Description:
In your semester project for English 471, you will be asked to conduct a rhetorical analysis of an artifact of your choosing (the “[x]” in “The Rhetoric of [X]”), using one or more of the methodologies outlined in Sonja Foss’s Rhetorical Criticism. The purpose of this analysis will be to discover the persuasive or communicative elements of whatever artifact you choose to analyze (see Foss, chapter 2, for detailed explanations of the process and product of this analysis). You will present your preliminary findings to the class in a formal presentation (4/22-4/27); your finished product, a critical essay of 12-20 pages, will be due by noon on Monday, May 3.
Criteria:
Successful essays will:
§ Use an effective methodology to apply a significant research question to an appropriate artifact in order to gain insight into rhetorical processes.
§ Present the results of a thorough, rhetorical analysis according to the guidelines set out in Foss, chapter 2, including the following points:
§ Compelling presentation of the essay’s subject matter, capturing the attention of the audience.
§ Accurate description of the artifact and justification of the method.
§ Successful reconstruction of the context for the artifact.
§ Justified (“reasonable”) inferences from the specific artifact to the level of rhetorical processes.
§ Successfully organize material and exhibit mechanical proficiency appropriate to the highest level of undergraduate studies in English.
For guidelines on how to select a subject for analysis, how to formulate a research question, how to perform an analysis, and how to write an essay of rhetorical criticism, refer to the Foss text, especially chapter 2. Once you have a firm grasp of that material, feel free to consult with me about your decisions and the process of putting together the paper.
Timeline:
It will be important for each of you to work steadily on the project throughout the semester. The following schedule of workshops and proposals can be seen as checkpoints for your progress:
§ Artifact workshops on March 9 and March 11: selecting an artifact for rhetorical analysis with an emphasis on developing a research question.
§ Methodology workshop on March 25: articulating your reasons for selecting your methodology.
§ Project proposals due March 30 (proposal should include, at the minimum: the relevant details of artifact, research question, methodology, a sense of the context for the artifact and the context for your own analysis, including a bibliography of source materials you propose to examine concerning your artifact).
§ Draft workshop on April 20.
§ Draft workshop on May 1.
§ Essay due by noon on Monday, May 3.