Assignment: Rhetorical Analysis
Due Date: Rough draft due September 12th; Final draft due September 18th
Page Requirements: 4-6 pages, double-spaced; MLA format; 12 point font, Times New Roman; Include page numbers in the right header; 1” margins.
Assignment Description: Respond to one of the four essays in the form of a rhetorical analysis: “Why I Want a Wife,” by Judy Brady; “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” by Martin Luther King Jr.; “A Modest Proposal,” by Jonathan Swift; or “The American Male at Age Ten,” by Susan Orlean. Your essay should have a clear focus (thesis), responding to one or more rhetorical elements discussed in class. The paper must have a logical organization (Intro, Body, and Conclusion). Remember, the point of this paper is not to agree or disagree with the author’s stance on the essay’s subject; rather, the objective for this paper is for you to identify the essay’s rhetorical components, analyze those components, and then respond to them.
Drafts, Revisions, Workshops: You will be required to write at least one rough draft of the essay and post it to D2L by September 12th for your peer groups to read. Members of each peer group will critique the papers and conduct workshops in class. This portion of the assignment will count toward your class participation grade. Peer groups are set up to get you thinking about your paper critically and to help answer any questions you or your peers may have. I am available to answer specific questions pertaining to this assignment; however, I may not be available to read every draft. If you feel you need additional assistance outside of the peer groups, please see the syllabus for information on the Center for Academic Success.
Late Papers: I will accept late papers up to one week after the 18th with a penalty of 10% reduced from your paper’s final grade. Whether it’s late one day or seven, your grade for this assignment will be lowered 10% if it’s not turned in on time. This assignment counts for 25% of your overall grade, so it would be to your benefit to turn it in on the assigned due date.
Plagiarism: If you do not give credit where credit is due, if you fail to cite sources or blatantly steal someone else’s work, you will receive an automatic zero for both the assignment and the class. MSU has a zero tolerance policy on plagiarism. If you feel unsure about citing and paraphrasing from your sources, feel free to ask for some assistance. I’m available to look over your work during my office hours.
If you have any questions regarding the assignment requires, grading criteria (provided as a supplement to this sheet), or policies, please contact me via email, my office phone, or stop by during office hours. Please refer to your syllabus for contact information.
