Rhetorical Analysis Essay Guidelines

A rhetorical analysis is a written discussion that takes a cose look at the strategies of persuasion within a text or visual medium (ex: advertisements, infomercials, films, etc). In other words, it lists and describes specific techniques that a writer, speaker, or advertiser has employed, so you can then measure their overall effectiveness. For this essay, you will perform a rhetorical analysis on one of the infomercials created by another group taking English 3103. Remember to keep in mind and perform the following tasks: Take words and images very seriously o When you write an analysis, you will definitely assume a stance or position (ex: your analysis paper will either admire or criticize the work which has been done). However, you must learn to differentiate between good ideas and bad ideas. In other words, be very critical when approaching your peers infomercial: point out & applaud good ideas and strategies used, and also be sure to point out the flaws or ineffectiveness. Make strong claims o As discussed in class, things are never what they seem, and there is always a deeper meaning in the words and images that surround us. In addition, keep in mind that rhetorical analyses focus both on what and more importantly how. You must scrutinize and question everything in the infomercial you have chosen to analyze in order to make a strong claim about it. Focus on specifics, highlight important considerations, and dig deep in order to find the truth. Choose your evidence wisely o It is impossible to make an all-encompassing and in-depth rhetorical analysis in only 5 paragraphs, so be specific and concentrate on particular portions or elements of the infomercial. In addition, make sure that you use evidence to carefully describe what you are trying to analyze. Quote what is being said in the infomercial; describe a particular scene; point out any interesting language and/or images being employed in the infomercial. As a matter of fact, since you will be analyzing an audio-visual medium, feel free to incorporate images and snapshots that might be used to defend your perspective or argument. Be extra sure to highlight poor logic, inept design, or offensive strategies (if you find any). Keep the different modes of persuasion in mind o Always remember the importance of Ethos, Pathos, and Logos in a rhetorical analysis. You might want to focus on how one of these modes of persuasion is used in the infomercial, paying close attention to how the mode is being used and measuring its overall effectiveness.

With those tasks in mind, write a rhetorical analysis essay focusing on a specific rhetorical element within the infomercial of your choice. Similarly to the argumentative essay, you will develop an essay of 500-700 words, 5 paragraphs, that contains all of the traditional elements of a written essay (original title, hook statement, introduction, thesis statement, body, supporting arguments, evidence, conclusion, etc). This essay must be formatted in MLA and must be written in high style (your tone will be respectful, your vocabulary will be eloquent and technical, and you will use an impersonal third person perspective (no talking to the reader)). In order to facilitate your rhetorical analysis, your essay will focus on ONE of the following prompts. You are free to choose the prompt that most appeals to you: 1) Who is the target audience (demographic) for this infomercial (who is the infomercial ideally trying to persuade?) Does the infomercial effectively persuade or convince this target audience? How about people who are not part of the target audience? Is there anything in the infomercial that might be offensive, insensitive, or inappropriate to a particular community or societal sector (i.e. women, men, racial/ethnic groups, gay communities, people with disabilities, etc)? How can this be improved? 2) How does the infomercial make use of strong feelings and emotions to support its main points and to convince its viewers? Is the invocation of these feelings legitimate, or does it simply try to manipulate the readers? Does it make use of positive or negative emotions to persuade the audience? Are there any flaws in the infomercials use of Pathos, and if so, how can this be improved? 3) How does the infomercial make use of reason and evidence to support its main points and to convince its viewers? Are the demonstrations and the evidence presented in this video valid and logical enough to persuade an audience? Are there any flaws in terms of the infomercials use of Logos, and if so, how can this be improved? 4) How does the infomercial make use of the individuals character and honesty to support its main points and to convince its viewers? Are the presenters and speakers in the advertisement knowledgeable, fair-minded, honest, and likable? Are there any flaws in terms of the infomercials use of Ethos, and if so, how can this be improved? **IMPORTANT NOTE: Please refrain from the use of religious notions and/or questionable notions to back-up your claims. In addition, please do not consult your ideas with other students who are analyzing the same infomercial; please come up with your own individual analysis of the infomercial of your choice. Lastly, keep in mind that your paper must focus on how the infomercial tries to convince and persuade the audience, NOT on the actual product being sold (ex: do not offer advice on how the product can be improved, how dangerous it is, or how to make it more realistic).