pt 2 notes

Questions to ask if having trouble constructing a thesis

1. What patterns do you notice?

2. What choices has the writer or speaker made to establish a persona or ethos?

3. What choices does the writer or speaker make to appeal to a specific audience?

4. How does the writer address the occasion and exigence in the text?

5. What is the overall logic of the argument?

6. What choices in language does the writer or speaker make to make the argument persuasive?

Rhetoric

Aristotle defined rhetoric as “the faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasuasion”. In other words, it is the art of finding ways to persuade In Audience. Rhetoric is a thoughtful, reflective activity leading to effective communication, including the rational exchange of different viewpoints.

Texts

Any cultural product that can be “read” meaning not just consumed and comprehended but also investigated

rhetorical situation

The exigence (an urgent issue, problem or situation, on that prompts someone to write, speak, or take immediate action) purpose, audience, writer, context and message

• rhetoric is always situational

• Rhetoric triangle: a diagram that illustrates the interrelationship among the writer, audience, and subject of a text, also referred to as the Aristotle triangle because Aristotle used a triangle to illustrate how these 3 elements interact.

-the writer: don’t think of the writer solely as a name, but consider a description of who the writer is in the context of the text. Sometimes there is a difference between who the writer is in real life and the role the writer plays called a persona

-the audience: has both shared and individual beliefs, values, needs, and background usually there is a primary intended audience, but may be a secondary or unintended audience

-the message: main idea or position the writer wants to convey to the audience about the subject of a text

EX: subject: fast fashion Message: fast fashion exploits labor and is bad for the environment Purpose: convince people to shop sustainable and support fashion brands with ethical labor practices

Rhetorical appeals

Ways of making a message appealing to an audience - he identifies 3 main appeals: pathos, logos, and ethos

Ethos

• Greek for character) expertise, knowledge experience, sincerity, shared values, or a combo of these factors - gives the audience a reason for listening to this person on this subject ethos is effective when the writer demonstrates trustworthiness and credibility on this topic

Logos

• reason by offering clear rational ideas (Greek for “embodied thought”) means thinking logically- having a clear main idea and using specific details, examples, facts, or expert testimony to back it up. Creating a logical argument often involves defining the terms of the argument and identifying connections such as casualty, the relationship, between a cause and its effect. One way to appeal to logos is to acknowledge a counter argument (to anticipate objections or opposing views. In acknowledging a counter argument the most common strategy is too agree (concede) that some of all of an opposing argument may be true or reasonable, a concession acknowledges the limitations of a given argument in some way. Next step is to refute the validity of all or part of the argument using evidence to support the refutation. You mights also refute an argument; you can present a contrasting perspective on an argument or its evidence to propose that some of all of a competing position is unfounded

• All this strengthens your argument-by demonstrating that you understand a view point other than your own; you’ve thought through other evidence and you stand by your view

Pathos

An appeal to emotions, values, desires, and hopes, on the one hand, or fears and prejudices, on the other. An argument that appeals exclusively to the emotions is by definition weak. It generally is either propaganda or an unpersuasive rant

• appealing to emotion too boldly can give the effect of manipulation or just and overall range on sentiment rather than careful thought

Style

Mix of elements: the word choices the writer makes, the syntactical patterns they create in their writing, and the conventions of grammar and mechanics that they use.

Diction

A writers choice of words , and understanding, its effect is key to understand the writers perspective and an important step to analyzing rhetoric

Denotation

The literal definition of award, often referred to as the “dictionary definition”

Connotation

Meaning or associations that readers bring to words beyond their dictionary definitions, or decorations. Can be positive or negative, and often effect the authors tone

Modifier

An adjective, an adverb, a phrase or a clause that modifies a noun, pronoun, or verb. The purpose of a modifier is usually to describe, focus, or qualify

Formal diction

Sticks to grammatical rules and avoids colloquial or strong expressions

Informal diction

More controversial and might include more casual expressions that your audience themselves use (ethos can be used)

Allusion

Brief reference to a person, an event, or place (real or fictitious) or to a work of art

Syntax

How words are combined to form sentences. Sentences are made up of clauses

Independent Clause

A clause that can stand by itself and still make sense

• in other words it contains a subject(noun) and a verb (predicate)

• Longer compound and complex sentences may use coordination (joint clauses with FANBOYS) or subordination (joining clauses with when, because, until, if)

• These coordinating and subordinating conjunctions show the relationship between the ideas in a given sentence

Periodic sentence

Holding the main clause until the end if you place it at the begging it’s a comolative sentence with a series of modifiers at the end

Parallel structure

Repeating the same word, phrase, or clause for emphasis. Its effect is too primarily call attention or too emphasize

Antithesis

Contradictory ideas that are juxtaposed often using parallel grammatical construction

Hyphen (-)

Connects words together, making them into one combo word cluster

Tone

The writers attitude toward the subject- which is conveyed through the writers style. Tone is usually described with adjective, such as: casual, direct, grand, formal, ceremonial

• a shift may be signaled simply by a transitional words word or phrase, such as “on the other hand” or “by looking more closely”

• AP TIP: circle words like “yet” and “but” and consider the shifts they signal

Verbal irony

A figure of speech that occurs when a speaker or character says one thing but means something else or when what is said is the opposite of what is expected, creating noticeable in congruity sarcasm is verbal irony used derisively

Situational irony

A pointed discrepancy between what seems fitting or expected and what actually happens

Dramatic irony

The contrast is between what a character or writer says or thinks and what the audience knows to be true

• opposite of hyperbole is an understatement- the presentation or framing of something as less important, urgent, awful, good, powerful, and so on, than it actually is, often for satiric or comical effect

Composition

The physical arrangement of visual elements within the frame of an image

Thesis statement

Articulates your main argument and previews your central claims. A throng thesis leads with the writers purpose and inventories the specific rhetorical choices the write employs to achieve it

• there should be a direct relationship between your thesis and your topic sentence. Topic sentecneces should be in your own words with fewer or no direct quotations. Want to emphasize your own voice in the topic sentence

Commentary

An explanation of why the evidence and or quotations are important to the development of a line of reasoning and how they support the thesis. Avoid long commentary or quotations that break the links of logical progression of ideas. They can interrupt, even destroy, the clear line of reasoning (connection between the claims in the writers argument and the evidence presented to support them’ your attempting to develop for your audience

Conclusion

You may restate your thesis or summarize your overall argument, but should aim for more if you have time

1. Focus on your audiences attention on your most important points. You might show how your essay connects to the real world- past, present or future. What is its significance beyond a broader context?

2. Another approach is focus on what the audience should do or think now that they’ve heard what you have to say. Is there some change in behaviour the audience should take in response to your argument? De you believe your audience should view the issues you addressed in the new light?

How to revise

1. Reread essay for comprehension

2. Reread your intro and thesis

3. Reread topic sentence

4. Check your quotations

5. Evaluate your commentary

6. Reread your conclusion

7. Reread for spelling an dgrammer

8. Read the essay aloud to yourself

for Specifics check notes