Rhetorical Criticism Paper
draft due october 20th, final due october 24th
This 5-7pg paper is an integrated rhetorical analysis that analyzes the rhetorical strategies found in 3-5 texts from your candidate on your issue. Your goal is to find 3-5 texts on your issue (if you changed along the way, just choose one such as the environment, the economy, Iraq, etc) and then to compare and contrast the rhetorical strategies used.
Rhetorical criticism papers need a thesis as well as a "so what." In other words, your analysis needs to lead the reader to some sort of conclusion, if even tentative, of how and why the similarities and differences you're noticing matter. When planning and researching for your paper, consider the following:
- How do the language choices used encourage the reader/listener/viewer to understand the candidate in a particular way?
- How do the language choices used encourage the reader/listener/viewer to understand the issue in a particular way?
- How do the images or musical choices used encourage the reader/listener/viewer to understand the issue or candidate in a particular way?
- What role does it seem the intended audience plays in how the information is presented?
- What role does the medium (tv, web, newspaper) seem to play in how the information is presented?
- How are ethos, pathos, logos, kairos, and commonplaces at work in the texts?
While you will need to pay attention to to the ways that ethos, pathos, logos, kairos, and commonplaces are utilized, you do not need to cover all of these if they do not seem connected to your overall thesis. Do make sure, however, to include terminology from our readings and discussions thus far.
Your primary goal is to explore and explain how your candidate tends to frame the issue at hand (does his language tend to focus more on pathos? ethos? logos? does he rely on commonplaces? how does kairos play a role?) AND to offer a tentative explanation as to why the candidate relies on his rhetorical stratagies--what does it buy him and why?
This project should be word-processed in 12 pt. font, double-spaced, 5-7 pages, and stapled. Please follow MLA convetions for in-text citations and work cited information.