Definition: A rhetorical analysis requires you to apply your critical reading skills in order to “break down” a text. In essence, you break off the “parts” from the “whole” of the piece you’re analyzing. The goal of a rhetorical analysis is to articulate HOW the author writes, rather than WHAT they actually wrote. To do this, you will analyze the strategies the author uses to achieve his or her goal or purpose of writing their piece. Keep in mind that writers of different disciplines often use varying writing strategies in order to achieve their goals. So, it is okay to analyze a scientific article a different way than you would a humanities writer. These authors have very different goals in mind, and thus will use different writing strategies.
Rhetorical analysis: Johnson employs formal language throughout his essay. For example, he argues unequal funding in public schools creates a “horrific imbalance between affluent communities and those that are impoverished” (27). In using formal, academic writing, he establishes himself as a credible and valid author (thus, creating ethos from the classical form).
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