Choose an argumentative essay on some specific, local issue. Using the principles of argumentation that we have been studying, analyze the author's rhetorical strategies. Then construct an argument evaluating the success of those strategies for persuading the author's intended audience.
Be sure that the text you analyze is an argument. Arguments address controversies;
their purpose is clearly to change actions, beliefs, or attitudes. An argument
sets out the authors' position with claims and reasons. Other texts that are
NOT arguments include: informative/news texts that merely inform readers about
claims made by others; instructional texts that command readers to follow a
sequence of steps.
Choose an article that you think has some strong points and some flaws, regardless of your agreement with the overall position. If you agree too strongly with the position, you may have trouble spotting flaws. If you disagree too strongly, you may have trouble recognizing the strong points. Your analysis should be a well-supported argument on whether or not the strengths outweigh the weaknesses.
If you have trouble finding an article, you can choose one of the following articles on fast food that are available online in the Academic Search Premier database.
Greider, William. "Victory at McDonald's." Nation, August 18-25, 2003: 8-11.
Harris, Lis. "The Seduction of Food." Wilson Quarterly, 27.3 (2003): 52-61.
As you analyze your document, be sure to work on doing each of the following:
This assignment will help you improve your skills at recognizing argumentative strategies (types of arguments, appeals, structure, style), so you can begin to use them in your own arguments. Authors may not use every option in a single essay. Authors may use the same option many times. So your interpretation of what strategies the author has chosen--and which strategies are most prominent--is also part of your argument. Make sure your claims are stated explicitly and supported with evidence.
Read the article several times. Read with different goals each time. Try to identify major sections of the article-where the purpose or topic clearly changes. Try to summarize the purpose of each section in a few sentences. Look for key words to identify the main claim of that section. Then look for appeals that support the claim (logos, pathos, ethos), and so on.
Remember that the author may have had readers in mind who are not exactly like you. You should consider the reactions that the author was expecting as well as reactions that unexpected readers might have. To explore the full range of possible reactions that readers might have, you may need to brainstorm with your peers or use a role-playing technique.
Write a good faith rough draft. You'll find some useful and practical advice
on writing a draft in The SF Handbook for Writers.
Your final draft should be 3-4 pages long, typed, double-spaced, and carefully proofread. Hand in your draft as an MSWord document, as well as a copy of the article you have analyzed (MSWord document with highlighted ethos, pathos, and logos).
Topic Proposal: September 8, Monday
Rough Draft: September 15, Monday
Final Draft: September 22, Monday
I will evaluate your essay according to these criteria: