English 120A: Critical Writing Rhetorical Analysis Assignment
English 120A: Critical Writing Rhetorical Analysis Assignment Our second academic essay of the semester will be a rhetorical analysis of one of the short stories we have read for class.
You will choose one of the following texts to analyze: Ø “Me Talk Pretty One Day” by David Sedaris Ø “The Paper Menagerie” by Ken Liu Ø “Interpreter of Maladies” by Jhumpa Lahiri Ø “Symbols and Signs” by Vladimir Nabokov
What to Include Remember that a rhetorical analysis is not a summary of a text or a description of what the writer has written ¾ we are looking to do a close, critical reading of the text in order to articulate how the writer has conveyed a particular message to a particular audience, paying special attention to the language and style choices the writer has made to achieve his/her purpose. In your rhetorical analysis, you must: ü Identify the rhetorical situation of the text (the context in which it was written + the writer’s purpose, message, and intended audience)
ü Analyze the writer’s use of language (diction and syntax) to explain how it helps convey the message/meaning of the text and allows the writer to connect and communicate effectively with his/her audience
ü Identify any major themes and/or symbols that the writer uses to help illuminate the message/meaning of the text, along with your interpretation of how they are significant to our understanding of the text and the writer’s purpose
All aspects of your analysis should be well-explained and supported by evidence from the text itself, not just “I think…” statements that are unsubstantiated. Your analysis should also be your own: I am not looking for you to discuss other people’s interpretations or analyses of these texts. It is unnecessary to do outside research and/or cite any sources other than the story you are analyzing; in fact, I would strongly discourage you from bringing in other sources as this will likely negatively affect your grade.
Basic Assignment Requirements ü Academic essay formatting: title, 12-point Times New Roman font, double spacing, 1inch margins, etc. ü Minimum of 3 pages ü First draft + revision after receiving instructor and peer feedback to produce final (graded) draft
Due Dates Ø First draft of rhetorical analysis: Monday, October 22nd bring 3 printed copies of your essay to class (1 for feedback from professor, 2 for peer feedback)
Ø Revised final draft of rhetorical analysis: Monday, November 5th submit/upload on Blackboard through Turnitin by 3:30pm
Grading Criteria This assignment will be worth a total of 100 points, contributing 15% of your final course grade. The first draft of your rhetorical analysis will not be formally graded. However, if you submit your first draft late or do not submit a draft at all, this will negatively affect your grade for the entire assignment. Late drafts will not receive feedback (which is the primary purpose of a first draft!) and will reduce your grade for the assignment by 3 points for each day it is late. Failure to submit a first draft will reduce your grade for the assignment by 15 points, meaning the highest grade you will be able to receive is a B. Your assignment grade will come from the revised final draft of your essay, which you will submit after receiving feedback from the instructor and several classmates. This draft will be graded for content (65 points), cohesion and organization (15 points), and language use (20 points). I will provide a detailed grading rubric before you submit your final draft so that you understand specifically what each of these categories will be graded for.
Rhetorical Analysis: Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
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Rhetorical Analysis: Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
In his short story titled Me Talk Pretty One Day, David Sedaris writes about his time in the French capital of Paris where he tries learning the French language. Various rhetorical devices have been used in the text. This paper provides a rhetorical analysis of this story. The analysis focuses on the main themes and symbols in the story, the use of language, as well as the text’s rhetorical situation.
Rhetorical Situation of the Text
Regarding the story’s rhetorical situation, the writer describes his experiences of travelling to the French capital and getting to learn French, which was a foreign language to him. The purpose of the writer was simply to communicate to his audience how he had an awful experience with learning this foreign language. The author also intends to bring humour to a difficult situation and narrate his experiences in France trying to learn French.
His message was to communicate to this audiences that with hard work, anything is possible. He attempts to convince readers that they should undertake a challenge in spite of how tough it may seem, and that even though the task might appear to be difficult, the end-result may actually be beneficial and positive. Giving his personal experience effectively persuades the readers that he is not just knowledgeable regarding the topic at hand, but he is also a person that can be trusted and is intelligent. In the end, for instance, the author states that although learning French was difficult, finally attaining his goal of learning this foreign language was possible and that it felt very good to be able to eventually speak French and understand it. Sedaris has integrated this message with humour. The intended audience comprises an open group of people, although the text is more targeted toward people who can relate with the challenges and difficulties of adapting to a foreign nation through language. The audience also includes people who are struggling or undergoing a difficult time.
Use of Language/Diction and Syntax
The author has used diction that has been derived from a humorous tone. Sedaris’ choice of humorous language and quotations served to lighten up the mood. It also makes his story more trustworthy given that proper use of convincing humour necessitates experience. This establishes the author’s credibility/ethos.
In paragraph one of his text, after stating that he is going to be a new student once more at forty-one years of age, Sedaris describes many benefits which come with being a student and having a student identification card. The student identification card allows him “a discounted entry fee at puppet shows, movie theatres, and Festy land, a far-flung amusement park that advertises with billboards picturing a cartoon stegosaurus sitting in a canoe and eating what appears to be a ham sandwich” (Sedaris 1). Readers understand that students often get discounts at places such as movie theatres and museums. Even so,...