The goal of this essay is to analyze how a writer communicates, not whether you agree with their ideas. You will closely examine the rhetorical strategies used in a text and explain how those strategies affect the reader.
PLEASE CHOOSE EITHER OPTION A, OPTION or OPTION C FOR YOUR PAPER
(see options with brief explanation below)
Option A: Nonfiction Essay
Self-Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson (1841)
- A foundational essay of American Transcendentalism, in the public domain.
- Emerson argues for individual autonomy, intuitive truth, and resistance to conformity.
- Students can analyze structures of reasoning, metaphorical language, persuasive exhortation, and tone (passionate, reflective, authoritative).
Option B: Persuasive Speech
Our House Is on Fire (Greta Thunberg, 2019, World Economic Forum in Davos)
- Thunberg calls on world leaders to take urgent action against climate change.
- Rhetorical features: repetition (our house is on fire), direct address to audience, appeals to fear, moral obligation, and ethos as a young activist.
Option C: Letter
Letter from Birmingham Jail Martin Luther King Jr. (1963)
Focus: Justice, civil disobedience, moral obligation
Why it works: A masterwork of structure and persuasion. Students can analyze how King constructs moral authority and refutes counterarguments.
Rhetorical angles: Appeals to ethos and logos, tone shifts, biblical allusions, refutation of opposing arguments.
Now that you have selected your text to analyze please address the following in your paper:
- Analyze how the writer/speaker uses rhetorical appeals (ethos, pathos, logos), style, structure, or tone to persuade the reader.
- Focus on how the text is written rather than simply summarizing content.
Requirements for your Essay
- Thesis-driven essay: Make a clear claim about the effectiveness of the rhetorical strategies used in the text.
- Evidence: Use direct quotations and paraphrases from the text to support your points.
- Analysis: Explain why those strategies are effective or ineffective. Dont just identify them discuss their impact.
- Organization: Include an introduction, body paragraphs with topic sentences, and a conclusion.
- Formatting: MLA format, double-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman, with proper in-text citations.
- Word Count: Minimum 750 words (essays under this length will not receive full credit).
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