AssignmentDraft, revise, and edit your text to produce a well-organized essay of at least 600
words and not more than 800. Your essay should be a rhetorical analysis of ONE of the
following readings from your textbook:
Johanna MacKay Organ Sales Will Save Lives (157-162)
Nicholas Kristof Our Blind Spot About Guns (162-165)
Molly Worthen, U Cant Talk to Ur Professor Like This (165-170)
Purpose: The point of a rhetorical analysis is to evaluate the writers ability to use various
strategies to create a convincing argument. Your thesis should answer the following
questions: Is this an effective argument? Why or why not?
Skills: The purpose of this assignment is to help you practice the following skills that are
essential to this course, first year composition, and most importantly, writing and researching
across the curriculum: critical reading, critical thinking, evaluation, synthesis, and analysis.
Knowledge: This assignment will help you become familiar with evaluating sources. A
rhetorical analysis requires you to break down an argument into pieces, closely examining the
writers rhetorical strategies.
Task: Your essay should contain the following: an introduction, at least four body paragraphs,
and a conclusion. Focus on developing each body paragraph with plenty of details and
explanations to make your analysis convincing. Your final essay should be around 600 words or
more. Four body paragraphs means that you need to make four points about the essay youre
evaluating. You will use MLA format for the essay: double spaced/12 pt. font.
Criteria for Success:
Begin your essay with appropriate background information about the source essay. Your
introduction should draw your readers in and lead them smoothly to your thesis
statement. Your thesis should clearly state whether the writer has an effective argument.
In the introduction, mention the author by full name and state the title of the essay.
Analyze the writers argument by examining the rhetorical features. Analyze the
strategies the author uses to achieve his or her goals. This is key! Make sure you have
not simply summarized the writers argument. Its not important whether you agree with
the writer; youre evaluating the writing, not arguing about the issue.
Explain your ideas adequately. Simply listing points is not enough. They must be
explained.
Organize your essay. Well-developed, unified, coherent body paragraphs should directly
support your thesis.
Check for good grammar and clear sentences. Proofread carefully.
Format your essay in MLA format.
Some other ideas for writing your rhetorical analysis essay:
When you write an essay, each body paragraph can serve as an answer to a question. Here
are some questions you might want to answer in your body paragraphs:
Does the writer do a good job of getting readers interested in the issue?
Does the writer effectively establish his or her own authority and credibility on this
subject?
How strong is the support provided?
Does the writer show a good awareness of who his or her audience is?
Does the writer use emotions effectively?
Does the writer refute his or her opponents effectively?
Is the tone of the essay appropriate to the topic?
Does the writer choose words effectively?
Is the essay organized in the best possible way?
Is the thesis stated clearly?
Is the essay gracefully written?
Does the writer avoid logical fallacies?
Are examples used effectively to support opinions?
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