Today’s focus: Organization and development of rhetorical analysis 1) Review the elements of rhetorical analysis 2) Provide templates and “formulas” for writing the analysis. 3) Provide list of transition words and analysis verbs. 4) Review the last timed writing 5) Practice “sectioning” with “Fish Cheeks” A possible future session on precise language and writing style.

Rhetorical Analysis Review  1. What does it mean to “section” the passage?  2. What should your intro paragraph consist of?  3. What should your thesis statement consist of?  4. How many body paragraphs should you have?  5. What should be communicated in a topic sentence?  6. How many chunks per body paragraph?  7. What should be included in a chunk?  8. What are the three persuasive appeals?  9. List some common rhetorical elements, strategies, techniques, etc.

Sectioning the passage  Sectioning means to split up a rhetorical passage into manageable pieces for analyzing.  The aim is for each “section” to have an identifiable main idea that contributes to her argument.  Much of the time, writers/speakers will section their writing for us—in the form of paragraphs. But sometimes we can lump two or even three paragraphs into a single chunk.  For an AP rhetorical analysis prompt, we want to divide the passage into either two or three section.

What should your Intro/Thesis consist of?  Elements to include in your thesis statement:  The name of the writer/speaker (and available info about him/her--- or BIAS)  The intended audience (if known)  The form of communication (i.e., letter, speech, essay, article, etc.) and/or the title of the piece  The primary tones of the piece (two tones)  A very brief summary of what the writer/speaker does in the passage (factual in nature)  A statement of the writer/speaker’s overall purpose (opinioned in nature)

Template  In his/her (tone adjectives) (form/title of communication and intended audience), (the writer/speaker), (available info about writer/speaker), (strong verb) (what the writer/speaker does in the passage)__ in order to (statement of writer/speaker’s purpose).

A Thesis Template  In his/her (tone adjectives) (form/title of communication and intended audience), (the writer/speaker), (available info about writer/speaker), (strong verb) (what the writer/speaker does in the passage)__ in order to (statement of writer/speaker’s purpose).  In her emphatic speech before the convention of the National American Woman Suffrage Association in Philadelphia on July 22, 1905, Florence Kelley, a social reformer, relays to her audience the harsh conditions of child labor through concrete examples and poignant imagery in order to incite her audience to join her efforts to advocate for the reformation of child labor laws and for the extension of voting rights to women.  In her humorous and sentimental narrative essay, “Fish Cheeks,” Amy Tan, a Chinese-American novelist, recounts an embarrassing Christmas Eve dinner when she was 14 years old in order to convey the idea that, at fourteen, she wasn’t able to recognize the love her mother had for her or the sacrifices she made.

Another template 1. Speaker, Occasion, and Subject  (Writer’s credentials), (writer’s first and last name), in his/her (type of text), (title of text), (strong verb)(writer’s subject).  Social reformer Florence Kelley, in her speech before the convention of the National American Woman Suffrage Association in Philadelphia on July 22, 1905, advocates for the reformation of child labor laws and for the extension of voting rights to women. 2. Purpose  (Writer’s last name)’s purpose is to (what the writer does in the text).  Kelley’s purpose is to incite her audience to join in her effort by repeating key concepts and introducing examples of horrendous conditions and state policies. 3. Audience  He/she adopts a[n] (adjective describing the attitude/feeling conveyed by the writer) tone in order to (verb phrase describing what the writer wants readers to do/think) in his/her (intended audience).  Kelley creates a poignant and emphatic tone in order to reveals to her audience the harsh conditions of child labor that must be reformed..

How many body paragraphs should you have?  As many “sections” as you have  2 or 3

What should be communicated in the topic sentence?  Topic sentence : Aims to identify the writer’s goal/purpose of the “section” being analyzed in this paragraph.  Remember, at its heart should be a claim you are making.

How many “chunks” per body paragraph  Two to four.  If you have 3 body paragraphs, aim for 2-3 chunks.  If you have 2 body paragraphs, aim for 3-4 chunks.

What should be included in a chunk  Concrete Detail : Direct quotation(s) that support or demonstrate the claim you made in your topic sentence.  Elaboration : Necessary context to help set-up the selected detail for your reader, including rhetorical element(s) present in the quotation.  Commentary/ Implicit : Your opinionated explanation/ analysis of the selected detail, how it helps the writer to advance his/her purpose, create a particular tone, build credibility or connection with the audience (ethos), evoke emotion (pathos), and/or convey meaning (logos).

Every analysis paragraph MUST:  Identify the part of the text you are analyzing by using transition words and strong verbs to explain what is being said.  Identify the strongest rhetorical strategies used in that particular section. This includes incorporating specific text examples (exact words from the text ) into your own words. Do NOT try to discuss every strategy the writer uses; pick the strongest!  Clearly and specifically explain how the rhetorical strategies are used to help the writer achieve his purpose and reach his audience.  The above items must be woven together seamlessly into one sophisticated paragraph of the body of your analysis essay.

What are the three appeals?  Ethos – establishing credibility, trustworthiness, likeability, or any other kind of connection with the audience  Logos – appealing logically to the audience; conveying meaning, ideas  Pathos – appealing emotionally to the audience; evoking feelings of pride, indignation, concern, joy, etc.

Common Rhetorical strategies/techniques/elements  Assertions/Claims  Anticipating objections  Concessions and refutations  Diction  Imagery  Concrete Details  Language  Syntax: parallel structure, antithesis, anaphora, etc.  Figurative language: metaphors, similes,  personification, hyperbole, allusion, etc.  Repetition  Rhetorical questions

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