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Hooked on Rhetorical Analysis

For today's class, we will collectively work on creating an appropriate thesis statement for a rhetorical analysis of Communique from an Absent Future.pdf. Afterward, we'll break into teams that will collaboratively compose supporting paragraphs for that thesis based on this essay.

This is an example of the working thesis formula, a thesis, and an outline for Project Two. Notice how the THESIS and BODY PARAGRAPHS both analyze and support the WAY THE RHETORICAL STRATEGIES WORK IN THE ESSAY "COMMUNIQUE FROM AN ABSENT FUTURE."

Author = Anonymous

Work = “Communique from an Absent Future”

Thesis (of the work) = The article has a three-part thesis:

1. Like the society to which it has played the faithful servant, the university is bankrupt.

2. The modern university has no history of its own; its history is the history of capital.

3. We seek to push the university struggle to its limits. 

X, Y, Z (rhetorical strategies) = Primarily utilizes pathos and ethos to persuade readers.

Project Two Outline Example

Building A Thesis

As we discussed during our last meeting the appropriate "skeletal structure" for a rhetorical analysis is some variation on the following:

A = Author(s)

W = Work being analyzed

T = Thesis of that work

X, Y, Z, Q (etc.) = particular strategies used in making/supporting T

In W, A argues T through X, Y, Z.

Again, as we discussed last time, the sample rhetorical analysis of Nickel and Dimed positions the thesis of that book as a definition argument with three fundamental strategies (ethos, personal experience, and narratives of the experiences of others) to "bring to light the harsh reality facing those Americans who are shockingly close to poverty and debt despite their daily hard work."

The skeleton version of that thesis would be:

How might we leverage the skeletal structure to make a rhetorical analysis thesis statement for Fame Junkies?

.

Let's Get Rhetorical!

Now that we have a thesis statement to work with in our practice rhetorical analysis of Communique from an Absent Future.pdf, let's work up possible supporting paragraphs for this thesis. Break into your teams and write a supporting paragraph for this analysis based on this essay. Most likely your paragraph will focus on how one of the strategies in our thesis statement. When composing these, keep the supporting paragraphs from our previous student examples in mind.

Building Blocks for Support Paragraphs:

You need basically three items in each support paragraph.

1. A transition that opens the paragraph. An easy way to segue into your new paragraph is to introduce the technique under review in relation the previous one. For instance, you might write:

• (If the previous paragaph was on technique X, and the new one you are starting is on technique Y): "In addition to X, A spends considerable time relating Y."
• Or you might write something that weights the technique under review in comparisont to others: "However, A's strongest examples come by way of Y."

2. You need sentences that provide examples of the technique under review in the paragraph. Effective use of quotations from, or paraphrases of, the text being analyzed will be valuable in this section.

3. Finally, you need to relate the examples back to the thesis of the text being analyzed. Doing so reminds the reader of the central argument of the text and how the technique you're covering in this paragraph is, as you have stated, important to the forwarding of this argument.

All of these concluding sentences either explain why the technique described in the sentence that preceded it were effective and/or how it forwards the central argument of the book being analyzed.

Criteria for evaluation:

• How effectively does the first ("topic") sentence of the paragraph set up the rest of the paragraph? 
• Are appropriate/effective examples drawn from the text? Do these examples fit into one of the categories/techniques identified in the thesis?

Assignment for Wednesday:

Due:

• Text for Project Two (to be approved at Rough Draft Workshop)

Reading Assignment:

• Text for Project Two