3.31 Rhetorical analysis!

Rhetorical elements
focus organization development position
ethos pathos logos
audience
purpose
TS/IS  academic language

Analytic process
1. Identify the problem you are trying to solve.
2. Identify and classify (describe what they do) the elements of the problem
3. orientation of the problem = how to look at, understand the relationships among the elements.  For the puzzle, we had to decide what direction to "read" the patterns.
3. Look for local patterns (relationships among the elements)
4. test/try out local patters to see if the "fit" into the larger pattern presented by the problem as a whole, and whether they will "work" to generate additional cases in the larger pattern
5. compare/look for existing patterns  or models which might "explain" your problem (for example - we used relationships among the counting numbers, 1,2, 3. .  as a model for the problem presented in the puzzle)
6. pose and test a global pattern or theory to answer the problem

Rhetorical analysis.
For rhetorical analysis, the problem you are trying to "solve" is located in the question: how does this essay work?   how does the author use each of the rhetorical elements to achieve his/her focus ?  which elements are successful?  How do all the elements work together?

To answer this question, you must first identify the audience and purpose of the writing.  This corresponds to understanding the "orientation" of the piece.  Who will be reading this essay?  What are their values and believes?  We need to know the audience and purpose of an essay so we can understand how the author's ideas, language and rhetorical moves will be received.

For next class:
Read: Zinczenko's essay "Don't Blame the Eater"
Write:  1) Finish your reflective essay and post it to the portfolio.  All writing for the persuasive writing unit is due on Thursday.

2) Write a paragraph by paragraph rhetorical analysis of "Don't Blame the Eater" and post it to your blog.

You did a great job on the analysis puzzle!  Good class today and see you on Thursday.