1102 Chapter 5 Rhetorical Analysis – Notes

Definition: a rhetorical analysis is “a close reading of a text to find how and whether it works to persuade…you perform a rhetorical analysis by analyzing how well the components of an argument work together to persuade or move an audience” (97). 

How to write one:

1.       Identify the argument the writer/director/artist/etc. makes

2.      Ask yourself whether the writer/director/artist/etc. successfully persuades you.

3.      The answer to the questions above forms your introduction and thesis. The rest of your essay will explain your evaluation of the work.  Why, for example, does Cover Girl’s campaign starring Gwen Stefani make you want to buy red lipstick?  Why does Jonathan Safran Foer make you question why you eat meat?  Think about the strategies the writer (or etc.) uses to convey her argument.  There are questions you can ask yourself on page 98 of your text, but it’s helpful to think about your analysis in terms of ethos, pathos, logos, and style.

4.      Remember: you should identify the technique and then show, through your analysis, whether it works or not.

Finding the Argument

·         What is the purpose?

Ethos

·         Who created this argument?  Is he/she credible?

·         Who is the argument designed for? 

·         How does the creator meet the expectations of the audience?

·         How does she establish credibility?

Pathos

·         How does the use of emotion work in this argument? 

·         Does it strengthen the argument, or undermine the argument through the use of logical fallacies?

Logos

·         Does the creator back up her arguments?

·         Are the arguments reasonable?

·         Are the sources documented? 

·         Is the creator trustworthy?

·         Are the arguments backed up with good reasons and reliable evidence?

·         Is the information accurate?  Are the sources accurate?

·         What is missing from the argument?

Style

·         Does the tone work?

·         The voice work?

·         Sentence structure?

·         Format?

·         Use of humor/irony/visuals?

Structure

1.       Intro and thesis.  __________ argues ­__________.  The film successfully/unsuccessfully/both persuades because ________________.  Example: In his essay “Food is Good,” Anthony Bourdain details the childhood events that led him to believe that food is powerful.  Whether or not Bourdain’s epiphany resonates with readers depends upon their ability to enjoy, understand, or perhaps even tolerate Bourdain’s brash narrative style. 

2.      In the body of your essay, you will explain/expand your thesis by explaining in detail why the work succeeds or fails.  Each of the following will be a different section of your paper.  This does not mean that you will have only one paragraph per letter.

a.      How successfully does the creator establish and appeal to ethos?

b.      How successfully does the creator appeal to pathos?

c.       How successfully does the creator appeal to logos?

d.      How does the work’s style help to convey the argument?

3.      Make a final concluding statement.