“Body Ritual Among
the Nacirema”
Rhetorical Analysis
Essay
How to approach it.
You may print this or download it for usage
tomorrow on your essay.
Things You Will Need to
Bring!
O Your vocabulary and weird sentence chart.
O Your article
O A blue or black ink pen
O Rhetoric House
O Your fully functional brain
Rhetorical House
O Analyze the prompt – what do you need to know?
O Fill out the “things” you need to know –
diction/imagery
O Use this to help you fill out the rhetorical triangle at
the top.
O GUIDING QUESTION to help determine the message
and tone: Is this really written to just “be funny” or is
Miner trying to make a point about something else in
a funny way? Hint: Think about the video of the guys
from Sudan.
O Last – Answer the question at the base of the house.
Intro Paragraph
In the essay “_________________,”
_______________ shows ____________ that
______________________________. He creates a
_______________ mood through
_____________________________________. The
_______ feeling to the story transfers to his
__________ tone. He seizes many moments to
point out that ___________________________
_______________________________________.
Body Paragraph 1: Religious
Diction
Topic Sentence: What is Miner’s purpose for using religious diction?
Introduce a quote: According to Miner…. Miner states… Miner
describes…
Write the Quote with quotation marks.
Commentary 1: What is the effect on the reader?
Commentary 2: Why does he want the reader to feel that way?
Repeat steps above: Introduce Quote 2, Write Quote,
Commentary 1, Commentary 2
Concluding Sentence: How do these things support his
tone/message?
Body Paragraph 2: Graphic
Imagery
Topic Sentence: What is Miner’s purpose for using graphic
imagery?
Introduce a quote: According to Miner…. Miner states…
Miner describes…
Write the Quote with quotation marks.
Commentary 1: What is the effect on the reader?
Commentary 2: Why does he want the reader to feel that
way?
Repeat steps above: Introduce Quote 2, Write
Quote, Commentary 1, Commentary 2
Concluding Sentence: How do these things support his
tone/message?
Where should I look for this
information?
Quotes/Evidence
O Your article – check out
your annotations and see
what you already noticed.
O Vocabulary Tracker –
“Sentence the word is
used in.”
O Weird Sounding
Sentences – “This
sentence sounds really
weird.”
Commentary
Your Brain – ask yourself why the
author made these choices?
O Rhetorical House
O Vocabulary Tracker – “what the
sentence actually means in my
own words now that I know the
definition.”
O Weird Sounding Sentences
O
O
O
“Self to text
connection/hypothesis
The effect this has on the
reader of this text.
Remember to…
Logistics:
O Bring your previous
work to help you.
O Write your name on
your paper.
O Use blue or black ink
only.
O Indent your
paragraphs.
While writing your essay:
O
O
O
O
O
O
Write a topic sentence for all body
paragraphs.
Introduce all quotes.
Put all quotes in quotation marks.
Give at least 2 sentences of
commentary that make sense for
your quote.
Do not forget your 2nd quote, and
commentary in the paragraph!
Write a concluding sentence.