analyze how language and rhetorical choices vary across texts and different institutional, historical, cultural, and/or public contexts. rhetoric is not merely verbal but also visual. Images constitute texts as much as written words. You started to think about the importance of images in communicating meaning as well as thetext-image relationship in the zine assignment. In this assignment, you will continue to develop your skills of rhetorical analysis and visual literacy. Additionally, you will refine your skills as a rhetorician through closer attention to the rhetorical appeals of ethos, pathos, and logos.
Task
the aim is to analyze both advertisements to determine how and why language and rhetorical choices vary across texts as well asdifferent historical and cultural contexts. You will also compare these ads to analyze the significance between the similarities or differences you have observed. Most importantly, your analysisshould reflect in a well-developed and complex thesis statementthat makes an arguable claim and has a clear stance. (Hint: You will want to select ads that are complex, invite detailed analysis, and are well paired so that the thesis is not broad, vague, or general. The thesis should have an arguable claim and a clear stance and not just be a topic or observation. It should be original and not repeat class examples. Moreover, your thesis should relate to the rhetoric of the ads rather than debate issues.E.g., rather than make an argument for not smoking, the thesis should analyze the rhetorical strategies used in the advertisements to persuade or dissuade the audience from smoking.)
Requirements
1. An important thing to keep in mind is that as opposed to the zine, this essay is from the genre of the academic argument essay. This means that you will have to adhere to genre conventions such as having a well-developed thesis statement, supporting all claims with evidence, considering counterarguments, using standard edited English and MLA guidelines for formatting and citation which include 1-inch margins, double spacing, and a 12-point Times New Roman font.2. The essay should be 1250 words (± 20 words) in length, exclusive of an appendix that includes the ads as well as a works cited list. 3. Emphasize analysis of rhetorical strategies over description of the advertisements. This includes answering why rhetorical strategies have been used and the critical vocabulary of the course. 4. The audience for this paper is your instructor, so you will need to maintain a formal, academic tone throughout the essay and, as mentioned above, use the critical vocabulary of the course.
Levis ad
first one 1950
second one 2014
