A rhetorical analysis essay analyzes another’s work based on different concepts of rhetoric, focusing on how the author presents their message rather than the content. It consists of an introduction, body, and conclusion, with a thesis statement and specific examples used to prove the point. The conclusion should summarize the main points and demonstrate the effectiveness of the author’s techniques.
A type of formal or scholarly document, a rhetorical analysis essay analyzes another’s work, written or visual, based on different concepts of rhetoric. These essays not only try to understand how the author implements various rhetorical tools and techniques to achieve his goal, but also how effective the author is in this goal. Rhetorical analysis essays are often given to upper-level high school students or lower-level college students in an effort to teach them how to critically analyze another’s work.
Unlike many other types of essays, rhetorical analyzes focus not primarily on what the author in question is saying, but how they say it. Therefore, when drafting a rhetorical analysis essay, the writer should not focus on the content of the analyzed piece, but rather on how that content is presented to the reader or viewer. For example, if the article analyzed concerns abortion, it is irrelevant whether the article is in favor or against the legalization of abortion. Instead, the author of the analysis must focus on how the author of the article presents his case rather than on the case itself.
Normally, to do this, the writer asks questions about the piece. For example, what kind of facts does the author present? Does the author make mistakes or failures in logical reasoning? Is the tone appropriate to the topic and audience? Once the writer answers these questions, he can then determine not only how the author has attempted to prove his point to him, but the overall effectiveness and reliability of the piece.
Like most formal essays, a rhetorical analysis essay consists of an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. The introductions to these essays often briefly summarize the article or describe the visual media that will be analyzed. They can also provide information about the author or creator of the piece. Introductions should include a thesis statement, generally found at or near the end of the introductory paragraph, indicating what the essay intends to prove with respect to the piece it is analyzing.
The body of a rhetorical analysis essay should work to prove the point. Determining the audience and purpose of the piece being analyzed is often the first step in these essays. Once the audience and purpose are established, writers may consider using rhetorical techniques, such as tone, word choice, and the use of examples or evidence. Strong body paragraphs will use specific examples from the piece being analyzed to illustrate the points.
When the body is complete, an analysis is only finished once a conclusion has been written. A strong conclusion will not just summarize the main points of the essay, but will use that summary to demonstrate that the thesis was correct. The conclusions of this essay also usually indicate whether the techniques used by the author were truly effective.
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