9.1: Analyzing a Text for a Rhetorical Analysis Paper -- Reading
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)What is a Rhetorical Analysis Paper?
This type of essay asks you to explain the rhetorical strategies used by the author of a text or speaker of a media piece (speech, video, podcast). Your argument in a rhetorical analysis paper should be why you have concluded that the author’s rhetorical strategies were effective or not. Your focus is not on WHAT (content of the author’s text) but rather HOW the author presents their content. See the following example to illustrate the difference between WHAT and HOW.
In her article, “Cleaning: The Final Feminist Frontier,” Jessice Grose argues that men do not do their fair share of household chores compared to women. This is the WHAT. While the WHAT is key to identifying the HOW, your paper would not focus on summarizing the content of Grose’s article.
Instead, your Rhetorical Analysis Paper would focus on HOW she gets her point across. Does she use logos, pathos, ethos, or Kairos to make her argument? However, remember that using the four rhetorical appeals does not automatically mean that an argument is good or sound. You would also analyze whether she used these strategies effectively. You would also consider if her argument weighed down by any logical fallacies.
What should you keep in mind when writing a Rhetorical Analysis Paper?
A rhetorical analysis typically examines the following:
· Speaker: Who is writing the article? What have they typically written before? You may have to do background research on those involved.
· Audience: Who is the audience for this article? Consider where the article is published. What sort of other articles does the platform publish? This may give you a better idea as to who the audience is.
· Purpose: What effect is the speaker attempting to have on an audience? (Examples: change beliefs, evoke an emotion, influence decisions, offer a new perspective, etc.)
· Message: What is the main idea that the speaker is communicating with the audience?
· Genre: Does the message work for the genre?
· Context: What circumstances surround the article and its message?
· Appeals: What ways is the speaker swaying the audience to accomplish the article’s purpose?
o Ethos: ethical appeal that emphasizes the credibility/how trustworthy the speaker is
o Logos: logical appeal that certifies that the message is well-supported, well-researched
o Pathos: pathetic appeal that evokes specific emotions in an audience
o Kairos: timeliness of an argument
Reading Context and Summary:
You will need to read through “Cleaning: The Final Feminist Frontier” by Jessice Grose in order to complete the in-class activity and the assignment section. Access the article by following the above link. As stated before, Grose argues that men do not do their fair share of household chores compared to women. The author’s essay and exploration of her topic stems from an incident with her husband where his dad was going to visit them, but their home was a mess. Grose notes that she and her husband had different perspectives on this. Grose believed that their home should be clean and presentable for someone to visit, while her husband did not believe that his father would care whether the place was a mess. Grose used this incident as a launchpad to explore unequal labor at home between women and men through various strategies.