Major Paper #1: Rhetorical Analysis

Assignment Description

As outlined in Lesson 2, a rhetorical analysis explores the author’s goals, the techniques used, examples of those techniques, and the effectiveness of those techniques. When composing a rhetorical analysis, you will not explain whether you agree or disagree with the author. Instead, your goal is to discuss how the author makes his/her argument and whether his/her approach is successful.

For your first major essay in English 112, you will analyze how an author persuades his/her readers to accept his/her claims. You will do this by analyzing how effectively the author appeals to logos, ethos, and pathos to build a persuasive case for his/her claims. You will also identify and analyze logical fallacies present in the author’s argument and describe whether these fallacies interfere with the overall effectiveness of the author’s argument.

Focus your analysis on one article from the following list:

• “Hidden Intellectualism” by Gerald Graff (They Say/I Say pages 425-432)
• “Blue-Collar Brilliance” by Mike Rose (They Say/I Saypages 433-445)
• “Smarter Than You Think: How Technology is Changing Our Minds for the Better” by Clive Thompson (They Say/I Saypages 497-517)
• “Does Texting Affect Writing” by Michaela Cullington (They Say/I Saypages 518-529)
• “No Need to Call” by Sherry Turkle (They Say/I Saypages 561-580)

Your essay SHOULD…

• follow MLA format.This means that your essay should contain an appropriate heading, title, page numbers, margins, parenthetical citations, and a works cited page – all formatted using MLA format. See the MLA section, beginning on page 391, in Rules for Writers. 
• be 1500 words or 5 full pages in length.This does not include your Works Cited page, which will begin on a separate page. See the example MLA formatted essay on pages 468-476 in Rules for Writers.
• be written in the third person(he, she, etc.). As explained on page 128 in Rules for Writers, “The third-person point of view, which emphasizes the subject, is appropriate in formal academic and professional writing” (Hacker and Sommers).
• clearly integrate source material and contain signal phrases. See pages 403-417 in Rules for Writers.
• only use and focus on one of the above articles.

Your essay SHOULD NOT…

• be written in the first person (“I think,” “I feel,” “I believe,” “In my opinion”).
• be written in the second person (“you”).
• use any additional sources outside of the one article you select from the above list.

Organization Expectations

• Introduction: Introduce the article, the author, and the context of the article as appropriate. Define the audience for the article. Conclude the introduction with a clear thesis statement.
• Body Paragraph 1: Explain how the author appeals to logos by identifying and analyzing at least two examples of an appeal to logos present in this article.
• Body Paragraph 2:Explain how the author appeals to ethos by identifying and analyzing at least two examples of an appeal to ethos present in this article.
• Body Paragraph 3: Explain how the author appeals to pathos by identifying and analyzing at least two examples of an appeal to pathos present in this article.
• Body Paragraph 4: Identify and thoroughly analyze a logical fallacy present in this article and explain whether its inclusion interferes with the argument’s overall effectiveness.
• Body Paragraph 5: Identify and thoroughly analyze another logical fallacy present in this article and explain whether its inclusion interferes with the argument’s overall effectiveness.
• Conclusion: Wrap up the essay, commenting again on the significance of the article and his or her work. The conclusion wraps up the essay thoughtfully and makes an overall evaluative claim about the persuasiveness of the article.

For Assistance

• Refer to the specific Rules for Writerspage numbers provided on the first page of this document.
• Refer to Lesson 2for guidance with summary writing and composing a rhetorical analysis.
• Refer to Lesson 3for further detail regarding logos, ethos, and pathos, as well as logical fallacies.
• Refer to Lesson 4for assistance with paraphrasing, quoting, and citing using MLA format.
• Refer to Lesson 5for assistance with proofreading and revision strategies.
• Consider utilizing the Virtual REAL Centerfor assistance with any stage of the writing process.

Rough Draft Turn-In Procedures

• Save the rough draft of your essay as a Word Document – in a .doc or .docx file format.
• Submit the rough draft of your essay through the rough draft submission link in Lesson 4by the deadline. You will also submit portions of your rough draft on the peer review discussion board for feedback. *Late submissions will not be accepted.

Final Draft Turn-In Procedures

• Save your final essay as a Word Document – in a .doc or .docx file format.
• Submit your final essay through the assignment submission link in Lesson 6by the deadline. *Late essays will receive a substantial point deduction as explained in the syllabus.

Major Paper #1 Grading Rubric

Introduction, Thesis, and Conclusion: 20 points

• Introductionengages the reader’s interest and provides appropriate context of the article. Introduction eloquently explains the central claim(s) of the article. Introduction eloquently explains the audience for the article.
• Thesis provides an excellent blueprint for the analysis of how the author makes an argument, including identifying how the author use appeals to ethos, logos, and pathos to reach its audience.
• The conclusionwraps up the essay thoughtfully and makes an overall evaluative claim about the persuasiveness of the article.

Analyzing Appeals to Logos, Ethos, and Pathos: 45 points

• Student writer has a clear & insightful grasp of the rhetorical appeals (logos, ethos, and pathos) used in the article
• Examples of elements in the article are adeptly used to support & further the discussion of logos, ethos, and pathos. Examples are explained so that the reader clearly understands how each example works as an appeal to logos, ethos, and pathos.
• Student writer eloquently explains why the author succeeds or fails in appealing to logos, ethos, and pathos.

Explanation of Logical Fallacies: 15 points

• Student writer eloquently & insightfully explains at least two logical fallacies that occur in the article, both by defining the two fallacies and by thoroughly explaining how each fallacy occurs in the article.
• Student writer clearly & insightfully explains how these fallacies affect the arguments being made in the article.

Conventions: 20 points

• Writing is free from errors in grammar, punctuation, and mechanics.

· Document contains parenthetical citations, signal phrases, and a works cited page.

· Document is free from errors in MLA formatting.

Total ____ /100 points

*Essays turned in without a Work Cited page will earn an automatic 0.

*Essays that do not meet the word count/page requirement will receive a substantial point deduction and may not earn a passing grade.

*The work you submit must be your own, new, original work. You may not submit work in this course that you submitted in another class. As outlined in the course syllabus, reusing work without permission is a violation of the academic integrity policy, which may result in a 0 on the assignment and failure in the course.