Based on the most recent revision of your hypothesis, or working thesis, write a rhetorical analysis (minimum 1000 words) of the arguments presented in ONE of the articles listed in the “Next Step” bibliography section of your CQR report,

Text Analysis Essay

The Evolution of your Hypothesis: Now that you have an overview of the issues and arguments from the CQR report, in the next essay assignment you will be taking a closer look at the supporting and “antithetical” arguments (those opposed to your thesis) in one article cited by the report. By now, your working thesis/ hypothesis might have shifted, or even changed completely! Did reading about the arguments on various sides of the issue change your opinion any? Do you need to modify or refine your thesis? This is a natural and expected outcome of the research process! You should let the best evidence persuade you to have a better informed opinion.

Assignment: Based on the most recent revision of your hypothesis, or working thesis, write a rhetorical analysis (minimum 1000 words) of the arguments presented in ONE of the articles listed in the “Next Step” bibliography section of your CQR report, as explained below under Source Articles.

Then write your analysis essay, which should identify, analyze, and evaluate the evidence presented, as well as the writer’s purpose and use of rhetorical strategies, as described in the Rhetorical Analysis lecture notes in the module. There should be some summary of the content (what is said), but most of the emphasis should be on analysis (how it is said), and why the argument is effective (not just because you agree or disagree with it).

Source Articles: The CQR report is posted in the modules on Canvas. You should download the report! (if you haven’t already).

Look in the Table of Contents and click on “Next Step,” or scroll down near the end of the report, to page 24. There you will see annotated bibliographic entries for several articles, grouped according to these subtopics: Criminal Justice, Economic Disparities, Policy, and Protests. Under each subtopic, three articles are listed. Preview all of the articles about the subtopic you are most interested in, then choose the one which seems most relevant to your own hypothesis, either as a supporting argument or as a counter argument against your hypothesis. (If your hypothesis has shifted, you may choose an article on a different question than you wrote on for the Summary essay). Some articles may be news items written by reporters, and may be more informative than persuasive, or may summarize several positions on the issue.

Click on the blue “tinyurl” address, and it will link you to the article if you are online.

Additional Sources: For this essay, do not use any sources other than the article you are analyzing, or the CQR report (if needed for context). Use of any other sources could cause you to fail the assignment.

Essay Requirements: Discuss, in detail, the types of evidence and the rhetorical strategies, devices, or appeals you find in the article you choose, as defined in the Rhetorical Analysis lecture in the module: appeals to emotion (pathos), character & values (ethos), and logic (logos), as well as the organization, tone, style, and language of the essay, if relevant. Explain how these elements work together to make the article an effective argument supporting your thesis, or an effective counter argument. Choose an article which makes an effective/persuasive argument, even if you disagree with the thesis. You are more likely to write a good analysis of an argument you find effective than if you try to analyze the flaws in an argument. Support your assertions with specific examples from the text by using summary and quotation from the article, as relevant. (See note on Quotations, Citations, and Sources, below).

Organization: Your essay should be comprised of an introduction, a brief summary of the context (issues, events, or arguments to which the article seems to be responding) followed by your detailed analysis and evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of the evidence given in the argument, as shown in the use of rhetorical devices/strategies, and a conclusion noting how you might use these points in your own research argument. Make sure to use transitions between paragraphs. Your thesis should state a claim about the overall effectiveness of the essay, not your opinion on the issue.

Quotations, Citations, and Sources: You must interpret or explain any quotation/example or show how it helps to support the point you are making. Your essay must include proper in-text or parenthetical citations to indicate where you are using the source article. For examples, see the OWL MLA slides in the Writing Resources module. Also note how the author of your CQR report introduces, and then summarizes or quotes sources. You can do the same. Note, however, that MLA does not use footnotes, as CQR does. Instead, if the source has not already been named in your sentence, put the last name of the author in parentheses, followed by a period to end your sentence, if needed.