What is it? Blog Post

Based on what we have discussed in class and on our own, I think a rhetorical analysis is mainly a break-down of the text, (whatever that may be,) with a detailed look at each aspect. Whether that be the motives behind the text, the circumstances that might have affected the text, the audience, or the constraints placed on the text. Instead of just simply looking at the text as a whole, a rhetorical analysis focuses on the underlying issues that inspired the text. Why did the author argue a certain point, and who is it trying to persuade? What is the main rhetorical appeal used? How might the appeal draw people in? These are all main questions that I think a rhetorical analysis should answer. As for organizing a rhetorical analysis, I think they are most effective when putting the information into sections. For example, look at each aspect of the text individually and discuss each aspect one at a time. If you start to group details together, valuable information can be lost or become confusing. Also when considering the audience, exigence, and constraints; it is still important to discuss each one at a time, elaborating thoroughly on each subject.

When I write my own rhetorical analysis, I plan on organizing the information similarly to what I described above. So far, I plan on analyzing a BP commercial, so the first things I will discuss are the audience, exigence, and constraints possibly targeted in the propaganda. I will elaborate on each and try to explain my reasoning behind each of my beliefs. Next, I would talk about the rhetorical appeals used in the commercial (pathos, ethos, logos), still keeping the information in an orderly and concise manner. After this, my final piece would be my argument, or the positive and negative things I see in the commercial. As I write, I will probably come up with new points or ways to organize my arguments, so it is kind of hard to say right now exactly how it will be. But I will definitely try to keep the paper flowing smoothly and presenting my information in a clear effective way.