Rhetorical Analysis
DUE: Thursday, Oct. 15—please have it posted before class time, as we’ll be referring to blog posts IN CLASS. We will comment during class, though, so need to worry about that step for now.
Choose any object or artifact you’d like (an advertisement, a place, a photo, a piece of art, a commercial…anything!) and apply the skills of rhetorical analysis you've been practicing to analyze that object. (To review specific techniques refer to Writing Analytically, “Rhetorical Analysis" on pgs. 93-96 or check out Commonplace chapters 2 and 2.5.)
1. Choose an object/artifact. Spend time recording all the details of that space and impressions you have about the organization, mood, tone, or style. The object can be related to our class theme or even your ARP, or it can just be something your curious about and want to share with your audience.
2. Organize those details and gather some basic information (Who made
it? What is it? Where is it? Why does it exist?), as necessary. Offer a brief summary for your blog readers so they know what you’re talking about. Remember that a strong rhetorical analysis relies primarily the author's observations and interpretation, so your summary should be pretty brief, and then launch into your smart analysis!
3. Pull together all your information and look for patterns and themes. Consider larger questions, such as,
• How are people or things encouraged to interact within this object?
• What is the intended function of this object? Does it have a secondary or “hidden” function?
• Does the object accomplish its intended function? Why or why not?
4. Post a picture or video of that object onto your blog, if possible. (For most of you, this should be possible! So try it!)
5. Remember, too, that this is your BLOG! You’re writing for a blog audience composed of your classmates. Think about your blog writing persona and what sort of tone you are working to establish here.
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