Justin J. Bain
PhD Student in Composition and Cultural Rhetoric
Syracuse University
315-443-1412
jjbain@syr.edu
• Philosophy
• Writing 105
• Writing 205
• Writing 307
• Writing 110Workshop Questions: A Rhetorical Analysis Checklist (non-exhaustive)
Your rhetorical analysis should 1) identify elements of rhetoric and 2) catalogue and comment on discursive features within a given text (article/website/paper/etc), while 3) indicating examples in or from text (quoting, highlighting, indicating page numbers, etc). Following our discussions and readings in class, what follows is a beginning list of rhetorical concerns that your analysis might begin to cover.
Exigency (situation):
o For what purpose/situation/need is the text written?
o How is this situation established/created? Is it described? Implied?
Audience:
o Who is the audience for this text? Is it a general or specific audience?
o How do you know who the audience is? Are they referred to? Implied?
o How is the audience addressed? How are they talked to or about?
o Is there interaction required or implied?
Purpose:
o What is the purpose of this text? How do you know? Is it stated or implied?
o How is it achieved? In what ways does it fall short of its purpose?
Ethos (character/persona):
o What is the character of the author/text? Formal? Distant? Involved? Investigative?
o How is character established? Autobiographical section? Through other publications? Reference to other ideas/theories/sources? Through citation of material?
Pathos (need/desire):
o What needs/desires are created/referred to? Stated or implied?
o What benefits/services/advantages are indicated?
o What subject positions are audiences asked to occupy?
Logos (logic/reason):
o What are the common sense/given understandings for the community/text?
o What specific moves count as logic? Chain of claims? Listing facts/statistics? Asking questions of the self or the reader? Concluding with future work?
Invention (modes):
o What does the text do? Define? Describe? Divide? Compare? Narrate? Explicate?
Arrangement (organization):
o Is there an introduction? How long is it? How is it demarcated? What does it say or do?
o Is there a statement of facts (summary of issues)? Where is this located? How specific is it?
o Does the text make use of divisions? How? Does it outline what is to come?
o What counts as proof? What are the acceptable forms? Is proof justified or simply presented?
o Is there a conclusion? How long is it? How is it demarcated? What does it say or do?
Style (how ideas are embodied in language):
o What are the correct/appropriate forms of vocabulary, syntax, grammar, punctuation, citation, etc? How specific can you be about these items?
o To what degree is ambiguity acceptable?
o What counts as evidence? What is discounted? How do you know?
o Are there common rhythms or patterns? Sentence lengths? Introductory phrases or clauses?
Other Features to Consider:
o What are the keywords in the article?
o Is the text refereed? By whom?
o Does it use headings and sub-headings?
o Does it use passive or active voice? At all times?
o Does it identify or describe a method? Expect replicability?
o How does it make use of sources within the text?
o How long is it? Is this a typical length?
o Is it single or multiple authored?
o Skim indexes for the past few years—what are the keywords/topics?
o How do all the above relate?