Engl 115 (Rieder)
Formal Essay #1:
Rhetorical Analysis
Weight: 200 pts (20% of Course Grade)
The Writing Prompt
We have devoted a significant amount of class time to defining and analyzing some
dominant American cultural myths around identity, opportunity, and success. In particular,
we have taken a close look at a myth central to national attitudes: the myth of the
meritocracy—also known as the Horatio Alger myth—through essays by Harlon Dalton,
Meizhu Lui, and Ruth Conniff.
The Question: Of the three texts that engage with this myth directly and indirectly, which
two work together most effectively to critique, complicate, and debunk the myth? In other
words, in your estimation, which two texts would be most persuasive to an audience who
believes deeply in the existence of a meritocracy? Explain.
In either your intro or conclusion, you should also address which of the three was the
weakest, rhetorically speaking, and why.
Helpful Tips from Your Humble Professor—read carefully!
 Your essay should demonstrate a clear understanding of the concept “cultural myth” in
general and the myth of the meritocracy in particular.
 You might use aspects of your rhetorical précis exercises to build an effective
introductory paragraph.
 These texts are filled with many different rhetorical strategies, including Aristotle’s big
three appeals: ethos, logos, pathos. How are these tools used to identify and build a
receptive audience?
 Arguments aren’t constructed in a vacuum, so it might also be necessary to consider
Aristotle’s fourth concept, kairos. To what extent do context, timeliness, and
appropriateness of the language matter to these authors as they pursue their audience?
 They also may employ literary techniques to achieve their aims: irony, anaphora, simile,
metaphor, analogy, etc. To what degree do these choices help (or hinder) the argument?
 You can’t possibly write about every aspect of the texts in a short paper, so spend some
time isolating what YOU think are the two or three most crucial moments in each of your
Engl 115 (Rieder)
chosen texts and the ways in which these moments utilize combinations of the above
appeals and techniques.
 Working through the above questions and tips is an important part of the invention/prewriting process because it will help determine your thesis and inform how you organize
your essay!
 Getting started: Based on the results of grappling with the questions and tips above,
write a draft of your thesis statement as well as the 3-4 assertions (topic sentences) that
you will use to begin each of your essay’s body paragraphs.
 Reminder: The best essays will take an innovative approach to the prompt, avoiding the
cliché claims and structures of high school-style rhetorical analysis papers.
Format/Requirements
100-1300 words; MLA format; Times New Roman or similar font (include a word count at
the end of the paper)
Important Dates
Wednesday, Sept. 16th: Draft your Intro, thesis, and one body paragraph (1-1.5 pages.)
Monday, Sept. 21st: Complete Rough Draft Due—2 copies
Wednesday, Sept. 23rd: Final draft due in class—include previous drafts and grading rubric
In English 115, a Final Draft of an essay:
 Is clearly and thoughtfully organized
 Is driven by an explicit thesis statement that appears in the introduction
and is expanded and supported by evidence throughout
 Actually draws a conclusion at the end—anticipates and answers the
questions So what? Why does this all matter?
 Is carefully edited and proofread for grammatical and sentence-level
errors as well as typos and misspellings
If you are struggling with any of the above concepts, it is your responsibility to
seek help from the Writing Center and/or your instructor as you draft and revise.