Assignment
Description:
For your second
major assignment for the semester, you will analyze a single document related
to the educational institution you visited for your observation (e.g, a
brochure, website, or other document by or about your site). Your task is to
evaluate critically the rhetorical efficacy of the text in question, presenting
a thesis-driven argument that addresses the messages and content the document
seeks to convey as well as the intended audience it seeks to reach. Your thesis
will evaluate how effective the document is in meeting these goals and will
outline the reasoning for your judgement. Your essay will then analyze various
rhetorical choices the author makes, exploring, for example, why the author
chose the specific words and images in the source, why she chose its color
scheme, why he chose a particular mode of distribution (pamphlet, website,
flyer), etc. Since I’d like you to consider the author’s use of language, the
document should have at least 500 words of text (3-4 good paragraphs) for you
to examine.
Goals:
· Identify how the purpose of text is achieved through the choices
a writer makes
· Evaluate the degree to which the argumentative choices a writer
makes are effective and ethical
· Determine the effects of point of view on an author’s
interpretation/argument
· Organize prose giving priority to more important ideas
· Demonstrate effective logical reasoning in written prose
· Incorporate paraphrases and quotations smoothly and honestly
into writing
Process
and Questions to Consider:
· Read and annotate any written text in the document.
· Determine the document’s purpose (implicit or explicit). Is it
making an argument? Trying to persuade someone of something? Trying to sell
something? Simply informing its audience on a topic?
· Determine the audience. Who does the document target? How can
you tell?
· Who is the author or producer? Why might it matter? Is any bias
present or possible? Is the author/producer knowledgeable and reliable?
· How current is the document and its information? When was it
published (or last updated/ revised)?
· How complete and accurate is the information? Is anything
missing?
· Examine the tone, purpose, organization/structure, point of
view, and context of the document’s text. What do these choices add?
· Examine the text’s appeals to emotion, logic, and credibility.
· Evaluate any claims made in the document. Are they fair? Is
there any faulty reasoning in these claims?
· How are images, design, links, and other media incorporated? Are
they appropriate? Do they match what the text communicates, or do they
contradict it?
· What features of design (color scheme, variations of font style
and size, placement on the page, formal or playful lettering) seem to stand
out? Do the design elements add to the function/ purpose of the document, or
are they merely decorative?
· What is the overall message of the document? What does it
attempt to do? Is it successful?
Additional
Considerations:
Words: the written
text will be the most important part of the document to analyze
· How much written text is present? To what effect?
· What do the words say? Do they agree with the image or
contradict it in some way?
· What kind of diction, tone, language is present in the written
text?
· What do the words imply? What do they add to the message of the
document?
Images
· What kind of images are present? Photographs? Cartoons/
drawings? A combination?
· What’s the image of? Is there a story being told? What and why?
· If people are present, who are they? What part of the body is dominant
in the picture? Is the figure shown interacting with others, or alone? What
kind facial expression is present? What emotion does the facial expression
suggest? What is the subject wearing? What does the subject’s clothing imply
about him/her?
Organization/Layout?
· Is the image more important than the words, or vice versa? In
what proportion do words and images appear? Where are the words in relation to
the image(s)?
· Is there one central image, one section where your eye goes
first? Are there other surrounding images/background or just one?
· Does the document employ different levels of clarity/ focus? Are
there parts that are blurred or less noticeable?
· What kinds of links are present (if it is a website)? Do they
link inward or outward or both? Are the links thorough, or are certain things
missing? Do they raise any questions?
· What does this organization contribute to the meaning/purpose of
the document?
Length: 4+
pp
Here is the documents. Please use easy english
edu/about-mason/our-campuses“>https://www2.gmu.edu/about-mason/our-campuses
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