COMM100: Public Speaking: Getting Started

For the second paper you are being asked to write a rhetorical analysis of an article, which you will select, subject to my approval, from an online database. The topic of your article should be something you are interested in, and should make a clear and defined stand on that topic. What you are not being asked to do is provide positive support or negative criticism of the article or its ideas. Rather, you should summarize and systematically identify the arguments and rhetoric presented in the article. Your overall assessment of how your chosen article argues its main points may be positive, negative, or a mix of both. The structure of this paper should follow the style of an introduction, brief summary of the article’s main points, an analysis of the article’s argument, and a conclusion. Make sure your summary is clear and complete; include the thesis, main idea, and conclusions reached by the article’s writer. The author and title of the piece you are analyzing should also be identified in your summary and be careful to keep your summary unified. This means, do not just list the thesis and ideas of the article, but make sure that the ideas flow together through the paragraph. We will be looking at a sample rhetorical analysis in class, but when writing your own analysis keep these issues in mind: - Is the author’s argument effective? Yes or no? Does the article achieve its purpose? - Identify the rhetorical appeals (ethos, pathos, logos) being used in this article, are they valid? Do they contain fallacies of argument? - What sort of structure does the author use? What kind of language, and tone? - Does this structure enhance the content of the argument or work against it? What about the author’s word choice? Do they use any analogies or parallelism? - Who is the intended audience for this article? Is the author effectively reaching them? The assessment of this essay will be based upon the clarity and accuracy of your article summary and on the depth, completeness, and quality of your overall analysis. Due Date: 10/24 Requirements: - 4-5 pages, 1100-1250 words (typed, double-spaced, single sided printing, 12 point Times New Roman font, 1 inch margins, stapled) - Work cited page in MLA format (not part of word count) - Since this is not a personal essay, do not write in first person - Make sure to include word-count at the end of your essay - Also when handing in final draft make sure to include, 1st Draft + Peer Review Sheets, and 2nd Draft + Peer Review sheets