Overview: For this essay, you will write a rhetorical analysis of one of the assigned texts. A rhetorical analysis focuses on HOW a text presents an argument.
Overview: For this essay, you will write a rhetorical analysis of one of the assigned texts. A
rhetorical analysis focuses on HOW a text presents an argument. Essentially you are analyzing
the choices an author makes and judging the effectiveness of those choices.
Basic Requirements:
The essay should be at least 900 words in length.
Make sure that you have a strong, argumentative thesis statement that clearly lays out what
you will discuss in your paper.
Use the scholarly tone for writing a formal paper.
Support your argument with evidence from the text.
Include proper MLA in-text citations and Work(s) Cited page. Written using MLA format
for a formal essay.
Note: All work submitted must be original. If you need help understanding plagiarism, please
check out some of the material under content or ask me directly. You cannot submit work that
has previously been submitted for another class.
Texts for Rhetorical Analysis:
Choose one of the following texts from the assigned reading list:
“Letter from Birmingham Jail” (King)
“UN Speech on Education” (Yousafzai)
“Small Change” (Gladwell)
Using one of the above texts, construct an argument concerning whether or not the author is
successful in presenting his/her message. To do this, the first point you must establish is
what you consider the purpose of the text. (You will likely include this in your
introduction) Then decide if the text is successful in presenting its message. Why or why
not? What rhetorical techniques does the author use to achieve their goal? What choices does
the author/speaker make in order to reach the audience.
