Rhetorical Analysis Checklist

Dear Parents,

Your student has composed a rhetorical analysis essay. The purpose of this type of writing is to examine how a text goes about persuading (Text can refer to a poster, photograph, tv commercial, speech, documentary, or any other medium of communication intended to persuade.). A rhetorical essay should answer two questions:

1)      WHAT is it saying?

2)      HOW is it saying!

For this particular assignment, we are analyzing a propaganda poster from Mao’s Cultural Revolution in China (https://www.essex.ac.uk/wyvern/Archive/2009-01/306MaoRedSun..jpg). We conducted the analysis together in class verbally. Now your student is practicing composing an essay with the ideas we generated in classes.

Would you please help your student review his/her essay to ensure it meet the following expectations? Please check off each item as you review it. I realize this checklist is a bit long and daunting, but using it now should help you know how to help your studdent on future essays as well.

INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH

1)      _______Begins with a hook that grabs the readers attention. A hook can be an interesting quotation, an impressive statistic, an arresting question, a bold statement, or a brief anecdote. It should be relevant to the topic of the essay.

 

2)      _______The hook leads into background on the topic. In this case, include some background on the Chinese Cultural Revolution and Mao. (Give enough background that a reasonably educated American adult could understand.) Also give brief background on propaganda’s role in the Cultural Revolution.

 

3)      _______Lead from background on propaganda into the thesis statement. The thesis statement answers both questions: What is it saying? and How is it saying? The thesis should be either the following, or a closely related version:

Using symbols, lines, colors, and facial expressions, the propaganda poster 'Mao is Our Reddest Sun' argues that following Chairman Mao will lead to a new, prosperous, and equal society.

(Note that since this poster is untitled, we have used the caption as the title.)

4)      _______A critical factor for the introduction is for the student to smoothly transition from sentence to sentence. It should not “jump” from one topic to another. (You may want to ask your student to explain how sentences are like slinky toys.)

 

BODY PARAGRAPHS

1)      _______Each body paragraph should focus on one of the “hows” from the thesis statement: symbols, lines, colors, and facial expressions. (Or, if your student wants to focus on a different “how” he/she is welcome to do so.

 

2)      _______Each body paragraph should start with a claim sentence.

Example: “The poster uses lines to reinforce the idea of equality and unified advancement in line with Mao’s philosophy.”

3)      _______Then each body paragraph should provide specific details and commentary as evidence in support of the claim.

Example: “The lines created by the legs of the young communists suggest movement. Note that the legs are midstride, suggesting movement in a forwards direction towards a glorious future. The legs, like the faces of the young people, are parallel, equal, almost indistinguishable. Mao’s communism seems to call for the kind of equality that requires sameness: sameness of class, sameness in enthusiasm, and sameness in thought. And what kind of thought would that be? The linear rays of the uplifted arms point the viewer’s eyes towards the larger-than-life Mao. Clearly his thoughts are to rise above all other thoughts. Perhaps this is why the lines of the arms continue straight through the hands holding up the little red books, containing quotations from Mao himself.  These lines suggest the direction the thoughts of every faithful communist should point. Thus, it makes sense that the lines of the arms would be raised as if in praise, uplifted with open hands ready to receive the gift Mao is pouring out equally on the people, the gift of his ideas for a new society. This glorious future society likewise, seems to shine down on the people equally, like the lines of the sun rays equally distributed across the crowd of faces.

4)      _______ Finally, each body paragraph should end with a concluding sentence that ties the details together and back to the claim.

 

Example: “The lines created by both the feet and the arms point towards unity in following Mao, clearly implying that doing so will allow the rays of a glorious future to fall equally on all.”

 

5)      _______The claim should double as a transition sentence between every pair of body paragraphs. It should form a “bridge”: showing the relationship between the main idea of the previous paragraph and the main idea of the new paragraph. (Note: The students have a handout with transition phrases that should facilitate this process.)

 

Example: “In addition to using lines to show the unity of the people in following Mao, the poster also employs color to suggest the prosperity that will result from unified revolutionary sacrifice.”

 

CONCLUSION

We have not yet focused on conclusions in class. Please simply help your student review his/her main ideas and show how they connect with the thesis.

If you want to take it a step further, in the concluding paragraph students can answer the question, “WHY does your thesis matter?” 

 

After reviewing the essay together, please both sign this checklist. Staple this checklist to the essay when you submit it. The essay is due on Wednesday, Nov. 5.