Composition II: Democracy

Using the South University Online Library, locate an article that presents an argument on a controversial topic. The SIRS researcher, mentioned in the lecture
“Researching in the Online Library,” is a good resource for current, controversial topics.After you have located your article, examine its rhetorical effectiveness.

• What strategies does the author use to persuade the target audience?
• How does the author appeal to logos and pathos?
• How would you characterize the author’s ethos?

Assignment Guidelines:

By Tuesday, March 25, 2014, post your rough draft to the Discussion Area.

The rough draft of your essay should contain an introduction, a brief summary of the article you are analyzing, a detailed rhetorical analysis of the article’s argument, and a well-developed conclusion.

• In your introduction, define the context of the argument and explain why the topic is controversial. Be sure to include a thesis statement at the end of your introduction. Your thesis should highlight two or more rhetorical features that are central to the argument’s overall effectiveness or ineffectiveness.

• Next, provide a short summary of the article’s argument to prepare readers for your analysis.

• Your rhetorical analysis of the argument should support the claims you make in your thesis statement. You should present and evaluate the rhetorical strategies used by the author to appeal to his or her target audience.

• Your conclusion should summarize the main points of your analysis and bring the essay to an effective close.

Assignment Requirements:

Your rough draft should be developed to at least 500 words and posted as a file attachment to the Discussion Area below.