Rhetorical Analysis Essay: STEP 3
Working Thesis & Outline of the Body
DIRECTIONS: Now that you have finished analyzing your speech, you are going to create a working
thesis and a basic paragraph outline of your paper. Look back through your notes and the
Rhetorical Analysis thesis example.
Working Thesis: Remember that the working thesis should contain all the following:
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Subject of the speech
Purpose of the speech
Tone words that describe the speaker’s tone
Techniques used to reach that purpose
Example Thesis & Map Sentence: President Ronald Reagan’s touching and inspirational “Space
Shuttle Challenger Tragedy Address” amplifies the important deeds and ultimate courage of the
seven heroes in order to reassure the American people, NASA, and the families of those astronauts
who perished, that the astronaut’s sacrifice is a crucial and sad part of the process of scientific
discovery; he accomplishes this through the use of persuasive appeals, a hopeful tone, and
repetition of the idea that this is not the end of exploration.
Paper Outline of Topic Sentences: Now you must decide what you will analyze in each
paragraph. Write out each final topic sentence and then under the topic sentence list what you will
discuss from that section. Check to make sure that your outline supports your thesis.
Example Topic Sentence & Paragraph Outline: Reagan utilizes the persuasive appeals to declare that
everyone in the nation feels the pain of the loss of astronauts in both past and present tragedies.
1. Overwhelming “pain to the core” (pathos)
2. Loss of other astronauts on this day (logos)
3. Naming each astronaut lost in the Challenger (ethos)
4. National loss (pathos)
Speech Title _________________________________
Rhetorical Analysis: Step 3
Working Thesis & Outline of the Body
Your Working Thesis:
Paper Outline: