Rhetorical Analysis Essay

1. Introduce the material and explain its context.

Who is the author? What is his or her background (social class, nationality, etc.) and personal characteristics (life experience, age, occupation, gender, sexual orientation, political beliefs, religious beliefs, etc.)? How does this information affect your understanding of the text? Does the author tell you anything directly about him/herself? Does he/she imply some personal information that isn’t stated directly? Why might the author have done this?

2. Determine the piece’s intended audience.

Who did the author write the piece for? To whom does the author seem to be speaking in the piece? Are you a member of this group? What beliefs does the author assume the audience shares with him or her? Where and how does the author make these assumptions explicit? Where does he/she imply them?

3. What are the piece’s main points?

What is the piece about? What is the author trying to accomplish? What is the message he or she is trying to convey?

4. What are the piece’s strategies and structures?

How does the author show us what he/she means? What sorts of examples, evidence, or details are given to show us the significance of what he/she is trying to say? Does the author present all sides of an issue or just a few? Why might he/she have chosen to just focus on those points (and not the hundred other ones he/she left out)?

5. What appeals does the author use?

Ethos: Appeal to Ethics (Author’s Credibility)
Is the author someone who knows his or her stuff? Does she/he associate herself/himself in some way with other authorities on the subject? Does the author have some authority in her/his own right? How does the author turn that authority into an advantage?
Pathos: Appeal to Emotion
Does the author use examples or language that is designed to stir up feelings of compassion, fear, anger, etc. in the audience? Consider whether this type of persuasion is fair and also whether it’s effective.
Logos: Appeal to Logic
Does the author make use of facts and figures, the testimony of witnesses or experts, or some other logic-based argument?

6. Determine the purpose:

Is he/she trying to persuade? Inform? Entertain? (There are other choices, too: inspire, pay tribute to...) How can you tell? What specific strategies does the author use to accomplish this goal? Is this purpose achieved? Why or why not?

7. Style:

Is the language casual or formal? Does the author use “big words” or everyday language? Why? Does the author use facts and figures to make his/her point? What effect does that have? Does he/she use anecdote in the piece? Where? Why did he/she use it there? What about quotes or dialogue? Is there personal narrative? How does this writer convince you to listen to him–what strategies does he use to build credibility? How do these elements fit the author’s main purpose? Do they help the audience more clearly understand what the author is trying to convey? How? Find and refer to specific elements of figurative language.

8. Tone:

What is the author’s tone? (Angry, bitter, passionate, annoyed, reverent, humorous, etc.) How does this tone fit the author’s purpose? How does the author’s choice of words convey the author’s main point? If there’s humor (in any form), where is it used? How does it help deliver, rather than undercut, the message? How does the author manage strong opinions (assuming there are strong opinions) without alienating the audience? How might people who agree with the author interpret her tone? How might people who disagree with the author interpret her tone?

Taken from: http://www.uiowa.edu/~rhetoric/morphing_textbook/general/rhetoricalanalysis.html