Rhetorical Analysis Paper

Rough Draft Date: Mar. 5, 2012 Min. Word Count: 750, not including Works Cited Dear Class, Please write an essay that responds to and evaluates a particular article you found in an academic journal. The article should be relevant to your scholarly interests; something in the discipline of your major or another interest will be fine. This essay is not a summary, but please provide a concise summary of the article early in the essay to orient your reader. Throughout the essay you will also need to acknowledge important parts of the article through paraphrase, description, and direct quotations. The purpose of this paper is to show your analysis and evaluation of the authors argument. Discuss strong and weak points of the article by using concepts we have discussed in this classethos, pathos, logos; argument; logical fallacies; intended audience; arrangement; style; visual elements; Toulmin system; and/or other concepts we have learned. Be creative and approach it how you see appropriate. State your judgment of the article clearly and support your evaluation with persuasive points that could influence your reader to see it your way. In short, this is an essay that analyzes/criticizes the integrity of an argument, how effectively an author supports his/her argument, claims, and assertions. This is not a summary paper. Essentially, you are judging whether the argument is strong or not. Consider your audience to be peer-scholars who might be interested in your subject and argument, so they are informed but undecided people who may take an opposing viewpoint from your own. Because your audience is academic, you will need to use a credible source and paraphrase and quote as necessary. You should also cite all appropriate information according to MLA style in-text and provide a separate Works Cited page that provides an accurate and complete citation of the source you used. Your final essay will be evaluated on having a clear purpose with ample detail to support the purpose, and it needs to have a clear, assertive claim (thesis) early on to direct your readers. Your introduction should generate interest, your conclusion should provide closure, and the body in-between should be arranged logically to effectively communicate to your audience. Additionally, your essay should demonstrate stylistic maturity of editorial conventions as appropriate for an academic audience. In this together, Final Draft Due: Mar. 7, 2012 Points: 100

Caleb