Essay 1: Rhetorical Analysis Rough Draft Due: Thursday, February 15 Final Draft Due: Monday, February 19 Directions: Following the guidelines in Practical Argument Chapter 4, write an essay of 700-900 words that analyzes the rhetoric of an argumentative speech. Your essay should consider the rhetorical situation, the means of persuasion, and the rhetorical strategies used by the author. Choose a Text The purpose of this essay is to examine the rhetorical features of your selected text. You have the option of one of the following four speeches about food. All of these contain the elements of rhetoric that we have discussed. Your job is to choose one and make a substantial analysis of that text. Do not summarize. William Li: “Can We Eat to Starve Cancer?” 2010 Ali Partovi: “Why Is Organic Food So *#@! Expensive??” 2015 Pamela Ronald: “The Case for Engineering Our Food” 2015 Pierre Thiam: “A Forgotten Ancient Grain that Could Help Africa Prosper” 2017 Developing Your Analysis • • • • Rhetorical Situation. Establish the rhetorical situation of the argument by considering the author’s background, purpose, and audience, as well as the topic and context of the argument. Refer to your textbook, pages 92-97, for specific questions you might choose to address in your description of the rhetorical situation. Means of Persuasion. Analyze the author’s use of ethos, pathos, and logos. The body of the essay should include a detailed description of the author’s appeals to character/authority, emotion, and reason. Be sure to cite specific examples and explain how they are intended to affect the audience. If one of the means of persuasion is missing from your argument, this absence should also be addressed. Other Rhetorical Strategies. Consider the other rhetorical features of the text, such as thesis, organization, and the specific stylistic techniques discussed on pages 100-1. Incorporate your discussion of these features, where applicable, into the introduction or body of the paper. Assessment. Evaluate the effectiveness of your chosen text. Discuss whether its persuasive strategies are successful for the intended audience. Additional Requirements No Outside Sources: You will need to quote and cite the speech you are analyzing. You may not use any other sources for this paper. Format: Your final draft should be 750-1,000 words, typed, double-spaced, carefully proofread, and formatted in MLA style. Follow the model student paper in Practical Argument, 115-17, and include a Works Cited page. Dos and Don’ts Do write for an audience unfamiliar with your text. Imagine a reader who may have read or watched the argument but hasn’t put a lot of thought into it. You are explaining the persuasive strategies to someone who needs to be reminded about the context and content of your topic. Don’t simply summarize the text. Keep in mind that you are writing an analysis, not a summary. You should not simply restate the argument’s main ideas. Do focus on HOW the author attempts to persuade his or her audience. Closely examine each rhetorical feature, cite specific examples, and explain how each example is intended to affect the audience. Don’t write a position paper. The goal of the assignment is not to respond to the author’s argument. Your stance might come up in the conclusion but should not be the focus of the essay. Grading Criteria Your essay will be evaluated based on the following criteria: • • • • • • • Demonstrated ability to construct a rhetorical analysis as explained in Practical Argument Chapter 4. Demonstrated understanding of the means of persuasion and other rhetorical devices. Clear and focused thesis statement. Paragraphs fully developed with detailed supporting evidence. Proper use, citation, and documentation of source material using MLA format. Effective essay organization to create a clear line of argument. Clear and precise sentence-level rhetoric (grammar and style). Other Important Info Due Dates: Thursday, February 15: Rough draft due on discussion board. Make sure you follow the instructions on the board closely. Monday, February 19: Final draft due. Submit the final draft to Canvas in both the regular and Veracite submission areas before midnight. Relevant Textbook Chapters: Be sure that you are familiar with the information in all of these chapters as you compose your rhetorical analysis: • • • • • • • Chapter 4: “Writing a Rhetorical Analysis” Introduction: “Understanding Arguments” Chapter 1: “The Four Pillars of Argument” Chapter 2: “Thinking and Reading Critically” Chapter 9: “Summarizing, Paraphrasing, Quoting, and Synthesizing Sources” Chapter 10: “Documenting Sources: MLA” Chapter 11: “Avoiding Plagiarism” (click each speech to watch it!) William Li: “Can We Eat to Starve Cancer?” 2010 (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. Ali Partovi: “Why Is Organic Food So *#@! Expensive??” 2015 (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. Pamela Ronald: “The Case for Engineering Our Food” 2015 (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. Pierre Thiam: “A Forgotten Ancient Grain that Could Help Africa Prosper” 2017 (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.