Essay #1:
Rhetorical Analysis
English 105
The objective of this assignment is to enable you to write a well-constructed
rhetorical analysis that makes a claim regarding the rhetorical tools exhibited in a
text. Your instructor will provide you with information on what specific texts you will
use for your analysis.
In a rhetorical analysis, you need to focus on some of the following aspects:
 Contextualize a piece of writing (author, audience, and purpose)
 Identify the structure of a piece of writing (chronological, cause/effect
problem/solution, topical, etc)
 Identify the rhetorical appeals of a piece of writing (logos, ethos, pathos)
Your essay should include the following parts:
 Introduction: this is where you introduce the text you will analyze and let your
readers know what your standpoint on this text will be. Be sure to include an
explicitly stated thesis.
 Body:
o Contextualize: who is the author, who is the audience, what is the
purpose?
o Identify the rhetorical appeals, and/or
o Discuss the structure of the argument
o Provide examples from the text that support your thesis
o Remember to keep your analysis as objective and rational as possible
 Conclusion: this is where you restate the claim you have made about the text
and explain why your analysis supports that claim.
Length: three typed double-spaced pages.
Draft due: Thursday, 9/14
Final due: Thursday, 9/21
Self-evaluation: When you submit your final draft, include a typed cover page that
addresses the following: How did identifying and analyzing the rhetorical tools used
in this text contribute to your awareness of the writing process? Will this experience
affect how you view texts in the future?
© University Writing Program
Northern Arizona University