Essay 2, Rhetorical Analysis – Peer Review Monday Oct 4th; Draft Due Sunday Oct 10th @ Midnight
Requirements: 850 Words Minimum, MLA formatting
This essay differs from the first one in that your task is much more to analyze and describe how an essay works rather than to build an independent argument. Choose one of our three essays – “On Being a Cripple,” “Walk On By,” or “White Privilege” – and explain how their choices in composition influence how we understand their message. You should focus on: how the author chooses to present him or herself; how they present or relate to identity markers like race or class; what kind of tone they choose; how they address their audience; how they signal who their intended audience is, how they address opposing views; how they employ ethos or pathos or logos; or how their word-choice leads us to see a problem in a new way. Be able to explain your understanding of these points to your reader and present evidence to back up your reading, and you should always focus on explaining why the author is making these decisions. How do they help support the author’s point or help persuade their audience?
Keep in mind, your essay still needs a thesis – an overall statement of how you understand the writer’s strategy in presenting their work.