Rhetorical analysis thesis statements ENG 102

This PowerPoint presentation provides an overview of how to create a good thesis statement for a rhetorical analysis

1. Thesis Statements Rhetorical Analysis

2. Thesis Statement

3. Prewriting To gather information for the analysis, you must carefully review every element of the article. Answering questions on the rhetorical analysis worksheet will help with that!

4. Rhetorical Analysis Worksheet: Determine the Basic Facts The first set of questions helps you determine what is being argued by whom to whom: Title of article, author, date of publication, and place of publication Purpose/Message: What goal does the author have in communicating with the audience? Audience: To whom is the article directed? How do you know? Remember that the audience is not everyone . Consider who is going to be interested in the article’s message? An article directed at Generation Z is going to look different than an article aimed at Baby Boomers. You might consider how should the words/images differ for a different audience, such as, for example, an audience of women? Teens?

5. Rhetorical Analysis Worksheet: Determine How the Ad Works The next set of questions is about HOW the advertisement delivers the argument, what strategies are used Appeal to Logos: Does the author use example, facts, and statistics to build his/her argument? Where? How? If not, why? Was anything omitted? If so, what was the impact? Where do you see this appeal in the article? Appeal to Pathos: Where and how does the author connect with the audience on an emotional level? Is this effective in persuading the audience? If so, how? If not, why? Where do you see this appeal in the article? Appeal to Ethos: Does the author come across as trustworthy, credible, and having integrity? What do you know or what can you learn about him or her? If the author presents information or secondary research, is it credible? Explain. Where do you see this appeal in the article?

6. Rhetorical Analysis Worksheet: Determine How the Ad Works (cont’d) Stereotypes/Assumptions: Does the argument reflect stereotypes about race, gender, age, etc.? Where do you see this appeal in the article? Fallacies: Are there any holes in the argument? Is there anywhere in the text that the logic breaks down? Does the author make generalizations or leap to conclusions? Explain what doesn’t make sense and how. What does the ad say about the opposing view? Is there any direct or indirect criticism or generalizations or ad hominem attacks? Where do you see this appeal in the article?

7. Rhetorical Analysis Worksheet: Evaluate the Argument Evaluation: Once you have gathered information about your text, you can decide about whether it is effective as an argument. Examine the information above and your overall impression of the text. Do you think the author was effective overall in making his or her argument?

8. Working Thesis Statement Now you are ready to draft your working thesis statement. Your thesis statement will be the answer to the following questions: What is the message of the article? How does the article persuade the audience of their message?

9. Good Thesis Statement Examples The article relied heavily on pathos and contained some logical fallacies but was able to make a persuasive argument. The article uses a combination of pathos and logos, making appeals to the audience's emotions while providing statistics to create an effective argument. This ad uses the appeals of pathos and ethos effectively. However, the use of indirect ad hominem causes doubt about the truth of the claims in the article. Each of these examples clearly identifies the rhetorical techniques used by the article to persuade They are all about the same article, but they focus on different aspects. One focuses on pathos alone. Another focuses on pathos and logos. And the third focuses on pathos, ethos, and a fallacy.

10. Bad Thesis Statements Examples America has grown immensely and should continue to grow, whether that be investing in properties, being wedded, or having a secure job.    America is a great country; it is a place that we can call home and where we can feel safe and secure. The article is right about America needing to secure the borders. These are bad thesis statements because they do not focus on the rhetorical techniques used by the ad to persuade. Instead, they focus on the article’s message about America and how they feel about America, not about the rhetoric used. Don’t focus on the issue! Focus on the rhetoric. I do not care how you feel about the issue; I want your opinion about the rhetoric they used!

11. To create a thesis statement

12. Thesis Statement Templates

13. Thesis Statement Templates

14. On Templates for Thesis Statements You do not have to use the templates. They are just there as guides. Focus on the rhetorical techniques used by the article, e.g., rhetorical appeals and logical fallacies Note: you are not seeking to find all the rhetorical appeals, advertising appeals, and logical fallacies. You are seeking to find which of the rhetorical appeals, advertising appeals, and logical fallacies. Thus, your thesis may focus on just one appeal or your thesis may focus on all the appeals.

15. Thesis is a Road Map Your thesis statement must serve as road maps to the rest of the essay and clearly inform the reader what discussion points the essay is going to address and in which order. It may be one or two sentences. This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

16. Road Map Example Thesis statement: This ad uses a combination of pathos and logos, making appeals to the audience's emotions (1 and 2) and their need to feel safe (3), while providing statistics (4) to support the idea that Reagan is the ideal candidate. Body Paragraph 1 (PATHOS) – appealing to emotion through the music playing in the background Body Paragraph 2 (PATHOS) – appealing to emotion by showing scenes from major life events Body paragraph 3 (PATHOS) – appealing to the audience’s need to feel safe through use of specific word choice and visuals Body paragraph 4 (LOGOS) – appealing to logic by providing facts and statistics from Reagan’s first term Each numbered point will turn into a body paragraph. The reader knows exactly what points you are going to address and in what order. This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

17. Discussion Point = Body Paragraph Every listed discussion point will eventually turn into a body paragraph of your essay, so you need to make sure that each point can be supported with examples from the advertisement. You also need to make sure there is no repetition, and each discussion point addresses a new idea and contributes something new to the overall argument.

18. Thesis – Work in Progress Note that you may change your thesis statement at any stage of working on your project – hence, the name “working thesis statement.” It is work in progress. You may discover that you cannot find any examples to support one of the discussion points. It is OK to strike it from your thesis. While doing your analysis, you may find another argument. You should definitely include it into your thesis. You may realize that two discussion points in your thesis are too similar. You may combine those two points into one and discuss it in just one body paragraph to avoid repetition. You may come up with better phrasing for one of your discussion points or make revisions to the sentence structure to make it more reader-friendly and clear.

19. Strong Thesis Statement A strong thesis statement for a rhetorical analysis essay: Avoids using the first person or phrases like “I believe” or “I think” Serves as a map to the rest of your essay and guides the reader through it Asserts your conclusion and takes a stand on the author’s rhetorical strategies States what techniques you will be analyzing, and the impact of these techniques on the effectiveness of the text Is the last sentence of your introduction.

20. Credit Much of this presentation is taken directly from “How to Write a Thesis Statement for Rhetorical Analysis” by Dr. Tatiana Keeling, Central Arizona College, Spring 2020.