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Rhetorical Analysis

A Step-By-Step Guide

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Terms Defined:

  • Rhetoric: Using language to construct meaning
  • Rhetorical Device: ANYTHING the author uses to construct meaning
  • Rhetorical Strategy: Anything the author does to construct meaning
  • Purpose: What the audience is supposed to understand and do after

experiencing the discourse.

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“Unpacking” the Prompt

FIRST and foremost: identify the TAG (Title, Author, and Genre)

(this is always good practice, especially in eventually tackling the AP prompts)

Then, CIRCLE the words in each prompt (overview) that ask you to DO something (what is the prompt commanding you to do?)

Finally, ANALYZE the prompt to identify:

  • Subject (What am I writing about?)
  • Purpose (Why am I writing the essay?)*
  • Audience (Who will/should read my response?)*
  • Format (What format does the paper require?)

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Forming a clear, complex Thesis Statement

Template # 1:

In the ______(Genre)_______(Title)___, (Contextual Information about Author and/or Text), (Author’s name) (Strategy #1), (Strategy # 2), ( #3) in order to (purpose---to understand (inform)), ultimately moving (the audience) to (purpose---to do (persuade)) .

Ex:

In Act II.ii of Julius Caesar, by William Shakespeare, Portia-- Brutus’ wife--embraces a submissive posture and demeans their relationship in order to get him to feel pity and guilt towards her, ultimately prompting him to reveal his troubles.

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Ex. (previous example that applied to TSL) Student Generated; Class Revised

Throughout his Romantic novel The Scarlet Letter, set in a Puritan Massachusetts Bay Colony in the 1640’s, Hawthorne utilizes symbolism and diction with his characters in order to contrast the high standards of morality with the nature of sin, ultimately signaling the need for the Puritan society to understand the true nature of humans and subsequently adapt.

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Ex. (previous example that applied to TSL) Student Generated; Class Revised

In the historical novel, The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne exemplifies human nature by utilizing personification of sin and physical metamorphosis of his characters in order to display how sin changes people as well as how they react to that sin, ultimately criticizing Puritan culture.

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Template # 2 (more specifically pertains to a rhetorical analysis of the author’s main claim)

Vaughn (strong rhetorical verb) that (main idea/claim), through his use of (specific details --- i.e. symbolism, word choice (diction), allusions, etc.) in order to (purpose).

**This template is just a starting point; do not limit yourself to the exact wording given.

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A GOOD thesis statement...

  • states the writer’s clearly defined opinion on some subject.
  • asserts ONE main idea
  • has something worthwhile to say
  • is limited to FIT the assignment
  • is clearly stated in specific terms
  • is in the introductory paragraph of your essay (not necessarily the LAST sentence of the intro paragraph)

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Remember (common mistakes to avoid)...

  1. Don’t make your thesis merely an announcement of your subject matter; state an attitude toward the subject.
  2. Don’t clutter your thesis with phrases like: “in my opinion,” “I believe,” “in this essay, I will argue that…”
  3. Don’t be unreasonable.
  4. Don’t merely state a fact; a thesis is an assertion of opinion that leads to discussion.
  5. Don’t express your thesis in the form of a question.

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Closed Thesis Statements

  • This is what you’re familiar with:

-A statement of the main idea of your argument + a� preview of your major points.

-Limits the number of points the writer will make� (translation = basic thesis, we’re better than this)

Example:

The Harry Potter series has become classic literature because of its three-dimensional characters, exciting plot, and complex themes.

*we are going to be working toward breaking away from closed theses this year.

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Open Thesis Statements

  • This is what we’re moving toward this school year.

-A general sentence with a subject and commentary� (opinion).

-Overall point (concept) guides without limiting ideas (translation = increases sophistication of writing)

Example:

The popularity of The Harry Potter series demonstrates that simplicity trumps complexity when it comes to the taste of readers, both young and old.

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Introductory Paragraph

AFTER establishing your thesis statement…

Step 2 for your introductory paragraph is to construct a HOOK/WEB.

