Overview
Rhetorical/Textual Analysis
For this rhetorical/textual analysis essay you are concerned with how an author from our reading list is arguing. That is, you must analyze how the author you choose is trying to persuade the reader. A rhetorical analysis asks you to explain how authors attempt to influence others through discourse (including written or spoken language, images, gestures, etc.). A rhetorical analysis is not a summary. It does not ask you to agree or disagree with the author’s argument. Instead, the purpose of a rhetorical analysis is to make an argument about how an author conveys their message to a particular audience— you’re exploring the author’s goals, describing the techniques or tools used to persuade, and providing examples of those techniques from the text. In other words, you are analyzing the effectiveness of the techniques used to persuade the reader/audience. This will require textual analysis. Textual analysis is the examination of how and whether a piece of writing or speaking achieves its aims, whether these are rhetorical and persuasive or aesthetic. Such courses should pay substantial attention not only to what information the text conveys, but also to how it goes about doing so (by mobilizing particular metaphors; speaking bluntly or in a coded manner; flowery or poetic language; appealing to authority; or some other literary mechanism). (Note: close reading that merely summarizes does not on its own constitute a rhetorical/textual analysis.)
Grading Rubric:
Acknowledges most of the essential aspects to historically contextualize the text and argument. Attempt made at rhetorical analysis (style, metaphors, comparisons, dialogue, quotations, examples, etc.). Does a sufficient job demonstrating the relevance of the historical context (i.e. why and how the context matters) for our understanding of the quote and the argument. Excellent learning outcome.
Double-Spaced, Times New Roman 12pt font, In-text citations with page numbers, MLA format, 5-6 pages