Unwritten rules of how to write a rhetorical analysis essay thesis
A rhetorical analysis is a written text that explains the strategies, which a rhetorician uses to persuade the audience. You can do a rhetorical analysis of a speech, commercial, movie, painting or text. In such assignment, your task is never to state whether you agree with the author or not but to evaluate how successfully he or she delivers the message. In your introduction, capture your main idea to give direction to your essay. This is called thesis or thesis statement. It reflects your judgment on a piece of work. Read on to find insights on how to write a rhetorical analysis essay thesis.
What this guide is about:
- Understanding thesis for rhetorical analysis
- How to craft your thesis rhetorical analysis
- Selected examples of rhetorical analysis thesis
You need this writing tool to handle all your rhetorical analysis assignments. Make it your companion, share it with friends and experience a new lease of life with your homework. It is friendly and flexible to allow you make any adjustments to suit your task. Let us delve in the nitty-gritty of this handout.
A roadmap of how to write a rhetorical analysis essay thesis
In rhetorical analysis, your focus is always on the tone and argument in the document under scrutiny. As you conduct the analysis, establish the style that the author uses to make his case, the target audience and what the text achieved or failed to achieve. A good thesis for such analysis has to be concise, in order to lay a foundation that allows you to dissect different elements of the work.
This section gives you instructions to follow when pitting together a rhetorical analysis thesis. Apply these guidelines and see the difference they make in your final papers:
Things to do when writing a rhetorical analysis thesis
Brainstorm your topic. Start by understanding your topic or piece of work you are analyzing. Jot down the tone, argument, style and other important factors of the text. Try answering the following questions:
- Who is the author’s target audience?
- How is the author wooing the audience?
- What are the author’s main ideas?
Ideally, the basis of how to write a rhetorical analysis essay thesis is putting in mind everything interesting to discuss about the document.
Condense your brainstorm. As you ponder on the topic or document, narrow your thinking to that particular argument you wish to build in your rhetorical analysis. Ensure that your argument bears why or why not the author was successful in persuading his target audience. Say whether her style and tone worked for or against him.
Compose a strong thesis. Once you have brainstormed your topic, draft your thesis statement, capturing your main idea. This statement should mainly address your position on the rhetorician’s style, tone and effectiveness in passing the message to the audience.
Do not rush to settle on your first thesis. Put down several thesis statements, reflecting different styles and tones of the author. You can only get a strong and excellent thesis by practicing. Go ahead and do it.
Revise your thesis. Lastly, revise your argument to ensure that it harmonizes with the rest of your rhetorical analysis. This is because your argument may change as you write your essay. Do not be rigid. Make sure your thesis represents the content of your paper. Anything contrary to this is a fail.
! Warning – Keep your thesis clear. Do not beat around the bush or meander with the words. Let the person reading your introduction know your main idea without any hustle.
With these hints on how to write a rhetorical analysis essay thesis, let us look at an example before we move to the next section. Take a look.
Example: Thesis
[HOOK]: Many Americans grew up knowing that ‘A woman’s work is never done’. [CONTEXT]: Jessica Grose, who wrote “Cleaning: The Final Feminist Frontier,” published in 2013 in the New Republic, shared this belief. [PURPOSE]: She argues that whereas modern men are giving a hand in childcare and cooking, washing unfairly remain a core duty of women at home. [THESIS]: The author introduces her story successfully with credible stats and employing emotional appeals; however she weakens her credibility and ultimately her argument as she tries to make emotional appeals to her readers – See more on this link.
From this example, the writer takes a clear position on Grose’s work, capturing her strengths and weaknesses based on her article. Also, note the location of the thesis. Place it towards the end of your introduction. It should come after the hook, context, and purpose of the author.
More secrets of writing an appealing rhetorical analysis essay thesis
As mentioned earlier, your thesis should point to what you are about to argue in your rhetorical analysis. You have no option but to communicate effectively your main argument plus how you intend to support your position.
To master how to write a rhetorical analysis essay thesis, let it be clear in your mind that a thesis does not merely state or summarize someone’s idea; it tells your audience your opinion on how they made their case. Once you have stated your position, the next task on your to do list will be to give evidence from the text to make your stance solid.
While you are at liberty to take any form when drafting your thesis, ensure that it has the following core components:
- Indicator of your argument – a statement fails to be a thesis if it does not capture your argument.
- The ‘how’ question – Your thesis should give an indication of how the author justifies his case to the audience.
- Your worldview – Give your opinion of what could be the implication of the issue in the society.
To have an edge in drafting an appealing thesis, do not just be descriptive in your statement. For example, saying what a commercial does not make a thesis statement.
How to keep your rhetorical analysis thesis on point
As you start working on your rhetorical analysis, it is possible to find challenges in piecing a good thesis. Do not imagine that telling your reader that your paper is a rhetorical analysis is good enough to be a thesis.
The following tips will enhance your knowledge on how to write a rhetorical analysis essay thesis. Read and see the mistakes that always stand between you and a genius writer.
State the author’s appeal strategies – Say the techniques the rhetorician uses to convince the audience to support his position. At the heart of your task is to analyze how effectively the author employs the tools.
Narrow your focus. Settle on a specific angle of your rhetorical analysis. Go for design aspects, which are complex enough to give sufficient scope for your analysis.
Be original. Aim at having an original argument. If your analysis centers on a specific argument of the document, your thesis and essay should revolve around the same argument.
Do not pass value judgment – Avoid being judgmental. Use the words like “effective” or “ineffective” when drafting your thesis, and not “good” or “bad.”
Final attributes of a good thesis for your rhetorical analysis essay
With the above discussion on what to do to develop a strong thesis, let us look at some ways of determining the strength of your thesis.
Is your thesis specific? Ensure that your thesis focuses only on areas you intend to cover in your rhetorical analysis. In addition, you focus should be supported with evidence from the text.
Should be toward the end of your introduction – As you figure out how to write a rhetorical analysis essay thesis, remember that it is a major component of your introduction. Your thesis should appear near the end of your intro if not at the end of the paragraph. Refer to the example above.
Does your thesis give direction? A good thesis should be your compass pointer, drawing the limits of your essay. Importantly, it prepares your readers of what they should expect in the rest of the paper. Specify the scope of your paper. Your thesis should form the axis of every paragraph.
A strong thesis needs evidence. A fact cannot make a thesis. Be ready to delve in the document and bring out evidence to back your argument. Choose interesting proofs to pique your readers to see the need to keep reading your rhetorical analysis.
In this handout, we have discussed the fundamentals of how to write a rhetorical analysis essay thesis. It is up to you to apply. Godspeed.
Place your order here…
Are you stuck with your assignments? Are you looking for reliable solutions? We are the answer to your problems. We deliver customized and high quality writing help to surpass your expectations. With our pool of experienced writers, we handle every academic field. From Research Papers to Thesis Dissertations, we are your one-stop centre of academic excellence. Do not worry about the cost because we have affordable prices. Take a tour at our homepage, read our sample papers, or simply PLACE ORDER instant assistance.
CONSULTED SOURCES
http://writingcommons.org/index.php/open-text/writing-processes/focus/856-formulating-a-thesis
http://www.ehow.com/how_7880824_make-thesis-statement-rhetorical-analysis.html
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/725/03/
http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Rhetorical-Analysis
http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/thesis-statements/
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/545/01/
https://gustavus.edu/writingcenter/handoutdocs/thesis_statements.php