Your Hook should

  • be the first sentence (or two) of your essay
  • entice the reader into your argument
  • be so well-weaved that the reader can’t get away

It can surreptitiously (secretly and gently) engage your reader OR it can be more blatant and even dirty (think of Spider Man making criminal submit to justice).

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Some ways to create an effective Hook/Web:

  1. Provide a common experience:

Ex. Few things are as satisfying as a warm hot chocolate on a cold day, or a nice refreshing lemonade after a day out in the blistering sun.

  • Provide a false assumption that the argument at hand proves incorrect:

Ex. Most people think that being in a place of power and holding authority is entirely beneficial to one’s lifestyle.

  • Reference a common historical event that relates to the topic of discussion:

Ex. The Great Depression was not merely a time of economic turmoil; it was also a time characterized by oppressive corporate labor practices and individual loneliness.

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4.) Provide a staggering (compelling) statistic or fact.

5.) Provide definition(s) that are the foundation(s) of your argument:

Ex. Marriage is a moral commitment, instituted by God, for individuals of

opposite sexes to embrace.

OR Marriage is a social institution, instituted by government, for the

purpose of allowing individuals to share benefits if they are willing to commit to one another.

6.) Make a broad universally true statement about an abstraction your

argument relates to. (very commonly used; not super original)

Ex. Humans are social creatures by nature.

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Introductory Paragraph

Step 3 is to provide The Background for your argument.

The Background is essentially the context of the text: What is the time and place of the text? What is/was happening in the world when the text was written?

Consider the following scenario: You want to convince your parents to let you stay out on a school night, so you start with your classic “I love you” (the Hook), and then move on to explaining how you did your chores and homework, and how Johnny’s mom also doesn’t let him go out usually, but she’s making an exception this time (the Background).

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Example (with fiction)

2.) Marriage is an institution that crumbles when trust is lacking, a truth plainly depicted in Act II.ii of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare. 3.) After deciding to join the other conspirators in removing Caesar from power on the “Ides of March” in 44 BC, the ruler’s once faithful friend, Marcus Junius Brutus, experiences extreme internal conflict. Struggling mentally with his love for his friend and his devotion to Rome, Brutus pushes away the woman with whom he should have the strongest bond of trust. 1.) In response to his dismissal, Portia-- Brutus’ wife--embraces a submissive posture and demeans their relationship in order to get him to feel pity and guilt towards her, ultimately prompting him to reveal his troubles.

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Example (non-fiction)

2.) Oppression. The word is tossed around a lot in conversations, whether it be an angry, third-wave Tumblr feminist furiously typing away on her keyboard, educating the common public on the patriarchal values this country was founded on, or when the media publishes an article discussing the tyrannical power of the North Korean government. 3.) What constitutes as oppressive behavior is purely subjective to how a person interprets the term “oppressive” and how they live their life. A wealthy, white family living in the United States at the time when slavery was still legal, would most likely not believe that they were being oppressed in terms of racism, and classism, while African American slaves would beg to differ. 1.) Even though the qualifications of a tyrannical government are most certainly debatable, it seems that oppressive regimes and ideologies have a negative impact on the public as they benefit the authoritative figures.

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Body Paragraphs

Body paragraphs must always:

  • Clearly and specifically explain HOW the rhetorical strategies (including any appeals the author makes) and/or details (figurative language, syntax, imagery, etc.) are used to help the writer achieve their purpose and reach their audience.
  • NOT give plot or character summary; instead, analyze the effect of the strategy and detail(s) and HOW they support the main claim.

IE: Vaughn incorporates [device/strategy] to prove [point/claim] and the [evidence and analysis of evidence] shows how he does so...

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Body Paragraph Format

C: Claim: State WHAT the author DOES and WHY.

B: Background: Add any necessary contextual information.

E: Evidence: Insert Direct Quote/Paraphrased Info from the source to support the claim.

A: Analysis: Explain HOW the evidence reveals the purpose/effect.*

T: Tie back to thesis (How does this connect back to the thesis?) and/or

Transition into next paragraph.

