the writing style (pathos). How do the writer’s language choices, sentence length, and complexity contribute to the impact of the argument? Is the tone serious, mocking, humorous, exhorting, confessional, urgent, or something else? Does the writer’s tone suit the argument? Give evidence from the text to support your analysis. How does the writing style impact the argument?
Think about the writer’s audience.Who is the intended audience? What audiences might already be on this writer’s side? What opposing audiences might the writer want to persuade? What assumptions, values, or beliefs would readers have to hold to find this argument persuasive? How would this argument be received by different audiences? Give evidence from the text to support your analysis of the writer’s audiences.
Think about design elements (if any). How do the layout, font sizes, and color choices influence the argument? How do graphics, images, or other visuals contribute to the persuasiveness of the argument? How do design features contribute to the logical or emotional appeals of the argument?
Write a paragraph that acknowledges the opposition (1 paragraph, 10 points):
Anticipate and respond to a possible objection to your argument.
Could a reasonable person draw a different conclusion from your facts or examples? Is there any evidence that might weaken your position?
Respond by offering a new perspective, explaining your position, or suggesting a different interpretation of the evidence.
