Task: Write an essay in which you analyze and explain the argument and level of persuasiveness for one of the essays from The Best American Essays 2022.
Context: For Essay 2, we will continue to hone our skills at rhetorical analysis. Nearly every essay is an attempt to persuade the reader to do, feel, or believe something.
Developing Your Argument: Start your essay with a hook that gives the reader a reason to care about the topic of your chosen essay. Consider using an unexpected fact or compelling quote from the essay you are writing as a hook. Within the introduction, give the basic facts of the essay, or any context the reader of your essay would need to know if they have not read the original. Your thesis and the main focus of your essay should both explain the argument and analyze the level of persuasiveness of the essay you are analyzing. What does the author want their readers to do, feel, care about, or believe? How convincing is their argument and why? Explain their main examples and methods of persuasion. Respond to the text both as a whole and by analyzing key passages and sub-arguments. To take your argument to the next level on this Essay, consider introducing a counter argument to complicate your claims. What might opponents question or challenge about your author’s argument? “Some might say…” What might your author say in response to refute that counter argument? Integrate the author’s language and message into your analysis through a mix of direct quotation, paraphrase, and summary, all of which should include in-text citations.
Objectivity: Aim to analyze your chosen essay without inserting personal opinion about the subject matter. Limit your argument to explaining the author’s goals and how successful they were at achieving those goals.
Format: The essay should be 4-6 pages, double-spaced. The font should be 12 point, Times New Roman. The margins should be one inch on all sides. Include page numbers on all pages. Your heading should be single-spaced and include your name, date, instructor and assignment title. Also include a title for your essay below the heading, centered. The essay must be stapled before you come to class.
Sources and Citation: I value your original analysis of these works. Resist the temptation to consult outside sources that analyze, interpret, or comment on your chosen essay; doing so would be considered plagiarism. Sources outside the essay text are not allowed. All ideas and analyses about your chosen essay must be your own. Include a list of works cited at the end of your essay, even though it is only the analyzed essay itself. Place your works cited entry below the last line of your essay, as it does not need to be on its own page. All direct quotations, paraphrases, and summary must use proper MLA 8 citations.