WAGE GAP – RHETORICAL ANALYSIS FRAME How do I write one? First Sentence First sentence should always include TAG (title, author, “genre” of the work), the author’s purpose, and the author’s argument. First Sentence In Mark Perry and Andrew Biggs’ article “The ’77 Cents on the Dollar’ Myth about Women’s Pay”, they persuasively assert that the data being used to confirm a supposed wage gap is faulty and misleading. Second Sentence Second sentence should include a lead in which identifies the author’s tone, the rhetorical device, and a quote of an example of that device with a citation. Second Sentence To support their belief, the authors use a practical tone through the use of facts and statistics such as, “Men were almost twice as likely as women to work more than 40 hours a week, and women almost twice as likely to work only 35 to 39 hours per week” (paragraph 3). Third Sentence Third sentence needs to explain and build nd on the quote used in 2 sentence. Third Sentence The data is illuminating in that men have been proven to work substantially more than women due to women’s personal choices. Fourth Sentence Fourth sentence needs to explain why the use of that device is effective. (Do not copy the words from your rhetorical holy grail handout – Put into your own words) Fourth Sentence When the reader is realistically confronted with undeniable facts and statistics, they can rationalize exactly how women’s choices can have a dramatic difference in their overall productivity and pay in the workplace. Fifth Sentence Fifth sentence should include a lead in which identifies the author’s tone, the rhetorical device, and a quote of an example of that device with a citation. (Choose a device from a DIFFERENT RHETORICAL APPEAL) Fifth Sentence The author also sarcastically repeats the word “same” to challenge the assumption of unequal pay when they declared, “While the BLS reports that full-time female workers earned 81% of full-time males, that is very different than saying that women earned 81% of what men earned for doing the same jobs, while working the same hours, with the same level of risk, with the same educational background and the same years of continuous, uninterrupted work experience” (paragraph 4). Sixth Sentence Sixth sentence needs to explain and build on the quote used in 2nd sentence Sixth Sentence It is effectively impossible to account for every distinguishing factor comparing men and women in the same job fields such as responsibilities, hours, risk, educational background, and experience. Seventh Sentence Seventh sentence needs to explain why the use of that device is effective. (Do not copy the words from your rhetorical holy grail handout – Put into your own words) Seventh Sentence The word “same” has been used regarding women’s rights throughout history and will emotionally connect the reader to the realization that finding a perfect calculation of men versus women in the workplace is unachievable. Conclusion Sentence Conclusion Sentence(s) – Use 1-2 sentences to comment on the overall significance of argument to society Conclusion Sentence Modern society is right in that social injustice is a problem that needs constant attention, care, and concern; however, due diligence has to be paid to real problems in order to enact real solutions.
