Discuss how this audience likely might variously respond to the writer or speaker’s argument and some of his or her rhetorical strategies

COMD 295 Rhetorical Analysis Essay
(I know this is long. Don’t panic. It’s just a very detailed list of how to do this that will help you.) In about five double-spaced pages, provide a detailed analysis of the one of the essays or speeches listed below: In your analysis, you will examine how effectively the author or speaker employs the three rhetorical appeals (logos, ethos, and pathos), and any other means, to persuade his/her audience.

• The Whisper of AIDS – Mary Fisher

Goals
Your goal in this essay is to analyze the author’s or speaker’s rhetorical strategies with an eye towards the audience for whom this argument was originally made. Your challenge, then, is NOT to respond personally to the argument, agreeing or disagreeing with any part of it (regardless of whether you consider yourself part of that original audience). It is also NOT to simply summarize the article like a book report. Instead, focus on the ways in which the author or speaker tries to persuade his/her audience and the likely audience reaction, based on our study of the components of rhetoric.
This means you’ll want to:
• Describe generally the argument this writer or speaker is making
• Describe the audience(s) this writer or speaker is likely addressing
• Identify the rhetorical strategies the author or speaker employs (as he or she appeals to logos, ethos, and pathos) and describe how these strategies function in the argument by examining closely a handful of representative examples
• Analyze how effectively the author or speaker employs these strategies considering his/her audience
• Discuss how this audience likely might variously respond to the writer or speaker’s argument and some of his or her rhetorical strategies

Method
There are various ways to compose and organized a rhetorical analysis. I will provide a basic outline that works well for most students, but do not feel compelled to mimic the order. You should, however, be sure to include all the elements cited in the instructions.
 
FIRST PARAGRAPH – Introduction
Your introduction should include the following components.
• A creative introduction to the topic of the article you’re analyzing. Introduce your analysis in a way that will capture a reader’s attention. Get to the heart of the topic being discussed, starting in general terms and then being more specific. One way to do this is to put it in a contemporary or current context, or connect it – even if it is old news – to a similar issue in today’s world. We’ll look at an example to illustrate this better.
• A succinct articulation of the main argument the writer or speaker is making.
• In the case of an article, the name of the article, writer, publication, and publication date. In the case of a speaker, the speaker, date, and location of the speech.
• A brief overview of how you will assess the effectiveness of the writer or speaker’s persuasion. Here you will signal whether you feel the rhetoric is effective or not (avoid the first person, however) and why. This is more of an overview that needn’t be too specific. The specifics will come later in the essay.
PARAGRAPHS 2 and 3 – Audience/Ethos
• It’s likely you have already mentioned the publication in which the article appears or the location/occasion of the speech. Now tell me a little about the audience of this newspaper or the speech and the audience/audiences the author or speaker is trying to reach.
• Author or speaker’s background – Ethos part 1. Tell me a little about the author or speaker’s background as it relates to his or her credibility or expertise. Does his/her background make him or her more or credible with specific audiences? Why?
• Ethos Part 2. How does the author or speaker establish his/her ethos through his writing? Does he/she show solidarity with the readers? Does he/she show virtue by establishing that he/she likely shares all or some of the readers’ values? Disinterest? Practical wisdom? Does the writer or speaker seem like an authority or expert? Possess good moral character? Does the writer or speaker manage to make a point without offending those likely to disagree? Use specific examples here (quotes) and explain how the reader is likely to feel about this writer or speaker based on the example/quote?
• Counter-argument/concession. How does the author or speaker address those likely to disagree? Does he or she acknowledge an opposing argument? Show respect toward the opposition. How does this impact ethos?
PARAGRAPHS 4 and 5 – Pathos/Logos
Dedicate one paragraph to pathos and one to logos. These paragraphs are interchangeable. Decide what you think flows best or makes more sense with your particular article. Start with a topic sentence generally assessing the evidence and emotional appeal, and answer the following questions.
• How does the writer or speaker use emotional appeal? Find two or three specific examples, quote them, cite the specific emotions involved, and explain why (or why not) the audience is likely to respond in this emotional way. Remember that this is not the author or speaker being emotional, but the emotional reaction the audience is likely to have. Does he/she use storytelling, one of the strongest emotional appeals? Specifically, what emotions are involved? Fear? Hope? Anger? Patriotism? Shame? What is generating this emotion? Analyze this. Why is the audience emotionally moved by this statement?
• What evidence (logos) and reasons do the writer or speaker cite to support his/her argument. Specific examples? Data? Quote from experts? Find two or three specific examples, quote or paraphrase them, and explain why the audience is likely to accept this (or not) as evidence supporting the argument. Analyze this. Does the writer or speaker utilize a particularly effective logical argument (artistic appeal) that is likely to influence the reader? Does it make sense? Is it clever? Logical? How/why is this line of argument effective?
• It’s possible you will find that an example serves as pathos and logos, or logos and ethos, etc. If so, say so and analyze the example from both perspectives. As for where to place something like that, use it where you need it. If you have two or three good examples of logos, then put the logos/pathos hybrid in the pathos paragraph.
• There will likely be some areas where you believe a certain portion of the audience (not the majority, usually) will dispute certain parts of the argument. If you think of something like this, include it and say why. And if possible, explain how the writer or speaker attempts to overcome this potential hole or dispute in the argument.
PARAGRAPHS 6 – CONCLUSION
Try not to simply rehash what you’ve said previously. Put your general spin on the rhetoric, and how – if effective — it might lead people to ACT, make a choice, or take a side.
Here are some additional prompts to help with ethos and pathos. You needn’t cover all of this; use what is most relevant to your particular article.
Ethos
• Do the writer or speaker’s credentials (relevant experience, job title, place of work, place of training, awards, previous positions, etc.) make his/her claims more (or less) believable?
• Does the writer or speaker show respect for his readers or talk down to them?
• Does the writer or speaker seem arrogant or approachable? Caring or insensitive?
• Does the writer or speaker ignore or demean the opinions of others, or is he or she careful to consider alternate viewpoints and treat opponents with respect?
• Does the writer or speaker exaggerate, not do his or her homework, use evidence in ways that are misleading; or does he or she seem well informed, fair-minded, and willing to deal with evidence from all sides?
• Does the writer or speaker seem sloppy and disorganized, or does he or she seem careful and meticulous?
• Does the writer or speaker display proper decorum relative to the audience? Practical wisdom? Indifference?
 
