course materials

1. you’ll write a thesis-driven rhetorical analysis of a text, or source, by an
Uns
you’ll write a thesis-driven rhetorical analysis of a text, or source, by an Unsung Master who
is a womxn and/or gender non binary person. 4 pages 12 pt Times New Roman font double
spaced.A successful essay will:-Bring readers into the context of the reading. In what larger
conversation is the piece participating? Why is it important? What’s at stake? Introduce the
text to the reader, briefly summarize its main idea, and make your own claim (thesis) for the
author’s rhetorical strategies. A strong claim is both contestable – reasonable people might
disagree – and predictive – it will set up expectations for your reader.-Develop your main
points around specific rhetorical strategies. Consider how the author/painter/musician ect.
constructs their argument and encourages your emotional/logical response to the piece. For
what purpose? Analysis relies on judgments conferred by how the work has encoded itself
to be read—we usually respond to these encoded details subconsciously and it produces
some kind of response within us. What are the salient details that stick out to you when you
read/listen/see the person’s work more closely for the second time? What are the
clockwork mechanisms accomplishing the emotional or logical response? If your selected
work is music, a question you might ask yourself is how does the beat change to suit,
contrast, or enhance the lyric? And why? If it’s a painting, how does the artist use color to
elicit emotion? How is this work, as a masterpiece, contributing to a larger conversation?-
Why do the details of the work matter in the context of the piece as a whole? Remember
that rhetoric encompasses any tools available for persuasion. For example, would it be
valuable to talk about the text on the basis of purpose, audience, and/or genre?-Support
your main points with concrete examples (evidence) from the text. To develop and support
your own points, you will need to include specific examples in the form of paraphrase, short
direct quotations, or descriptions of visual imagery.