Essay #1: Rhetorical Analysis
For Essay #1, please write a summary and analysis of any of the articles from Ch. 14 assigned by your instructor. Your audience is educated peers who have read the article, and are wondering what you think about it.
Your rhetorical analysis must include a summary of what the article argues, and also an analysis and evaluation of how well the article makes its points.
Your essay should include those elements of summary that Greene and Lidinsky recommend:
the context of the article
a clear statement of what you feel to be the gist of the article
a description of the key claims of the article
1-2 relevant examples (direct quotations or paraphrases) from the article
As no summary is neutral, you must weave an analytical thread throughout your summary that suggests to the reader your judgment of the value of the article. You might consider including:
examine how well the article appeals to its intended audience
evaluate the author’s use of evidence
identify the author’s purpose or motivation for writing
point out the gaps and flaws in the article’s argument
Do not attempt to summarize every last detail of the article. Instead, focus on the gist of the article and your analysis of the how well the article supports its points.
Because an analysis is your perspective, it is appropriate to use “I” in this essay. However, do use “I” sparingly — your focus should be on analyzing the article, not on simply stating your own beliefs.
Guidelines for Essay #1
Length/Due Date: approximately 600 words, due Sunday midnight Central Time.
Style/Format: This, as all essays in EN106, should be formatted in a standard scholarly format. (Most students follow MLA or APA guidelines, which are outlined in Easy Writer.) No matter what format you follow, be sure to do the following:
Use 12 point, Times New Roman font, double-spaced.
Use 1-inch margins top, bottom, and sides.
Although no cover page is needed, you should include your name, my name, the course number/title, and date at the upper left-hand corner of the manuscript.
References: Essay #1 must quote or paraphrase the article you are analyzing. Each time you quote or paraphrase the article, include in-text citations that follow MLA or APA style.
File format: Please submit your essay as a .doc, .docx, or .pdf file. These formats are available in most word processors, including Google Docs and Open Office, and will ensure that your instructor is able to comment on your work.
Works Cited/References: Create an appropriate bibliography, with one entry for the article you are analyzing. Use Easy Writer to learn how to format a end-of-text citation for a work in an anthology or selection in a book with an editor.
Titles: Include a descriptive title at the beginning of your essay that tips your readers off to your central message. Do not format your title with quotation marks, boldface, underlining or italics. Quotation marks or underlining are only appropriate if the title borrows words from another source.
Deadline: Submit your final draft essay no later than midnight on Sunday at the end of this unit.
Use of essays for future courses: Please understand that your essay may be used anonymouslyas a sample for future EN106 students and instructors unless you expressly request that it not be used. Your work, of course, will only be used for educational purposes.
Assessment: See the Grading and Assessment content item under Course Home to see the criteria and rubric I will use to grade your essay.
Why Is This Assignment Important?
A very common type of writing you will produce in your academic career is a source analysis. The ability to engage in close reading of a text, identify salient arguments and evidence, present the texts ideas in your own words, and evaluate that source’s effectiveness is foundational to entering academic conversations. Summaries also serve an important role in helping other readers make sense of a difficult text. You might think of analysis as the job of a tour guide: you are offering your readers a brief glimpse into another world.
As you learned from Greene and Lidinskys chapter, writing a rhetorical analysis involves a great deal of critical thinking and evaluation on the part of the writer. You must identify the authors thesis (what Greene and Lidinsky call the gist), uncover how the key claims of that thesis are supported and developed, evaluate the conversational contexts of the authors work, and, at all points, consider how your perspective affects your interpretation of the text.
A Word about Plagiarism
Rhetorical analysis is a common type of writing assignments in first-year writing courses. Because of this, you can find countless Internet sites, free and proprietary summaries, and term papers that respond to assignments similar to this one. Any undocumented use of another writers words or ideas constitutes plagiarism and is a violation of Park’s Student Conduct CodeLinks to an external site.. Plagiarism may result in failure of the assignment. Multiple instances of plagiarism may result in automatic failure of the course or other penalties outside of this course.
If you have questions about plagiarism, contact your instructor.
Rubric
EN 106 Online Rubric (Essay #1)
EN 106 Online Rubric (Essay #1)
Criteria Ratings Pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeFocus
A successful essay will stay focused on the controlling idea, message, or thesis it is trying to convey. Without focus, an essay seems disjointed, uncentered, and lacking clarity. Here I will assess how closely your essay focuses on a complex idea or thesis throughout. Do you wander from topic to topic? Is it clear what you are arguing? Do you attend to your central thesis/message throughout the essay?
15 pts
Exceeds Standard: The essay is clearly focused around a creative and insightful central thesis/message. The writer lays out clear reasons/points that contribute to the overall central thesis/message. Everything in the essay contributes to the development of the message.
13 pts
Above Standard: The essay is clearly focused around a creative and insightful central thesis/message. There are several interesting points that support it. One place may wander a bit or need more development, but otherwise the focus is clear and interesting.
11 pts
At Standard: The essay is focused around a central thesis/message. Parts of the essay might stray from this focus, but the overall message is there. The focus of the essay might be simplistic or obviousit might be hard for the reader to feel engaged.
9 pts
Below Standard: There is no clear central thesis/message, or the focus is split across a variety of topics in a way that works against a specific focus. The overall point might be unclear, confusing, or the writer might indicate a focus, but little in the essay supports this focus.
