For our first essay, you will be analyzing a written text, an article. You will need to locate an article that presents an opinion or perspective and perform an analysis on the article. Here are the steps you’ll follow:
1. Locate a current article that makes an argument about income inequality in the United States.
Your essay should begin with an introductory paragraph establishing a broad context in which you want your audience to understand your analysis. This paragraph should establish a central main idea expressed in a clear, direct thesis statement. Here, take pains to be sure that your topic statement aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the author’s argument and mode of persuasion rather than aiming to establish your own opinion or even your own argument about the topic itself. In other words, whether you agree or disagree with the author should be irrelevant to your work here.
Next you should summarize the article—one small paragraph will be sufficient. To do this well, you should give direct attention to the author’s main claim, minor claims, and means of support.
Move then to the Argument Analysis. You may analyze an argument in several ways.
The claim or thesis. Evaluate or comment on the merits of the claim. Does the claim make sense? Is it clear? (If you can’t find a claim either it’s a summary or a very poorly written argument.) Is it logical? Does the rest of the article prove the claim, or is the statement left unsubstantiated?
Means of persuasion. Does the author use Ethos, Pathos, or Logos (or all of them)? What parts are effective? Who is likely to be persuaded by the argument? Who is unlikely to be persuaded?
The evidence. Evaluate or comment on the merits of the evidence. Is there sufficient evidence to support the claim? Is the evidence relevant to the claim? Is the evidence credible.
Conclude with a Rhetorical Context Analysis.
After you’ve read the Rhetorical Context Analysisdocument (distributed in class), select the Rhetorical Context (RC) elements that you’ll be using in your RC analysis and answer the questions provided to you. Essentially, RC analysis is the evaluation of those factors outside of the text: the author, the writing situation, the audience, the style, the purpose, etc.
Your essay should still follow good essay structure with an introduction/thesis, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Your essay should have a Works Cited page with the article you are reviewing.