Pathos
• Does the writer or speaker evoke emotions (sympathy, outrage, anger, delight, pride, awe, shame, horror, etc.) in his or her audience that are likely to help (or hurt) his case?
• Does the writer or speaker evoke sensations (seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, smelling) that make his writing and language vivid and cause readers to experience things imaginatively? Or does he or she just appeal to readers’ heads and leave the rest of them feeling dull?
• Does the writer or speaker appeal to values (freedom, justice, tolerance, patriotism, faith, equality, etc.) that his audience shares? And does he or she do so in a way that will help or hurt his or her case?
• Does the writer or speaker employ storytelling to evoke emotions?
Writing Style: Saying Things Effectively
Your most important stylistic concern should be with crafting strong paragraphs. A strong paragraph is unified, focusing a reader’s attention on one main idea. It is coherent, indicating which thoughts go together logically. A powerful paragraph is also well-developed, supplying ample details and explanations to make each point come to life.
So, make sure you begin each paragraph with a topic sentence that clearly states the paragraph’s main idea; then make sure all your supporting sentences cluster around that main idea without detours. Refer to the instructions above and the review power point for content requirements. If you find yourself well off-track from your topic sentence, it’s probably time for a paragraph break (and perhaps some more work on that paragraph).
Make sure also to use strong transition words and phrases to connect ideas and sentences. These words and phrases –- which include such terms as “however,” “furthermore,” “on the other hand,” “additionally,” “therefore,” etc. –- help guide your reader through your writing while also signaling important shifts, contrasts, comparisons, qualifications, etc. in your analysis or argument. Do not use lazy, directional transitions such as “the first example,” “the second quote,” “the fourth paragraph.”
Also, be sure to provide enough -– but not too many -– details and examples to make your points clear, mostly through quotes and paraphrases from the text.
And finally, beyond coherent paragraphs, your paper should adhere to the conventions of academic writing you mastered (I hope) in ENGL 123 and other college writing courses you might have taken. So, revise and edit your work; and don’t forget to proofread your work carefully to catch errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, and mechanics.
Your paper should be in Times New Roman font, with 12 point character size. For this paper, because you are using only your primary source and because that source is only a couple pages long, do not worry about parenthetical citations and a Works Cited page. If you do choose to use secondary sources, cite them in the text of the paper. (According to a February, 2012 Washington Post article, the Reagan Administration felt paralyzed, at times, how to navigate the tricky political landscape of addressing the AIDS crisis).

The book is Thank you for arguing: what Aristotle, Lincoln, and Homer Simpson can teach us about the art of Persuasion.
By Jay Heinrichs