0 pts
No evidence / no assignment submitted
15 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeDevelopment
Evidence is key to persuading a reader of your thesis. A successful essay will present enough evidence related to the topic or thesis to support the claims the writer is making. An essay without enough evidence to support claims will seem ungrounded and unconvincing. Do you have evidence and support for each of your claims? Is the evidence related to the claims that are made? Are the details specific or abstract? Is the evidence from relevant and reliable sources? A secondand very criticalevaluative criteria for academic writing is the complexity of the content. This means that the writer moves beyond summary, and beyond a surface analysis of the material to offer a new perspective on the subject. A writer might raise significant questions about a topic or reading, or make connections between and among varied texts. A less complex essay will stay on the surface by remaining summary or by pointing out only the obvious.
15 pts
Exceeds Standard: There is a variety of support (anecdotes, quotes, description, examples, etc.). The support is vivid, concrete, and connects clearly to the message of the essay. The essay raises well-thought out questions, or pursues a line of reasoning in an unexpected or unusual direction. The language and examples are clear and interesting. There are connections to other texts or examples that make the writers argument more vivid and clear.
13 pts
Above Standard: There is a variety of vivid support that illustrates and explains the points the writer makes. The evidence could be expanded in one or two places. The essay raises interesting and creative questions about a text or topic, and/or makes interesting connections with material. There are places where an idea is undeveloped or remains obvious, but the writer is clearly working toward moving beyond the obvious.
11 pts
At Standard: There are supporting details for many of the claims, but some parts of the essay may be overly general and vague. Some evidence might be unnecessary or distracting (doesnt support thesis). The essay moves slightly beyond summary or pointing out the obvious, but the essay might still have a vague or generic voice. The essay may lack figurative language or details that would enhance the writers message.
9 pts
Below Standard: Details that would support the claims the writer is making are vague or missing. In key places, the writer has not effectively shown what he/she means. Almost all points remain abstract or general. The essay only touches upon the surface of a reading or topic, perhaps remaining only a summary, or only pointing out the immediately obvious about a topic. The wording is vague, and there is little evidence that the writer invested significant time or thought into the essay.
0 pts
No evidence / no assignment submitted
15 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeOrganization
A successful essay will have a clear beginning, middle, and end, with effective and creative transitions from idea to idea and from paragraph to paragraph. An essay without strong coherence will seem to wander from point to point, and each section will not seem obviously connected to the next. How is each point related to the next? Are the connections clear from paragraph to paragraph? Does the essay clearly develop an idea from beginning to end, persuasively ordering the main points?
10 pts
Exceeds Standard: The introduction and conclusion creatively tie the message together. Each paragraph is focused and effectively developed around an individual point. The overall paragraph organization is effective and creative. Transitions are effective and establish complex relationships between points.
9 pts
Above Standard: There is an engaging and well- organized introduction, body, and conclusion. Individual paragraphs are well-organized and developed. Essay may need paragraph breaks or more effective transitions.
8 pts
At Standard: There is a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. Several places in the essay need more effective transitions and/or paragraph breaks. Some paragraphs may need to be moved. Individual paragraph organization may be confusing in one or two places.
7 pts
Below Standard: No sense of introduction, body, and conclusion. There might be a clear middle, beginning and end with the content, but paragraph breaks dont make sense or are missing. Overall organization of points might be confusing or jumpy.
0 pts
No evidence / no assignment submitted
10 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeMechanics
Mechanics is used broadly here to encompass everything from word choice, sentence variety, and grammatical correctness to the accurate citation of sources using standard academic documentation guidelines, such as those compiled by the Modern Language Association (MLA) or the American Psychological Association (APA). A successful essay will use complex and effective sentences with sophisticated word choice, and will have very few, if any, significant grammatical or punctuation problems. An essay with a low level of linguistic maturity might repeat simple sentence structures and/or pose challenges to the reader due to grammatical and mechanical problems. Does the essay use only one kind of sentence? Has the essay been proofread to make sure all typos, grammatical and mechanical errors are eliminated? Are the ideas conveyed in sophisticated and interesting language? Has the writer acknowledgedwith both in-text and end-text citationsall words and ideas gained from research?
10 pts
Exceeds Standard: The sentences are complex and effective, and the word choice is sophisticated. The writer uses sentence structure and word choice in creative ways to establish tone and meaning. There may be one or two very minor errors, but no patterns of error. All words and ideas from sources external to the writer are accurately documented via standard academic documentation guidelines (i.e., MLA or APA.
9 pts
Above Standard: The essay is clear with complex sentence structures. There may be a minor grammar problem such as misplaced apostrophes or missing commas in certain places, but the rest demonstrates a mastery of conventional grammar. Word choice might be off in one or two places. Documentation is essentially complete and accurate.
8 pts
At Standard: The essay is generally clear, but sentence structure may be simplistic and/or slightly repetitive. There are several grammar error patterns but nothing that seriously interferes with reading, perhaps a few comma splices and fragments. Word choice might be confusing in one or two places. Documentation is missing in some areas or incorrectly applied.
7 pts
Below Standard: There are several grammar patterns that seriously inhibit understanding, perhaps a pattern of fragments or run-ons throughout. Wording and sentence structure are confused to the point where they interfere with the readers understanding. Documentation is incorrect or absent.
0 pts
No evidence / no assignment submitted
10 pts
Total Points: 50
Textbooks:
Lunsford, Andrea. EasyWriter: A Pocket Reference. 6th Ed. Boston: Bedsford/St. Martin’s, 2016. ISBN:9781319050764
Greene, Stuart and April Lidinsky. From Inquiry to Academic Writing: A Text and Reader. 4th Ed. New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2018. ISBN: 9781319071233
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