Irvine Valley College A Plastic Ocean Documentary Rhetorical Analysis essay

Rhetorical Analysis

Time to Start Drafting Your Essay

You have had a full week to read up on how to write a Rhetorical Analysis, watch either one of the documentaries I recommended or one of your own choosing (as long as it reflects upon an environmental issue), and respond to the questions in the file titled Evaluation and Discussion.

It’s now time to start drafting your essay.

Directions

You will analyze the ways in which the writers/producers of the documentary you watched use rhetorical appeals to create a certain effect—whether to persuade, entertain, inform, etc. You should discuss where and why their logic, techniques, and devices work while maybe others do notwork. Although you are analyzing argument in this paper, you will eventually make your own argument in support of whether or not the documentary effectively accomplishes its objectives.

Essay Parameters

• Must fall between 1,800-2,400 words (the Works Cited page does not count for meeting the word count)
• Formulate a specific, focused, and complex thesis statement
• Support your position with compelling topic sentences, followed by detailed and perceptive analysis of research-based evidence
• Smoothly frame quotations and use appropriate paraphrasing
• Use effective transitions to move from paragraph to paragraph, section to section
• Develop a reasonable conclusion that provides a satisfying closure
• Display an ability to use dynamic sentences and precise words, avoiding errors in grammar, punctuation, and language
• Use at least four outside sources from credible sources
• Use graphic evidence*
• Proper use of MLA format

*Graphic Evidence Requirement: Somewhere in the essay, you must include at least one graphic illustration that provides appropriate evidence for the position you are developing. This graphic evidence should be appropriate to the topic, and make sure that the graphic is treated like any other research-based evidence. Note: Do not toss into you essay just any random image, make sure it’s appropriate and applicable to the subject you’re writing about.