Chapter 1: Composition and Rhetorical Analysis
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- 187816
Essay 1: Rhetorical Analysis- Appeals Prompt
While going over the Prompt , keep these questions/ideas in mind:
- What is rhetoric?
- What text do I want to use?
- What is the text's overall message or theme?
- What are the Four Major Rhetorical Appeals and how are they used in the text(Ethos, Logos, Pathos, Kairos)? How are they used together or separately?
- How do these appeals make a reader believe/disbelieve the text?
Background
Aristotle termed the art of Rhetoric as "modes for persuasion" - otherwise known as rhetorical appeals. He broke down the basic building blocks of into their various parts:kairos, ethos, pathos, and logos .. These rhetorical appeals are means of persuading others to believe a particular point of view. They are often used in speech writing and advertising to sway the audience. For our first essay, we will study the use of rhetoric to deliver a text’s intended message.
Ethos (sometimes called an appeal to ethics/credibility), then, is used as a means of convincing an audience via the authority or credibility of the persuader, be it a notable or experienced figure in the field or even a popular celebrity.
Pathos (appeal to emotion) is a way of convincing an audience of an argument by creating an emotional response to an impassioned plea or a convincing story. Sometimes, this entails sensory details and personal experience.
Logos (appeal to logic) is a way of persuading an audience with reason, using facts and figures. This kind of appeal relies on evidence and critical thinking to support its argument.
Kairos (appeal to time/audience) is a way of acknowledging the rhetorical time period/place that this argument takes place in; when the argument takes place and who the argument is directed towards.
Essay 1- Prompt
In Essay 1, we will look at various articles, speeches, etc. to examine the texts’ intended arguments. Each of you will choose one of our readings, and come up an argument about how this text uses rhetorical appeals effectively to deliver its intended message.
In Essay 1, we will discuss how these authors the appeals, and the creative language to deliver an intended message/mull over a particular theme/message.
Rhetorical Appeals: (Focus your thesis/argument on 3-4 Appeals in the text)
- Ethos- How does the author use credibility to deliver their message?
- Logos- How does the author use logic to deliver their message
- Pathos- How does the author use emotion to deliver their message?
- Kairos- How does the author use the time period/audience/rhetorical situation to deliver their message?
Themes( Pick or find 1)
· Freedom, love, hope, overcoming racism, America, Unity, reunification, togetherness, compassion, strength, changing the world, eliminating racism, fighting communism, being strong in the face of danger, being critical of the world, etc.
Thesis Hint:
Topic + Opinion +Reasons Why=Thesis
(Title of article/speech and author + Theme+ 3 Rhetorical Appeals)
In his "I Have a Dream" speech, Martin Luther King reflected on the power of hope through his use of ethos, logos, pathos, and kairos.
Brainstorming Tips For Rhetorical Analysis:
Write down the answers to the next questions:
- What do you know about the author of the text?
- What are the peculiarities of the target audience?
- What was the purpose of the text?
- What is the text’s intended message?
- What kinds of rhetorical strategies does it use? Find examples.
- Why do these rhetorical devices make a reader believe/ not believe their point?
- Remember, Do not use I!
By answering these questions during your reading/annotating process, you will be able to simplify your analysis of a text, and you will begin your writing process. Your essay will explain what strategies the author used, what persuasive methods and arguments made the article conclusive and in which way pathos, ethos, logos (Links to an external site.)
Links to an external site., and Kairos are connected and interacted.
What does it mean?
How does the text use specific rhetorical strategies to deliver its intended theme/message?
TITLE/AUTHOR+THEME +STRATEGIES=Thesis
Final Draft Essay Requirements:
- Proper MLA Format
- 3-5 pages (Full pages)
- Works Cited Page