How to Write a Rationale
The written task (WT) must be accompanied by a rationale of 200-250
words that explains your artistic choices. The rationale should explain
the following:
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A brief summary of the purpose of the WT that shows your
understanding of the unit. (E.g.: This written task explores the
reasons why Character X does x / y / z …)
How the Written Task you have chosen connects to the unit
preferably pertaining to one of the guiding questions.
Why the text type is the best choice for the content (In other
words, why is an informal letter the best medium for expressing
the content of this WT? How does this WT address the elements of
TAPSS?)
Specific features of the WT and conventions of the text type that
you wish your reader to notice (E.g.: I used words such a
“malicious” and “ conniving” in order to create a sharp and
accusatory tone in the statement.)
A few tips:
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Write in first person and explain your intentions specifically
Show insightful understanding of the unit
Write in short paragraphs and organize your thoughts:
1. Nature and Purpose of the task
2. Justification of your Choice of Text Type
3. Text Type Conventions and Features
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Write your rationale BEFORE your begin your task.
Sample Rationale:
The Things They Carried: A Psychiatric Evaluation
Tim O’Brien’s critically acclaimed novel, The Things They Carried, tells
the stories of Vietnam War veterans and their physical, emotional and
psychological encounters with war and death, as well as their struggle to
overcome war’s burdens. One of the stories in particular, “The Sweetheart of
Song Tra Bong” documents the transformation of one of the veterans’ girlfriend:
Mary Anne Bell.
For this task, I decided to write a psychiatric evaluation on Mary Anne
through the voice of a clinically trained psychiatrist. However, a large majority of
the background on Mary Anne’s character is from the perspective of Mark Fossie.
Letting Mark Fossie be the one to speak was intentional to show Mary Anne’s
distance from society and reality. The fact that Mary Anne doesn’t speak may
show her lost of humanity –a key feature that makes all humans, humans –as a
result of being placed in an antagonistic war environment.
It was important to correctly diagnose and evaluate Mary Anne because
metaphorically, she is representative of the young soldiers who lose their
innocence, purity and psychological awareness as a result of their involvement
with war. Writing this psychiatric evaluation is more than just diagnosing Mary
Anne and providing her with possible treatments, but more importantly, it will
be a way for her boyfriend, Mark Fossie, and her family to regain some of the
Mary Anne they had lost because of the war.
The writing itself is structured differently from a lot of other text types. It
is definitely a lot more formal, with patient information at the top, followed by
the psychiatrist’s first impression, diagnosis, analysis and methods of treatment.
Considering that it is a medical report, a formal doctoral tone was necessary to
make it seem more realistic and to properly investigate her transformation.