Mastery Assignment 2: Rhetorical Analysis Essay

Overview

In this assignment, you will write a rhetorical analysis essay. This essay will be 750 - 1,000 words in length. You should choose a published professional article from the list in Step 2. You will turn in a single PDF of your written work.

An Accessible PDF of Mastery Assignment 2

Step 1

Step 1: Writing the Rhetorical Analysis

In this assignment, you will write a rhetorical analysis essay. When you are asked to do a rhetorical analysis of a text, you are asked to apply your critical reading skills to break down the whole of a text into the sum of its parts. You should try to determine what the writer is trying to achieve and the writing strategies the writer is using to try to achieve it. You should focus on the rhetorical situation: the context of the text, the intended audience, and the author’s purpose in writing.

Writing Resource

The Writing Resource is a reference for academic writing in this course. Refer to this source before submitting a final copy of a writing assignment.

Step 2

Step 2: Topic Selection

Choose one article from the following list that interests you. Remember to apply your critical reading skills and focus on the rhetorical situation of the text. There are suggested questions in Step 4 that may help you in analyzing your chosen article.

List of Articles:

1. Hillary Clinton, Women’s Rights are Human Rights
Transcript

2. Barack Obama, 2004 Keynote
Transcript

3. General Douglas McArthur, Duty Honor Country
Transcript

4. Elizabeth Cady Stanton's “Declaration of Sentiments at the Seneca Falls Convention"
Transcript

5. Winston Churchill's "We Shall Fight on the Beaches"
Transcript

6. Ronald Reagan's tribute to the Challenger astronauts
Transcript

7. JFK's inaugural speech
Transcript

For more information about writing a rhetorical analysis, click here.

Step 3

Step 3: Length and Formatting

This essay will follow the MLA formatting guidelines.

The essay should consist of 750 - 1,000 words typed, double spaced with Times New Roman 12-point font.
Please note the word count does not include the Works Cited page.
This assignment requires two (2) additional outside sources to support your rhetorical analysis. These sources will need to be reputable and reliable sources.
Also, include a works cited page listing the information of the article chosen for this assignment and the additional outside resources cited throughout the rhetorical analysis to support your thesis statement and main ideas.
Finally, please cite the speech you chose in your works cited page at the end of your essay. Please note, this does not count as one of the required outside sources. Be sure to cite all outsisde source material using MLA formatting.
This paper is written in the third person. It will not be written in first-person (I, we, us) or second-person (you) perspective.

For more information about writing and formatting this essay, click here.

Outline:

Each section of this essay may be one or more paragraphs. You are not restricted to writing a 5-paragraph essay; however, you should still use this basic organizational structure to make sure required elements are included.

I. Introduction
A. Hook
B. Introduction of author/work
C. Explanation of author’s purpose
D. Thesis – Was the author successful? Why or why not?
II. Body Section #1
A. Summarize article
B. Personal comment on article
III. Body Section #2
A. Analyze rhetorical situation (audience, author, purpose)
B. Use quotes and examples as evidence
C. Use in-text citations
IV. Body Section #3
A. Analyze rhetorical devices (logos, ethos, pathos)
B. Use quotes and examples as evidence
C. Use in-text citations
V. Conclusion
A. Restate the thesis in different words
B. Summarize main point
C. Provide concluding statement

Format Example:

Be sure to format the entire assignment using MLA formatting guidelines and citations. Use this example to correctly format your essay. For additional information about MLA formatting, please read through the section below labeled "Additional Resources".

Date the paper is submitted (month day, year)

Composition Title

This is the first line of the first paragraph. It should be indented. Subsequent lines
are not indented but the first line of any subsequent paragraph is indented.
The beginning of paragraph two should be indented as the first sentence to the
paragraph. Subsequent lines are not indented.

Step 4

Step 4: Read Critically

Reading critically means more than just being moved, affected, informed, influenced, or persuaded by a piece of writing. Reading critically also means analyzing and understanding how the work has achieved its effect. Below is a list of possible questions to ask when beginning to analyze a piece of prose. These questions can be used even if the student is being asked only to read the text rather than write a formal analysis. Keep in mind that there is no need to apply all of these questions to every text. This list is simply one method for getting started on reading (and then writing) critically.

Questions to ask when reading critically:

What is the general subject? Does the subject convey any personal meaning? Does it bring up any personal associations? Is the subject a controversial one?
What is the thesis (the overall main point)? How does the thesis interpret/comment on the subject?
What is the tone of the text? Was there an emotional level reaction to the text? Does this reaction change at all throughout the text?
What is the writer’s purpose? To explain? To inform? To anger? Persuade? Amuse? Motivate? Sadden? Ridicule? Is there more than one purpose? Does the purpose shift at all throughout the text?
How does the writer develop their ideas? Narration? Description? Definition? Comparison? Analogy? Cause and Effect? Example? Why does the writer use these methods of development?
How does the writer arrange their ideas? What are the patterns of arrangement? Particular to general? Broad to specific? Spatial? Chronological?
Is the text unified and coherent? Are there adequate transitions? How do the transitions work?
Are there any particularly vivid images that stand out? What effect do these images have on the writer’s purpose?

References and Citations

References and Citations

Students should consider that there might be certain parts of an argument that are not true or require additional research, or that there’s an argument they haven’t yet considered. While students can use common search engines such as Google, they are better off using search engines that are made for academic purposes. This will help filter out unhelpful articles and websites.

Note: Students are not limited to using these specific sources, but all sources must be scholarly and reputable, so it’s important to be careful when choosing what to use.

Here is a list of search engines for academic purposes or databases that are open resources:

Google Scholar
Google Scholar searches through scholarly articles, journals, books, and other academic publications and databases.
Google Scholar search tips
RefSeek*
RefSeek* searches the web, focusing on educational and organizational sites as well as academic publications and books. It weeds out results from businesses and commercial webpages.
RefSeek search tips
Educational Resources Information Center
ERIC is an online database, focusing on education-related research.
ERIC search tips
Bielefeld Academic Search Engine
BASE searches a specific set of academic websites and resources, including academic libraries and academic journals.
BASE search tips
Directory of Open Access Journals
DOAJ searches one of the largest collections of open access academic journals.

Citing Sources

Anything paraphrased or quoted needs citations, usually in the text and in a references or works cited page. Anything you include that is not your original idea MUST be cited.

Helpful Sites:

Examples of MLA Citations

Information will be cited using the MLA citation style. For more information about creating a works cited page and in-text citations, click here.

Speeches, Lectures or Presentations
Format: Last Name, First Name. “Title of the Speech.” Meeting Name, Date of Presentation, Location of Meeting Type of Presentation.
Example: Angelou, Maya. “On the Pulse of Morning.” Inauguration of President Clinton, 19 Jan. 1993, Washington D.C. Speech.

In-Text Citation Example:

Maya Angelou said that, “text of quotation here.”

“Text of quote here” (Angelou).

Websites
Format: Last name, First name. “Title of Article: Subtitle of Article.” Website, Day Month Year, URL.
Examples: Marble, Dee. “Jealousy in Shakespeare.” Shakespeare Online. 15 August 2020, shakespeare-online.com/quotes/shakespeareonjealousy.html.

All information is originally from Bibliography.com.