English 101 - Reminders and Help for Rhetorical Analysis Paragraph.docx

English 101 - Reminders and Help for Rhetorical Analysis
Paragraphs
1. Remember the “Rule of Thirds” for Body Paragraphs
(Besides BP1 on Essay II)
Top 1/3 of Paragraph (about 4-5 sentences) – your development
of an idea stated through a clear topic sentence and a group of
follow up sentences that explain and ‘analyze’ the point.
-(P) main point of paragraph in the topic sentence
-(I) follow up and explanation of the idea, how it is true
and its importance
Middle 1/3 of paragraph (4-5 sentences) – this section should be
focused on ‘support’ of your that will in a sense prove the idea
presented
-(E) Use of a specific example/evidence from the text or
perhaps a ‘universal’ example to display and ‘show’ your
audience what you mean or perhaps a secondary source
Final 1/3 (4-5 sentences) – summarize and reassert your main
point in a fresh way.
-(S) Returning to your main point – you may have to transition
out of your example to return back to your main idea. Be sure to
restate it and perhaps change the context to analyze it in a new
way.
2. Help Developing Main Points – Rhetorical Analysis
The I and S sections carry a lot of ‘weight’ because they are the
areas where a student writer can show the depth of their
thinking and comprehension of the idea presented. This is
especially true with rhetorical analysis paragraphs: Target
Audience, Message, Manipulation/Persuasion, Effectiveness,
and/or Effect (an indiv. essay will not have all of these).
Asking questions of your main point is a great way to ‘dig’ for
development of your idea. Here are some example questions for
each RA paragraph that may help you plan/develop your I and S
sections:

A. Target Audience (TA) – Why has this audience been chosen
by the ‘company’/advertiser/text? What does knowing this TA
tell you about the ad’s purpose/message? Why/how is this
audience susceptible to the purpose/message of text.
B. Message – Why is this message being used by the ‘text’?
How/why is this message meaningful to the audience? What is
the message trying to make the audience feel or believe?
C. Manipulation/Persuasion – Explain a specific method/way
the text tries to persuade the audience. How does this method of
persuasion ‘work’ within the text? More generally, why is this
approach to manipulation/persuasion used?
D. ***Effectiveness*** (prob. a paragraph only for ads) –
How/why does the ad succeed or fail in its purpose? What could
be done to make the ad more effective?
E. Effect – How does the add connect to, support, or create a
problem in the real world? How/why does ad have this impact?
How does the ‘effect’ benefit or damage the real life of
audience?
English 101 - Essay II – Assignment
Texts Covered to Prepare for EII:
-“Why Good Advertising Works (Even When You Think It
Doesn’t)” – Nigel Hollis
-“How Advertisers Are Manipulating You in Ways You Don’t
Even Know” – video link provided on Canvas
-“Backpacks vs. Briefcases” - Laura Bolin Carroll
-“How Advertising Has Become an Agent of Social
Change” – Charly Jaffe
Assignment:
Each student should find ‘media text’ (tv show, movie,
music video, commercial, etc) to complete a rhetorical analysis

essay. In class, we have focused on ‘print ads’ for analysis, and
it may be wise to stick with this media text. Be careful in
choosing your ‘text’ to analyze for this assignment. There are
many options, obviously, but make sure the text you choose
allows for thorough rhetorical analysis. The key will be to find
a media text that has a specific ‘message’, that potentially
influences or affects the audience, and that provides ample
evidence to support your claims. Each essay will need to
describe/summarize the media text (what’s on the surface),
identify a target audience, analyze the message of the ad,
consider the potential impact on the audience, and include a
secondary source.
Direction:
A. Plan and execute a 6-7 paragraph essay (Intro, 4-5 BP’s,
Conclusion).
B. Present a thesis that has a claim about the message and/or
effect the media text (or category of media text) has on the
audience.
C. Body paragraphs: each essay will (P1) describe/summarize
the text, and (P2) identify a target audience. From there,
students should create multiple paragraphs of rhetorical analysis
(P3, P4, and maybe a P5) built around specific points. Here are
some options for analysis paragraphs: analyze the purpose of
the text, make a claim on the message it sends or how it
attempts to manipulate, consider the potential impact on the
audience, and argue whether it is successful or not.
D. Use specific Evidence from the advertisement to support
points presented in the body paragraphs.
Requirements:
Essay Outline due by Feb. 11th, Rough Draft on Feb. 20th,
Final Draft on the Feb. 25th.
The essay must be 4-5 pages in length with MLA format.
Body paragraphs (besides the summary/description) should
follow PIES structure with specific P’s.

Use of evidence as support in middle 1/3 of BP’s.
Intro will finish with thesis and Conclusion should present a
‘takeaway’.
Submit your ‘media text’ (a file or link) along with your final
draft (.doc file).
Example Outline/Plan – this plan uses the “Homer” ad from
“Backpacks vs. Briefcases”. You will need to, first, find a
media text that allows you to meet the expectations of the
assignment. Here is an example ‘partial’ outline for Essay II.
Keep in mind this is just one example out of many possible
approaches:
Thesis: The americansforthearts.org “Homer” ad succeeds in
drawing in its audience and raising awareness on the issue
through the use of a joke created around the double meaning of
the character ‘Homer’. Unfortunately, the ad may struggle to
succeed in creating actual change on the issue because it limits
the potential audience and requires viewers to take their own
action on the issue.
***P1(Description/Summary of text) – The
americansforthearts.org print ad prominently features a
humorous message to inform the audience on the decline of art
education.
-Share ‘joke’ and other aspects of design that play up the double
meaning at work
– share ‘directive’ by ad to visit website for further info
-share other .orgs feature -> formal tone/look of ad outside
of the joke
P2 (Target Audience)- While the potential audience may be for
anyone with an interest in art, the ad focuses on reaching
parents and educators who see art as integral to any education.
I – Analyze how TA needs to get the joke and already be
passionate on issue

E – Use of ‘Homer’ keys in on specific people
S – Because ad relies on its audience to ‘take steps’, its
audience is more narrow than thought
P3 (Purpose/Message) – The ad attempts to raise concern on the
issue of art education, but more importantly, it wants the
audience to actively and financially join the fight to save it.
I – continued decline of art prog.’s; need to fight growing
‘lack of necessity’
E – Discuss use/meaning of D’oh; quote other words/phrases
that call for action
S – Joke makes issue clear -> Plus is a ‘spoonful of sugar’
P4 (Effect)- Increasing the role of art education in the lives of
students, especially those in financially challenged school
systems, can lead to a new generation of young adults who are
more thoughtfully engaged in the world around them.
I
Evidence –
S
***NOTE: I have not followed PIES in my
‘summary/description’ paragraph. It isn’t really a ‘point-based’
paragraph, so PIES is not needed. What I do need to plan is a
topic sentence that captures the ‘gist’ or feel of the ad and
supporting details: what aspects/parts of the ad I want to
describe, and how I will organize my description. For P’s 2-4, I
have followed PIES because I want to be making specific
points/claims in these paragraphs.

English 101 - Reminders and Help for Rhetorical Analysis Paragraph.docx

English 101 - Reminders and Help for Rhetorical Analysis Paragraph.docx

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