The Rhetorical Analysis “Profile”
Overview
There are two parts to this assignment. For each part, you decide the order, tone, style, and language you will craft in order to best reach your audience. You are welcome to draw on your “native,” “home,” or “other” languages as you so choose.
Part One
Observing Rhetorical Strategies in a Peer’s Language and Literacy Narrative — about 300 Words
Part Two
Writing a Peer “Profile” (Including Cover Letter) — 2-3 Pages
Due Dates
Part 1: Oct 11, 2023
FULL draft of Part 2 (peer review): Oct 18, 2023
FINAL draft of Part 2 (with cover letter): Oct 20, 2023
PORTFOLIO VERSION of Part 2 (with cover letter): Nov 15, 2023
Assignment Prompt
You will study and write about one or two specific rhetorical strategies that you observed in one of your peer’s Language and Literacy Narratives. During class, we will figure out together who will analyze whose narrative.
Your purpose is not to critique or evaluate your peer’s writing or strategies (so no judging of “good” or “bad”). Instead, your task is to analyze your peer’s writing, inferring your peer’s intentions and discussing how readers are likely to experience the text, and why.
Introduce, Summarize, and Analyze
When analyzing your peer’s writing, use the breakdown below for guidance.
- Introduce and briefly summarize the text in which you have observed an interesting rhetorical strategy (~100 words). See the Rhetorical Précis handout for help.
- Analyze the rhetorical strategy you found of interest. Name and describe the strategy (~100 words), and explain what you found interesting about it (~100 words). As you explain what’s interesting, use the following questions to help you:
- What do you suspect the author was trying to accomplish?
- What was the purpose?
- Who is the intended audience and how did the author attempt to appeal to them?
- How might the text/genre or context influenced the author’s choices?
Using the “10 on 1” Rule
As you explain the significance of the rhetorical strategies that you have observed in Part One, follow the “10 on 1” rule of thumb:
It is better to make ten different observations or points about a single representative issue or example (10 on 1) than to make the same repeated point about ten related issues or examples (1 on 10).
Part Two: Writing a Peer “Profile”
Assignment Requirements
Transform and extend what you wrote for Part Two into a 2-3 page (double-spaced) magazine-style “profile” where you tell a story about your peer as a writer by:
- Introducing who they are as a writer (see “Interview” below)
- Analyzing different rhetorical strategies (aka “writerly choices”) present in their language and literacy narrative.
Include a Cover Letter: Your Rhetorical Analysis Assignment must be preceded by a Cover Letter when you submit the final version.
Refer to the Cover Letter sheet.
Additional Information
Interview. You will have the chance to interview your peer to learn more about their language and literacy background and to inquire about their rhetorical strategies in their Language and Literacy Narrative. You can share with your peer what you wrote in Part Two and ask whether it accurately describes their writerly choices (or not). Some potential interview questions might be:
“Was this narrative difficult to share?”
“Do you think other scan relate to it?”
“What does this story tell us about you and your history?”
“Why is language important to you?”
Audience. You will decide who is the audience for this profile. Ask yourself who needs to hear your message most? By choosing your audience, you will also decide where this profile should be “published.” Would an existing platform or publication reach your audience, or will you need to create a new one?
Genre. You can learn about writing “profiles” by viewing this instructional video from The New York Times. We will also read and discuss sample profiles together in class, so you will come to learn the typified features of this genre. But you are invited, as always, to push the boundaries of what this genre “can” or “should” look like.
The “A” Option
If pursuing an “A” in the course, you will write an extended “Peer Profile” (Part 3) that is 4-5 double-spaced pages. Your extension can include more analytical details, more contextual analysis (based on information gathered in the interview), and/or more examples from additional rhetorical strategies you identify.
Assessment Rubric
1. Analyze the relationship between a peer author’s rhetorical strategies and the rhetorical situation of their Language and Literacy Narrative
How effective are the observations of rhetorical strategies in our course texts? How effectively are these observations connected back to elements of the rhetorical situation (i.e., information about the author, text, context/exigence, purpose, and audience)?
2. Compose a “Profile”
How effective is the peer profile in meeting (or purposely challenging) the typified conventions of a magazine profile?
Organization:
Is the profile written in a way that is clear and relevant for your intended audience? Did you connect the peer profile to a larger issue related to the politics of language? Did you come up with a creative, fitting title?
Interview integration:
Did you integrate paraphrases and quotes from your interview in a way effective for your purpose and audience? Were interview quotes introduced successfully (not left hanging)?
Audience:
Did you consider your tone, title, voice/perspective, and choice of publication? Does the profile’s message connect effectively with the intended audience?
3. General Requirements
Were all requirements for length and due date met?
