Rhetorical Analysis on “The New Literacy”
For this first essay, you are going to look at how a writer argues his or her point. You will consider how the author organizes the information in order to appeal to his or her audience. You will look at 3-4 strategies used and determine the effect it has on readers. The effectiveness can be done throughout the paper and in the conclusion. This essay is not focused on your specific opinion on the issue, but on the greater effect of the piece.
Read “The New Literacy” handout and analyze it based on the strategies of logos, pathos, and ethos. Please refer to the handouts and links to help you prepare for writing this essay.
Description of the Assignment
The first paragraph should briefly summarize the main ideas of “The New Literacy.” The summary should take no more than one paragraph (3-4 sentences at most). Within the first few sentences of your first paragraph, you must note the full title of the article and the full name of the author.
At the end of this first paragraph you must have a thesis identifying the primary rhetorical strategies of the writer.
In the main body of the paper (3-6 paragraphs), present a lengthy explanation of how the writer presents the argument. What are the 3-4 primary rhetorical strategies (from the logos, pathos, and ethos list)? How does the writer attempt to persuade? Always return to a discussion of the author’s potential effect on his or her audience.
In each of your body paragraphs, you must discuss the writer’s use of a specific rhetorical strategy (a technique used in persuasion from the logos, pathos, and ethos list). You’ll discuss 3-4 strategies in all. For example, some common strategies are as follows:
• Logos-
o Reasoning-inductive or deductive?
o Compare/contrast-show good/bad to change the way a person sees A or B.
o Concrete examples-multiple examples to prove point?
o Direct quotes-from credible sources that strengthen the point being made
o Statistics-from credible sources that strengthen the point being made
o Definitions-given to clarify
• Ethos-
o Knowledge of the author
o The appeal to authority (credible sources: quoting experts, using statistics, citing information from credible sources. Where does the information come from?
o Appealing to the opposition: granting validity to the opposition/demonstrating respect for the opposition. An effective writer will clearly and fairly list the arguments of the opposition, without insulting or diminishing them. She or he will point out aspects of the opponent’s arguments that are valid. Effective authors will take pains to show that while they disagree with their opponents, they still respect them.
o
• Pathos-
o Personal testimony occurs when the writer describes an event they have directly experienced. The author’s experiences are intended to be representative of a general tendency
o Illustrative anecdotes- stories the author tells about other people
o Emotion-laden words and phrases
o Descriptions
Important note: Not all of these strategies will apply to each argument.
Conclude by assessing the effectiveness of the article. What is the article’s greatest strength? How could the article be stronger? If so, state specifically how. You should also make a few observations about what can be learned about rhetoric by examining the work of this writer.
You do not need to use outside sources for this paper. Your evidence will come directly from the text itself. You should have a works cited page and in-text citations for “The New Literacy.”
Paper Requirements:
Proper Heading (Name, Class, Date)
Proper Header (Last name, pg # in upper right corner)
2-3.5 pages
Double spaced
12 point font
Time New Roman
Works Cited Page
Possible Outline for Paper 1
I. Introduction/Summaries Paragraph 1
A. Summary of the article: 2-3 sentences. Include the full name of the author (s) and full title of the article.
B. Thesis statement (note which 3-4 rhetorical strategies will be discussed in the paper.)
II. Body Paragraphs: Discussion of Three/Four Rhetorical Strategies
1) Body Paragraph 1: first rhetorical strategy employed by the article (for example, illustrative anecdotes).
a. Topic sentence that identifies the rhetorical strategy
b. Evidence from the text
c. Explanation of how it relates
d. Transition to next point
2) Body Paragraph 2: second rhetorical strategy employed by the article (for example, the appeal to the opposition).
a. Topic sentence that identifies the rhetorical strategy
b. Evidence from the text
c. Explanation of how it relates
d. Transition to next point
3) Body Paragraph 3: third rhetorical strategy employed by the article (for example, the appeal to authority, using credible sources).
a. Topic sentence that identifies the rhetorical strategy
b. Evidence from the text
c. Explanation of how it relates
d. Transition to next point
4) Body Paragraph 4: fourth rhetorical strategy employed by the article (for example, concrete examples)
a. Topic sentence that identifies the rhetorical strategy
b. Evidence from the text
c. Explanation of how it relates
d. Transition to next point
III. Conclusion.
A. Restate your thesis
B. Sum up your paper by discussing the article’s greatest strengths (and potential weaknesses).
C. Explain why you think the argument is effective overall or not.
D. Explain what can be learned about argument and persuasion by examining the tactics of this article
