Write your analysis essay, which should identify, analyze, and evaluate the evidence presented, as well as the writer’s purpose and use of rhetorical strategies, as described in the Rhetorical Analysis lecture notes in the module. There should be some summary of the content (what is said), but most of the emphasis should be on analysis (how it is said) and why the argument is effective (not just because you agree or disagree with it).
Essay Requirements: Discuss, in detail, the types of evidence and the rhetorical strategies, devices, or appeals you find in the article you choose, as defined in the Rhetorical Analysis lecture in the module: appeals to emotion (pathos), character & values (ethos), and logic (logos), as well as the organization, tone, style, and language of the essay, if relevant. Explain how these elements work together to make the article an effective argument or pice of evidence supporting your thesis, or an effective counter argument or example. Choose an article which makes an effective/persuasive argument, even if you disagree with the thesis. You are more likely to write a good analysis of an argument you find effective than if you try to analyze the flaws in an argument. Support your assertions with specific examples from the text by using summary and quotation from the article, as relevant. (See note on Quotations, Citations, and Sources, below).
Additional Reading: Read all documents and lecture notes in the Analysis module. Check back often, as some helpful documents may be added later. Also see the textbook, EmpoWord, Part Two, “Text Wrestling Analysis,” for additional examples.
Additional Sources: For this essay, do not use any sources other than the article you are analyzing, or the CQR report (if needed for context). Use of any other sources will cause you to fail the assignment.
Organization: Your essay should be comprised of an introduction, a brief summary of the context and purpose of the article (the issues, events, or arguments to which the author seems to be responding) followed by your detailed analysis and evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of the evidence given in the argument, as shown in the use of rhetorical devices/strategies, and a conclusion noting how you might use these points in your own research argument. Make sure to use clear transitions between paragraphs. Your thesis should state a claim about the overall effectiveness of the essay, not your opinion on the issue.
Quotations, Citations, and Sources: You must interpret or explain any quotation/example or show how it helps to support the point you are making. Your essay must include proper in-text or parenthetical citations to indicate where you are using the source article. For examples, see the OWL MLA slides in the Writing Resources module. Also note how the author of the CQR report introduces, and then summarizes or quotes sources. You can do the same. Note, however, that MLA does not use footnotes, as CQR does. Instead, if the source has not already been named in your sentence, put the last name of the author in parentheses, followed by a period to end your sentence, if needed.
Format: Your final essay must be typed following MLA format conventions (see the format of the sample paper in the OWL MLA slides in the Writing Resources module): double-spaced, one inch margins, headings, title, page numbering, properly formatted citations, works cited, etc. Please use 12-point Times New Roman (or something similar) for your font style and size. Submit your essay in MS Word (.doc or .docx) or Adobe Portable Document (.pdf). Other formats are NOT acceptable for submission.
Conventions: Do NOT refer to the writer by his or her first name only. Use an identifier and first and last name on first reference (President Biden, author Wendell Berry); use last name or identifier (the author, the President, Berry) on second and subsequent reference. Use present tense when discussing the writer’s argument: Addison says/Leonhardt writes/Wortham argues.
Plagiarism: Each essay assignment is submitted to Turn It In, a plagiarism checking service used by many colleges across the country. If a significant portion of your essay is a match to sources found online (other than the article you are analyzing) or to essays turned in previously to Turn It In, your essay will be tagged as possibly plagiarized. Your essay must be original work for this class, and cannot be work you have submitted previously for other classes! Please read the Plagiarism lecture in the module and be aware of these requirements.
