Nike Commercial Advertisement Essay

Bryant and Stratton College Cleveland Campus Nike Commercial Advertisement Essay

Bryant and Stratton College Cleveland Campus Nike Commercial Advertisement Essay

Rhetorical Analysis Project Assignment Sheet

PURPOSE

This assignment asks you to be a detective—to investigate all of the conditions and considerations that went into the creation of something we might take for granted.

You will learn to recognize and discuss the ways that particular textual elements work within a text, paying particular attention to rhetorical and genre conventions. You will use outside sources as well as your own critical thinking skills. Writing goals for this assignment include:

• Forming a clear thesis

• Attending to rhetorical issues such as purpose, audience, situation, genre, and voice
• Attending to rhetorical appeals to ethos, pathos, and logos
• Drawing generalizations from your observations and researched analysis
• Integrating references to sources into your own writing

Your instructor will probably ask you and your classmates to focus on one specific genre for your analysis. In some sections, the focus might be on short written texts such as scholarly articles or opinion pieces. Other sections may focus on taking a new look as some familiar professional documents such as resumes or syllabi.  Yet other sections might focus on visual genres such as cartoons that discuss controversial issues, websites, or magazine covers following a major event.  Still others might focus on short multi-media works or music videos. Be sure you are clear on your instructor’s specific focus.

 

ORGANIZATION

Once complete, your essay will be made up of three main sections plus an introduction and conclusion. Each of the three main sections will have a particular focus and contain what you consider the most important and relevant pieces of research. Though they are separate, your sections should speak to each other. You need to reveal the complex nature of your text. There is no set length for each of your sections. You will decide how to weight your essay based on your individual text. Here is what a working outline might look like.  Keep in mind that you may want to rearrange the middle sections, create more interesting labels for the sections, or come up with additional sections.

 

• Introduction: Your introduction should give readers all the basic who, what, where, when, why, how information so they are fully equipped to begin thinking more deeply about the text. End this section with a clear thesis statement. If you have trouble with a thesis statement, try answering a question such as: What does the writer want the audience for this text to be able to do, think, feel, or decide after reading, watching, or listening? Why?  (Hint at the reasons that you will develop in the rest of the paper.)
• The Author: Discuss the creator(s) of your text by addressing where, when, how, and why.  Try answering this question: Why did this author create this text for these readers at this time?  What research do you need to do (or cite) to answer the question fully?  As you answer this question, are you being consistent with the thesis you established in the introduction? 
• The Audience: Where and when did the text originally appear? Discuss who consumed the text when it was new and/or at the height of its popularity. What types of people (age, income, class, etc) were drawn to your text? How can you tell?  What evidence can you provide?  Were there any important historical events that coincided with the appearance of your text into popular culture (or sub culture) that may have affected this audience—and/or the creator of the text? What does the text imply about readers' knowledge or feelings about the subject? What sort of relationship does the writer establish with the readers?
• The Text: Discuss what you find in the text itself.  Look closely and critically. Is the text effective? Why or why not?  How do such things as style, arrangement, rhetorical appeals, visual design, color, sound, repetition, or other patterns help contribute to or hinder this text’s effectiveness?  How does this text engage or persuade readers, listeners, or viewers?  How does it establish credibility, overcome resistance or doubt, and so forth?
• Conclusion:  As you bring your analysis to a conclusion, you have several strategies to consider.  Here are a few: see if you want to adapt any one of them, or if you can think of another approach:  (1) Recap your thesis statement and summarize the argument briefly.  (2) Elaborate on the implications of your thesis statement.  (3) Make clear what you want readers to think.  (4) Make a strong ethical or emotional appeal in a memorable way.  (5) Evaluate the text’s effectiveness for its audience.  (6) Evaluate the text’s effectiveness for yourself. 

Examples

For examples of text analysis essays, refer to the student samples in this book.

RESEARCH

To write effectively about the author and audience of your text, you’ll need to do some outside research. You’ll need at least two sources in addition to your chosen text. One big goal for this paper is to acquaint yourself with scholarly sources by using the library databases, so you may not use Wikipedia as a source. Focus instead on the articles found through databases such as EBSCOhost or Lexis-Nexis, etc. 

Citations

For this paper, you will practice in-text citations and the use of an MLA works cited list. 

ASSESSMENT

You will receive comments rather than a grade on an initial draft and a “final for now” draft. Your instructor will read your “final for now” draft to determine your success at:

• An effective introduction to the text that includes a concise summary and ends with a strong thesis statement
• A strong thesis focused on the rhetoric of the text rather than the topic (how and why the text works—or fails to work—rather than a statement that simply says what the text is about)
• Depth of research—finding interesting, relevant information about the audience and author and presenting that information effectively in your paper.
• An organization based on your points about specific strategies and their effects (not a chronological recounting of the points covered in the text) 
• Well-developed examples, details, and facts based on a close reading of your text and additional research, each selected and organized to support your main points                  
• A strong conclusion that sums up insights based on your analysis and research
• An awareness of an audience outside this class  
• Correct MLA in-text citations and a Works Cited page (see guidelines in Easy Writer)
• Voice—showing your personality and avoiding stuffy language while still being professional
• Format—using headings, correct font (size 12, Times New Roman), etc.
• Proofreading—avoiding little mistakes that make great writing look messy!
• Length—5-6 pages
• Any other points emphasized by your instructor

Optional Activity (to help you along):  Planning and Organizing the Analysis Essay

Even though you may finally choose another pattern of organization for your essay, it’s helpful to begin with a basic plan as you gather your evidence and anticipate your audience’s needs and questions. This working outline is adapted from the Easy Writer.

I. Introduction

• Summarize your text as concisely as possible (try to do this in 3 lines or less if you can).
• Provide your thesis statement by the end of paragraph 1. Write it out here.

II. Background.What do readers need to know to understand this text and your thesis? 

List that information here and note your sources.

III. Lines of Argument

• Reason #1.  State the first point you want to prove about your text. What evidence can you provide from your text or your research?
• Reason #2.  State your next point. What evidence can you provide?
• Reason #3 and so on.  Continue to assert your points clearly and back them with evidence.  Make sure that each point ties back to the thesis statement you established on page 1. 

IV. Conclusion. As you bring your analysis to a conclusion, you have several strategies to consider.  Here are some you may want to adapt:  (1) Recap your thesis statement and summarize argument briefly.  (2) Elaborate on implications of your thesis statement.  (3) Make clear what you want readers to think.  (4) Make a strong ethical or emotional appeal in a memorable way.  (5) Evaluate the text’s effectiveness for its audience.  (6) Evaluate the text’s effectiveness for yourself.   (You are also welcome to create a concluding strategy of your own.)