Assignment for Writing Project #4: Rhetorical Analysis

You have spent the last two weeks studying rhetoric: how authors use language to persuade their intended audience. In particular, you have learned about the persuasive appeals and the strategies authors employ to make them. To apply the knowledge gained, you practiced close, critical reading and rhetorical analysis Links to an external site. in a discussion forum, where you received detailed feedback. You also took a comprehensive quiz on the material. You are more than ready for this next step in your intellectual journey.

Now it is time to take what you have already started and develop it into an essay with an engaging introduction, well-developed body paragraphs, and a conclusion.  Fortunately, you have already begun to draft this writing project.  Now, however, you are challenged to push yourself more. This essay requires a deeper and more comprehensive analysis AND evaluation of Anthony Abraham Jack's "It's Hard to Be Hungry on Spring Break."  Please follow the directions below to complete your college-level rhetorical analysis.  Here is a sample with some commentary: Download SampleRhetoricalAnalysis.pdf

  (Note: in this sample essay, the author uses the Greek terms pathos, ethos, and logos; I suggest you do not as they are antiquated and students often confuse them. Still, its a good, B-level sample. In your essay, write: The author establishes his credibility by showing that he understands the complexity of the issue. For example, when he admits...it causes the reader to...)

Assignment Prompt

Using the writing you posted and feedback you received in the discussion forum, develop an insightful and comprehensive rhetorical analysis and evaluation of Anthony Abraham Jack's "It's Hard to Be Hungry on Spring Break," in which you do each of the following:

a. familiarize your readers with the ways in which authors can persuade their intended audience.

b. introduce Anthony Abraham Jack's essay with an Academic Meaty Sentence, including his major claim; his purpose and intended audience; and summarize his essay;

c. include your thesis/major claim Links to an external site. on how persuasive Jack's argument is for his intended audience. It should be an open thesis, as you have a lot to analyze. Your thesis statement will probably work well at the end of the information given in "b."

d. identify, analyze, and evaluate three strategies Jack uses to appeal to reason.

e. identify, analyze, and evaluate three strategies Jack uses to appeal to emotions.

f. identify, analyze, and evaluate three strategies Jack uses to appeal to his credibility, character.  (I suggest you use this chart to help you with d-f: Download Aristotle's Persuasive Appeals&Strategies-1.pdf

)

g. conclude Links to an external site. by evaluating Jack's argument as a whole for his intended audience, perhaps by discussing how one or two strategies are especially effective and/or ways in which he could have strengthened his argument.

Note: In this essay, you are not responding with your opinion on the subject matter, but your opinion on how persuasive the essay is for its intended audience. 

Purpose of Assignment

Create a college-level critical analysis and evaluation of a text that demonstrates your comprehension of the ways in which an author uses rhetoric to persuade their intended audience.

Requirements

In this rhetorical analysis, the author should: 

  1. address all parts of the assignment prompt, a-g; Links to an external site.
  2. demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of rhetoric (review module and readings as needed);
  3. construct fully developed and focused body paragraphs Links to an external site. with strong topic sentences that set up the content of the paragraph;
  4. use transitional words and phrases Links to an external site. to lead the reader through ideas and from one paragraph to the next, including the ones found here: Download They-Say-I-Say-Templates1.pdf
  5. paraphrase, exemplify, and use direct quotes Links to an external site. to support and illustrate their analysis and evaluation of the text and weave/integrate them into your own words providing plenty of discussion and analysis after them; and use MLA in-text citations Links to an external site. correctly and consistently; 
  6. make few errors at the sentence level and utilize standard capitalization Links to an external site. throughout (including the title); 
  7. carefully proofread so that the final essay includes few, if any, errors at the sentence level;
  8. demonstrate mastery of MLA format and style; Links to an external site.
  9. write 3-5 pages, not including the Works Cited page. Students who would like to earn an A on this paper should write more than three pages.