Rhetorical Analysis Prompt
The following passage appears in the epilogue of Eric Schlosser’s exposé, Fast Food
Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal. Isolate Schlosser’s rhetorical
purpose, and in a well-constructed essay, analyze the rhetorical appeals (ethos,
pathos, logos) and/or prominent rhetorical devices (DIDLS) Schlosser employs in
the following passage from Fast Food Nation to bolster his position.
5
10
15
20
25
In 1995, the American Academy of Pediatrics declared that “advertising directed at
children is inherently deceptive and exploits children under eight years of age.” The
academy did not recommend a ban on such advertising because it seemed impractical and
would infringe on advertisers’ freedom of speech. Today the health risks faced by the
nation’s children far outweigh the needs of its mass marketers. Congress should
immediately ban all advertisements aimed at children that promote foods high in fat and
sugar. Thirty years ago Congress banned cigarette ads from radio and television as a
public health measure—and those ads were directed a t adults. Smoking has declined ever
since. A ban on advertising unhealthy foods to children would discourage eating habits
that are not only hard to break, but potentially life-threatening. Moreover, such a ban
would encourage the fast food chains to alter the recipes for their children’s meals.
Greatly reducing the fat content of Happy Meals, for example, could have an immediate
effect on the diet of the nation’s kids. Every month more than 90 percent of the children
in the United States eat at McDonald’s…
As for the food now served at school cafeterias, it should be safer to eat than what is sold
at fast food restaurants, not less safe. The USDA should insist upon the highest possible
food safety standards from every company that supplies ground beef to the school lunch
program—or it should stop purchasing ground beef. American taxpayers shouldn’t be
paying for food that might endanger their children. The USDA’s recent decision to
perform E. Coli O157:H7 tests on the ground beef it buys for schools, though
commendable, was made more than seven years after the Jack in the Box outbreak. It was
made after countless children were needlessly sickened. The meatpacking industry’s
ability to sell questionable meat, for years, to the federal agency responsible for ensuring
safe food is just one more symptom of a much broader problem—of a government food
safety system that is poorly structured, underfunded, and unable to detect most outbreaks
of food poisoning.
9
Essays scoring a 9 meet the criteria for 8 papers and, in addition, are especially
full or apt in their analysis and evaluation of Schlosser’s rhetoric or
demonstrate particularly impressive control of language.
8
Essays earning a score of 8 effectively analyze the rhetorical strategies the
author uses to establish his/her position. They refer to the text explicitly or
implicitly and explain the function and effectiveness of specific strategies.
Their prose demonstrates an ability to control a wide range of the elements
of effective writing but is not flawless.
7
Essays earning a score of 7 fit the description of 6 essays but provide a more
complete analysis and evaluation of Schlosser’s rhetoric or demonstrate a more
mature prose style.
6
Essays earning a score of 6 adequately analyze the rhetorical strategies that
the author uses to establish his/her position. They refer to the text, explicitly or
implicitly, but their explanation of specific strategies is more limited. The
writing may contain lapses in diction or syntax, but generally the prose is
clear.
5
Essays earning a score of 5 analyze strategies and attempt to analyze how
Schlosser employs those strategies, but they may provide uneven or
inconsistent explanations of how these strategies work to convey Schlosser’s
purpose. While the writing may contain lapses in diction or syntax, it usually
conveys ideas adequately.
4
Essays earning a score of 4 respond to the prompt inadequately. They may
misrepresent the author's position, analyze strategies inaccurately, and/or
offer little discussion of specific strategies or how Schlosser employs
those strategies to convey his purpose. The prose generally conveys the
writer's ideas but may suggest immature control of writing.
3
Essays earning a score of 3 meet the criteria for the score of 4 but are less
perceptive about the author's use of strategies or less consistent in
controlling the elements of writing.
2
Essays earning a score of 2 demonstrate little success in analyzing the author's
strategies. These essays may offer vague generalizations, substitute simpler
tasks such as summarizing Schlosser’s stance, or simply list techniques.
The prose often demonstrates consistent weaknesses in writing.
1
Essays earning a score of 1 meet the criteria for the score of 2 but are
undeveloped, especially simplistic in their discussion, or weak in their
control of language.
0
indicates an on-topic response that receives no credit, such as one that merely
repeats the prompt.
--
Indicates a blank response or one that is completely off topic.