Today's Agenda: Exploring, Evaluation, Ethics

Reading: “Writing a Critical or Rhetorical Analysis”

• Points I disagree with:
• I am okay with you summarizing the work, briefly, by way of introducing it. Don't spend too much time/space on this, though. Instead, pull quotes and examples from the text as illustration/evidence as you go. (Where do you see examples of this kind of brief and purposeful summary in your readings for today?)
• I am also okay with  the occasional "I" statement in this type of paper. It is YOUR analysis (and others, as we have seen, may interpret some things differently.) In general, though, avoiding "I" statements in favor of focusing on the reasons for your analysis is good academic practice. (Related question from facilitator: If we are not supposed to use “I” does that mean our opinion should not be in the paper at all?)
• These things said, this handout gave a nice overview of how you might explore various aspects of the text. What did you learn from this one that seems applicable to your writing assignment?

Here are some questions from a facilitator that may help clarify some still-existing points of confusion about rhetorical analysis:

• Exactly what is a rhetorical analysis and what is the purpose of writing one?
• How can you use the Rhetorical Triangle to help us with our draft? 
• How is a rhetorical analysis essay different from an analytical or research paper?
• How does one remain neutral and objective while writing without accidentally letting his voice slip through?
• How does one avoid writing a summary, rather than an analysis of the text?
• How does one analyze how the author discussed his topic rather than writing about the topic itself?
• How does one include his opinion about how well or how poorly the main points of the text were communicated without using any “I” statements?
• How can you help the audience better understand our perspective? 
• What is the proper way to use citations and notations of any sources used in the analysis essay? 

Samples of rhetorical analysis: 

• In small groups, consider: What does each do well? What could be improved upon? What grade would you give each, and why? (Remember, they were writing to different assignments. How does their prompt seem to differ from yours/what are you asked to do that you don't see here? That said, try to use our rubric to grade them.)
• Analysis of a song, John Lennon’s “Imagine” 
• The lyrics: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/johnlennon/imagine.html 
• (note citation, exploration of how the artist life/work outside this song impacts ethos)
• Analysis of Text: “That’s Bullshit” 
• (compare citation, note how author avoids using I statements)
• Analysis of Ad: “Old Spice” 
• (suite101 as source? some inconsistencies in citation here, particularly in in-text citations--they do not always "match up" with the works cited list in parallel fashion.)
• Video evaluating/explaining rhetorical analysis in multiple student texts

Discussing the Rubric:

• Project 1/Portfolio 1 Assignment
• Portfolio 1 Rubric 

Questions from facilitators (what others do YOU have?):

• How many facts can be mentioned in the paper before it is too much?
• Is our word choice and tone going to be graded strictly? 
• What kind of things should we be paying attention to when we write our paper?
• Is the rubric exactly what we should go off when we write our draft?  
• I want to ask what is the best method to lure the audience with? 

Citation:

• How do the authors of these works integrate the work of others? Is they way they do this ethical? When do they do so in less than "proper", academic style? How does this impact their credibility, and their argument?
• Practice writing the "works cited" entry: Use this citation guide to write a citation for any one of our readings today.  What would an in-text citation of this essay look like? (When do you need in-text citations?)

As you work, consider these tips from your facilitators: 

Don't forget: You have lots of other resources to help you read the documents critically. Make use of these to help you interrogate the texts you are analyzing. Here are some other questions & tips that might help as you read and draft. 

When reading/planning:

• Read the text carefully, several times.
• Make notes & list out all the things you noticed and any questions you have.
• Identify the author and know a little bit about him/her. 
• What is the problem?
• Is the topic relevant, current, controversial? 
• Who is the target audience for the text? 
• Does the writer assume the audience has prior knowledge of the subject and background material? Does he assume they are naive and uninformed? 
• Does the writer use words and language that only his specific audience would understand? 
• How does the writer gain the audience’s trust and respect so they believe what is being said and his credibility? 
• Does the author have a solution?
• What examples or argument supports his/her claim?
• Are the author’s arguments presented in a clear, well-thought out manner? What were the strengths and weaknesses of the argument? How effective were the supporting documents or examples?
• Is the writer’s opinion voiced so strongly that it ignores contradicting viewpoints? Is there any important information that seems missing or purposely left out? 
• Overall: was his/her presentation of the problem effective? Or is it ineffective?  (Ask the same questions about their supports/evidence.) Another way in: How well does the writer address or approach the theme or topic of the text? Could anything have been done better or differently? A third way in: What could he/she have done to make the argument more grounded or solid?   
• What was the authors all over tone on the topic? How does the writer’s tone affect the writing? Does it hurt or help the writing? Does the writer express emotion, such as anger or enthusiasm, for the topic?
•  If analyzing a film or movie, how might lighting, use of sound and music, quality of acting, special effects, story layout and plot sequencing, and camera angles help the writer in communicating his main point? (What other building blocks of "visual texts" did we discuss?)

When writing:

• Give a brief summary of the reading or description of the picture.
• Identify the main point of the text, and the target audience.
• Consider the author and the context(s). 
• Discuss strengths and weaknesses of the presentation of the topic (is there evidence that supports the authors claim? is it appropriate, and sufficient?)
• Always cite quotes and paraphrases (in text and end of text)
• Critical analysis is an evaluation or a critique not an opinion of whether you agree/disagree to the author.

For next time:

• Read “The Turkish Republic Comes of Age” + “Women of Saudi Arabia” (40-49 and 60-71, Gender Roles…)
• Before class Thursday: Post to the blog. Tell us what questions/problems you are having with the project, and share a draft of your introduction, including your thesis statement. (Remember, the thesis statement can be more than one sentence.)