Exercise 2: The Rhetorical Analysis Prewriting:  The purpose of this scaffolding assignment is to encourage you to look critically and carefully at a piece of writing by another author

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Exercise 2: The Rhetorical Analysis

Prewriting: 

The purpose of this scaffolding assignment is to encourage you to look critically and carefully at a piece of writing by another author. You will start by looking at the different essays and articles we have read recently, and you will choose one that interests you.  Re-read it carefully, and prepare to write a rhetorical analysis this text (not only what was said but how it was written).

Writing Task:

First, no matter if you agree or disagree with the author’s ideas, you must make sense of her/his main points by explaining them in your own words. You will start by writing a summary and analysis of the following:

1. Who is the author and what is their purpose (as far as you can tell) in writing this text? 
2. Is there any necessary context we may need to know to understand it? Here you might address questions like who the intended audience was and when/where/why the text was originally published (if you can find out), or if the writer is responding to anything in particular, like a social issue or current event.
3. What is the writer’s position or message?  What does the writing set out to prove to its audience or to make its audience understand? What is the main point (thesis) and main claims? 
4. What evidence does the author offer for these claims? What other kinds of support does the text use?

Next, respond to the essay with your own opinions and evaluations of the claims and the rhetoric(not only what it says but also how it was written) 

1. Do you find the author’s position persuasive?  Do you agree or disagree with any of the claims? Which claims do you agree with and which do you find problematic?
2. Are there any problems with the way it is written?  Are there issues with structure/organization, tone, or word choice? On the other hand, if you admire the way the text was written, how does the essay’s structure, tone, and word choice help to support the author’s thesis? 
3. What are your views and thoughts on this topic? How do they relate to the ideas expressed in the author’s text? How might all this connect to your essay topic or other issues you are interested in?