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10.1: Structure of a Rhetorical Analysis Paper -- Reading

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    What is the structure of a Rhetorical Analysis Paper?

    I. Introduction

    A. Introduce the author/speaker, their credentials, and subject

    B. Identify the author’s purpose

    C. Identify the audience of the piece

    D. Thesis statement:

    a. This is where YOU make a claim about how well (or not) the author fulfilled the purpose within their text

    b. You should also identify techniques used to accomplish purpose/persuade audience

    II. Body Paragraph #1: Analysis of Rhetorical Appeal or Strategy You should ideally analyze 3 rhetorical appeals (logos, ethos, pathos, and/or Kairos).

    A. Topic sentence: This first sentence identifies which section of the article you are discussing and the main idea you will be discussing.

    B. Evidence: What does the author say in their article?

    C. Significance of the Evidence: How does the use of the rhetorical strategy you brought up above help the author achieve or not achieve their purpose?

    D. Connect back to your thesis statement and transition to your next body paragraph

    III. Body Paragraph #2: Analysis of Rhetorical Appeal or Strategy You should ideally analyze 3 rhetorical appeals (logos, ethos, pathos, and/or Kairos).

    A. Topic sentence: This first sentence identifies which section of the article you are discussing and the main idea you will be discussing.

    B. Evidence: What does the author say in their article?

    C. Significance of the Evidence: How does the use of the rhetorical strategy you brought up above help the author achieve or not achieve their purpose?

    D. Connect back to your thesis statement and transition to your next body paragraph

    IV. Body Paragraph #3: Analysis of Rhetorical Appeal or Strategy You should ideally analyze 3 rhetorical appeals (logos, ethos, pathos, and/or Kairos).

    A. Topic sentence: This first sentence identifies which section of the article you are discussing and the main idea you will be discussing.

    B. Evidence: What does the author say in their article?

    C. Significance of the Evidence: How does the use of the rhetorical strategy you brought up above help the author achieve or not achieve their purpose?

    D. Connect back to your thesis statement and transition to your next body paragraph

    V. Conclusion

    A. Connect back to your thesis statement without repeating it word for word

    B. Reflection on the main ideas and examples in your body paragraphs (how are they significant and how they connect back to your thesis statement)

    C. State whether these were effective strategies

    D. Final closing thought

    Reading Context and Summary:

    You will need to read the student sample paper “Not Quite a Clean Sweep: Rhetorical Strategies in Grose’s ‘Cleaning: The Final Feminist Frontier’” by Rebecca Winter in order to complete the in-class activity and the assignment section. This student sample paper is a rhetorical analysis on the article that you previously read: “Cleaning: The Final Feminist Frontier” by Jessice Grose.


    10.1: Structure of a Rhetorical Analysis Paper -- Reading is shared under a not declared license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.

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