Freshman composition teachers often assign students rhetorical analysis essays, but what is a rhetorical analysis? And how do you write one? Let's start by learning the difference between a summary and an analysis because the number one mistake I see students making when attempting this genre (type of writing) is that they end up summarizing and never get around to analyzing. This often results in a poor grade or a comment from the teacher asking you to "redo" the assignment. The other mistake I see students making with this genre is that they feel compelled to respond to their text, either in favor or against what the author/speaker is saying. That isn't a rhetorical analysis, either. What is an analysis? Well, we know it is not a summary. In other words, you should not break-down your text (article, video, ad, whatever) chronologically in your analysis essay. You may need to summarize---as part of your writing process or briefly in your introduction---before getting to your analysis, but the summary of whatever you're supposed to be analyzing is not the same thing as actually analyzing it. We also know that a rhetorical analysis isn't a response or reply to the author or speaker, so try your best to keep your opinions about the issue or topic to yourself. To analyze means to study something carefully through a process of examination. Therefore, at the heart of every analysis is an argument (or opinion) about how well an author achieved his or her stated (or implied) purpose. In other words, for a rhetorical analysis, you need to decide
What does rhetorical mean? It comes from the word "rhetoric," which simply means "persuasive writing or speaking." We often use rhetoric when we craft our own arguments. In a rhetorical analysis, however, our job is to study the way someone else attempted to persuade. We must decide if their chosen strategies for persuasion worked or not. Typically for these assignments, you'll be given or asked to choose an opinionated article, short video, or ad--- basically anything that attempts to persuade. To analyze, you will need to identify various techniques or rhetorical appeals used by the author or speaker. Learning about various appeals (techniques) authors and speakers often use for persuasion can help with this. Your teacher will likely provide a list of rhetorical appeals along with definitions, but you can also check out the brief video below. It summarizes the three most common appeals: logos, ethos, and pathos. How do I write a rhetorical analysis essay? As with any essay, you will need all the parts of a typical college essay: an introduction, body, and conclusion; however, before you stress about your thesis, topic sentences, organization and grammar, take a deep breath and read through the following steps specific to writing a rhetorical analysis essay: Step 1: Read/watch and annotate Too often I meet with students who are so anxious to turn in their essay for a grade that they do a poor job reading/watching the thing they need to analyze and annotating it. Sometimes they completely skip this step. (Yikes!) The truth is, you cannot successfully analyze anything you're unfamiliar with, so get familiar with your text, whether it is a scholarly or opinionated article, video, ad etc. I suggest you read through your text or watch your video at least 3-5 times. The more times, the better! Be sure to annotate. In other words, take notes:
Step 2: Identify author's purpose/ message Why did the author(s) write this text, do you think? Or what were the author(s) hoping to accomplish when they recorded their message? Who is their audience? (eg. college students, parents, teachers...?) Do they challenge their readers to make a change or think differently about a topic? What is the author's (or speaker's) thesis statement? And, no, you do not need to do outside research to discover these answers. (So no googling for "answers," please. It won't help you as much as you may think!) I admit that some teachers may ask for a research component to a rhetorical analysis, but not usually. Instead, ask yourself what you (as a reader or audience member) "get out" of this text. Be as specific as possible. So, instead of saying "this text is about restrictive gun laws," you might say "the author wants his/her audience to consider how restrictions on gun ownership is in violation to the second amendment, and he/she wants us to cut back on these restrictions in Texas." You don't have to agree with the author(s)! For now, we're simply looking for what the author(s) are saying or what they are attempting to persuade their readers to believe or do. Step 3: Look for and identify rhetorical appeals Writing rhetorical analysis essays are particularly challenging because oftentimes (especially for hot topics like abortion, gun control, etc) we already have our opinions formed before we read the article or watch the video. We may either already agree with the author or speaker, so it makes it "easy" to be persuaded or we do not agree with the author or speaker and no matter what he/she says, we'll never be persuaded. Forget your personal bias! In fact, don't worry about the topic being discussed for a moment. Instead, focus on the techniques used by the author or speaker:
Step 4: Develop an analysis-focused thesis Your thesis should tell readers your opinion about how well the author achieved his/her purpose and/or how. Having such an argument (opinion), remember, is at the heart of a rhetorical analysis essay. Doing this ensures that you are indeed analyzing (and not simply summarizing or responding with bias), which will result is a better grade for this genre. So, for example, you might say something like
Check out the brief video below if you need a refresher on thesis statements, but remember that the best place to put your thesis is usually the last sentence in your introduction. Concluding Tips
I get that you want to do the thing that will be graded, but believe me when I say how much better your analysis will be if you take the time to study your text and the appeals used in it. This will also ensure that you don't simply summarize and lose points for not analyzing. As always, remember that writing is a process. It's okay if you don't "get it" the first time. We often discover our opinions as we write, so be open to multiple drafts or versions of your essay before turning in your final draft. Also, don't be afraid to reach out to a writing tutor. We understand the challenges of the writing process and the common pitfalls while writing in this genre. Oftentimes, we're able to pick up on errors (big and small) simply because we're not as emotionally attached to your writing as you are. Let me know in the comments if these tips were useful, and best of luck!
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