Today’s Plan:
- Write Ups (15 minutes)
- General Discussion (10 minutes)
- Rhetorical Analysis Assignment and Heuristic Activity
- For Next Class
Write Ups
I’m looking for 2 or 3 volunteers.
Rhetorical Analysis Assignment
Your first major assignment this semester will be a rhetorical analysis of a recent “text.” Generally a rhetorical analysis examines a text to identify how it establishes ethos (writer’s credibility, who are “we” [audience]), provides evidence (logos, both in terms of invented arguments, imagining and responding to counterarguments, referencing facts) and negotiates pathos (both what emotions is anticipates you hold entering the argument, and what emotions it attempts to engender). I shared an overview of this earlier in the course.
In addition to maybe thinking about these things, I would like to focus on whether the text appears democratic or demagogic. The paper will have to cite Miller in order to generate 3-4 rhetorical elements relevant to your text. Let me be clear: you have the freedom/responsibility to focus on parts of Miller that are relevant to your analysis (there is not one set of ideas that I feel every paper should discuss). Part of the challenge of this assignment is to figure out what in your text is worthy of / relevant to a rhetorical analysis.
I expect these papers will be between 1500 and 2000 words. Papers can be in either MLA or APA format (they do not need a title page, but do require a title). I’ll go over this kind of stuff a bit more later.
Heuristic Activity
I’ve created a Google Doc workspace.
I’d like everyone to add one entry, focused on a passage.
For Next Class
On Wednesday I’ll ask you to select a text for analysis. Between now and then, think about what recent text you’d like to analyze. As I’ve said previously, I’m open to a wide range of text(s).
This is the first time I’ve taught a rhetorical analysis assignment using Miller–I think the emphasis on demagoguery and public decision making will lend itself to texts that concern making decisions (maybe?).