Remember: CBEAT

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Body Paragraph Template

Topic Sentence (WHAT the author does and WHY*): (Ordering Phrase---Rhetorical Stems Handout), (Author) (Rhetorical choice from thesis) in order to ____________.

Textual Evidence (WHERE in the text is it shown): (Insert context and textual evidence that shows the strategy referenced in your Topic Sentence in action) (citation).

Analysis (HOW): This (brief summary of text for analysis that is derived from the quote-evidence- given) (strong analytical verb) (purpose -to inform- found after “in order to” phrase given in the topic sentence) because (explain how the textual evidence reveals the purpose/effect).

Final Sentence (TIE back to the thesis): All of this moves (the audience) to (purpose (to do/persuade) from thesis) because (explain how the information provided by the author moves the audience to act as identified).

*Note: Stronger body paragraphs cover two strategies and/or examples at a time; so you can enter another strategy at this point and start the process over BEFORE moving on to your next body paragraph. The second strategy would typically come from the same section of the text you are exploring with your first strategy, so just look and see IF you can notice something else the author is doing within the same section.*

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Example

Portia begins by submissively posturing herself in order to get Brutus to feel guilty for not telling her what is bothering him. Take, for example, how Portia, after asking Brutus what is wrong with him and receiving a dishonest answer, approaches her husband “upon [her] knees” (II.ii. 270). This causes Brutus to feel guilty because his wife is embracing a posture of someone who is begging. By putting herself in such a lowly state, she is expressing how Brutus is being so cold that she has no other choice but to vulnerably position herself as a slave or commoner, not his wife.

*Refer to the thesis example from Slide 4:

In Act II.ii of Julius Caesar, by William Shakespeare, Portia-- Brutus’ wife--embraces a submissive posture and demeans their relationship in order to get him to feel pity and guilt towards her, ultimately prompting him to reveal his troubles.

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If you wanted to add another strategy...

(This would continue the same body paragraph on the previous slide)

When Brutus does not reveal the information she desires, Portia challenges Brutus’ devotion to their marriage by questioning if she, “Dwell[s]...but in the suburbs of [his] good pleasure?” (II.ii. 294-295). Doing so leads Brutus to feel guilty because it exposes how poorly Portia feels she is being treated. In this instance, Portia makes it seem as though the only way he can prove his love to her is by revealing why he is so troubled; if he will not, it must mean he does not love her. Knowing that he truly does love her, Brutus should feel guilty for even leading Portia to consider that she is unloved, which continues to promote the revelation of his inner turmoil.

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Embedding Evidence

Most common methods of incorporating other’s writing into your response:

  • Direct quotations from the text: word or sentence(s) taken directly from the source (text) and enclosed in quotation marks (make it count- longer is NOT better when it comes to quoting evidence)

  • Paraphrasing: rephrasing (in your own words and sentence structure) a portion of the source (text)---still requires proper APA citation

*Use signal words when incorporating evidence, such as argues, asserts, contends, emphasizes, observes, suggests, writes

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Blending Quotations

Some BASICS:

  • Always integrate quotations into your text.
  • NEVER just “drop” a quotation in your writing!

-In other words, don’t let a piece of textual evidence stand alone as its own sentence (unless it’s multiple sentences long).

  • Use either signal words or your own words to introduce a quotation.

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Embedding Quotes: Best Practices

  • Use only the most effective part of the quotation.
  • Maintain a smooth sentence style.
  • Use ellipses to remove information that is either non-essential or irrelevant to the claim.
  • Use brackets [ ] if you add or change a word.
  • Use signal words/phrases which precede the quote.

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In-text Citations: APA

  • ANY information that is someone else’s words or ideas must use an in-text citation, including quotations, paraphrases, and summaries.

Direct quote example:

Thorin tells Bilbo on his deathbed, “If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world” (Tolkien, 1937, p. 263).

Paraphrase or summary examples:

Tolkien (1937) once said we should value things other than gold to create a better world (p. 263).

We should value things other than gold to create a better world (Tolkien, 1937, p. 263).

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Conclusion Paragraph

**NEVER provide any blatant summary in your conclusion

**When writing a conclusion for a Rhetorical Analysis essay, rather than summarizing your essay and strategies/devices, highlight the ideas the author showcases and apply them universally.

  • Identify 3-4 key ideas- singular abstract words- to which the analyzed text relates (These won’t actually be written into your conclusion; just identify them).

E.g. Struggle, Maturity, Anxiety, Compassion

  • With those ideas, write a sentence that ties one or all of them to the overall purpose of the speaker; do NOT list out any rhetorical strategies; conclusions are about ideas. (To do this with style, try turning the first sentence into a metaphor).

E.g. Abigail Adams inspires her son amidst perhaps the most tumultuous time of his life (literally and figuratively): his teenage years.

With STYLE: Throughout the piece, Abigail Adams strives to help her son navigate the tumultuous seas of adolescence.

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Conclusion Paragraph

Then...

  • Highlight the ideas that the paper explores by incorporating them into a universally applicable message and/or make the audience react to those ideas in some way, but NEVER by asking a question.

E.g. By embracing her matriarchal role, she serves as a model to all who seek to correct those with less experience; she exemplifies that one must never shy away from exposing acts of naivete; at the same time, she acknowledges that such criticism must be simultaneously paired with encouraging words and, most importantly, with love.

*Based on a prompt re: Abigail Adams’ letter from the 2014 AP English Language Exam

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Conclusion Paragraph

  • Altogether, the conclusion for this example would read-

Abigail Adams inspires her son amidst perhaps the most tumultuous time of his life (literally and figuratively): his teenage years. By embracing her matriarchal role, she serves as a model to all who seek to correct those with less experience; she exemplifies that one must never shy away from exposing acts of naivete; at the same time, she acknowledges that such criticism must be simultaneously paired with encouraging words and, most importantly, with love.

*Based on a prompt re: Abigail Adams’ letter from the 2014 AP English Language Exam

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APA: General Guidelines

Standards for Printed Work - English

    • Font must be black, Times New Roman, size 12.
    • Page layout must have one-inch margins all around and double-spaced lines all throughout.
    • Titles of essays must be centered, boldface, and uppercase with one line space between the title and the first paragraph
    • Paragraphs must be indented one tab (0.5”).
    • Quotations and citations (including a reference page) are formatted according to APA style. (refer back to SLIDE 27)
    • Multiple pages must be stapled together.

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Title Page & Header

Title Page

  • Included at the very beginning of the paper
  • Should be centered on the upper half of the page
  • Should include:
    • Title of Paper (centered and in bold face)
    • Author’s Name (that would be YOU!) first, middle initial(s), last
    • Institutional Affiliation (Benjamin Franklin High School)
    • Course Name
    • Instructor Name
    • Assignment Due Date

Header

❑ Include a header at the top of every page that consists only of a page number in the upper right corner (numeral only)

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Title Page & Header: Example

1

Essay Title

John A. Doe

Benjamin Franklin High School

AP Lang & Comp; Hour 2

Mrs. Cook

September 18, 2022

  • Text centered; space between title and all other info
  • Times New Roman pt. 12
  • Only the essay title is emboldened

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Reference Page

APA Reference Page

  • The reference page should appear on its own page.
  • It should be titled “Reference” in:
    • Times New Roman, size 12, black font.
    • NOT in bold; centered at the top of the page.
    • No extra space between entries.
  • All entries should be double spaced and indented on all lines but the first (called a hanging indentation).
  • All entries should be organized in alphabetical order by the first word in the entry; an author’s last name goes first; the first and middle names are written as initials.

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Reference Page

Sample:

3

Reference

Last name, First/middle initial.. (Pub

Year). Title of book. Publisher

name.

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APA Citations

Common Source Examples:

Book with one author example:

Last name, F.M. (Year). Title of book: Subtitle of book( if there is one). Publisher Name. DOI (if

available)

EX:

Stoneman, R. (2008). Alexander the Great: A life in legend. Yale University Press.

Book with two authors:

Last name, F.M., & Last name, F.M. (Year). Title of book: Subtitle of book. Publisher Name. DOI (if

available)

**Check with the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) for other source types