Rhetorical Analysis

Our new unit will cover rhetorical analysis, something that you have worked on in previous English courses.

To start, we focused on purpose and the many purposes that authors may have in writing. This may be something as simple as to inform, to explain, or to persuade. Or, the author may be defining, comparing and contrasting, narrating, exemplifying, describing, arguing, and a plethora of other reasons.

With purpose at the center of rhetorical analysis, we then move forward to rhetorical strategies/persuasive appeals. In essence, you are identifying the "what" the author uses in a text and "why" he/she uses it to reflect the purpose.

All of the above connects to the rhetorical triangle: subject, speaker, and audience. When analyzing (and writing for that matter) you want to identify these elements and utilize these in relationship to the overall purpose of the text. The rhetorical triangle connects to the three main persuasive appeals: logos, ethos, and pathos.

To put this into action, we read this article http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/13/nyregion/13teens.html and identified how the author incorporates the persuasive appeals and why.

At the end of the hour, you worked in a group to define rhetorical strategies, terms, and devices. If you were absent, know the meaning of voice and wit so that you can contribute during tomorrow's class.