Rethorical Analysis

For this writer’s notebook, you will submit an outline for your rhetorical analysis essay. First, make sure to review your classmates’ feedback on Discussion Board 1.3. 

Your outline should provide a direction for the entire essay! For full credit, you must outline each paragraph in your essay; the outline should include enough paragraphs for a three page essay. Include a title, your thesis statement in the first paragraph (the introduction), several paragraphs that explain which elements you will analyze in your essay, and the support you will develop in each paragraph. 

Review the sample outline attached above for an idea of what your final outline should look like. Incomplete outlines cannot earn full credit on this assignment. I should see a clear, well-developed direction for your essay. 

Sample Rhetorical Analysis

Outline

The following outline provides an example of what you should include in the outline for your rhetorical analysis.

Keep in mind that you do NOT have to use the same elements as those listed in this outline. Focus on what stands out in the website you have chosen to analyze. You may need to include multiple examples in each paragraph. Your organization should be based on the components of the website you have chosen to analyze.

Outline

I. Introduction

A. Grab your readers’ attention with a piece of shocking information about the issue in your website: According to PETAkillsaminals.com, PETA is responsible for the death of 36,000 animals in the past two decades.

B.

Introduce the issue more broadly: PETA is well-known for their extreme campaigns to stop violence against animals. However, the Center for Consumer Freedom believes that PETA actually does harm against the animals they claim to protect.

C. Introduce the website: PETAkillsanimals.com was created by the Center for Consumer Freedom to highlight what they are believe are negative aspects of this animal advocacy group.

D. State your thesis: The creators of the website create a compelling and convincing argument through their emotional visuals, language, and logical appeals; however, upon closer scrutiny, a careful reader will find that they lack strong evidence and rely on logical fallacies.

II. Description of Website

A. Give necessary background info: give description of who the publisher is and what they are known for.

B. Define any necessary terms/concepts: Give any necessary background on the history of your site. Define any terms needed to understand what the argument in the site addresses.

C. Identify the audience: Be specific about who this website targets.

D. Sum up the website’s ultimate goal: Describe what the website is ultimately trying to achieve.

III. Major Point of Analysis 1

A. Topic Sentence: The website first grabs our attention through the use of negative visual elements.

B. Example 1: Colors with negative associations like red and black

C. Description of example: background is black making the site very dark; much of the text is red

D. Effect of this design choice on audience: Together these colors create a menacing affect. According to The Bourne Creative, black is often associated with mourning, death, and sadness in Western cultures. Red is an assertive and intense color. While both of these colors can have various associations, it’s clear that this site uses them to be aggressive and menacing.

E. Example 2: Sad images of dogs

F. Description of example: the image of the dog on the video on the first screen you see after entering the site, background images of people in Hazmat suits holding dead dogs

G. Effect of this design choice on audience: people have strong emotional attachment to dogs, so they feel sad. They may feel angered when they realize the humans are hurting these dogs. The use of the Hazmat suits creates a sense of paranoia and fear of widespread harm.

H. Closing sentences: The use of menacing colors and depressing images ultimately makes the viewer uncomfortable while viewing the site. Because of this discomfort, they are likely to jump to more negative conclusions without thinking though the argument. Their anger will cause them to react quickly instead of thoughtfully.

IV. Major Point of Analysis 2

A. Topic Sentence: The language in the website is used to reinforce the negative tone created by the images.

B. Example 1: warning elements to create anticipation and anxiety in the viewer

C. Description of example: the website opens with a warning that the viewer must click to enter.

D. Effect of this design choice on audience: Creates tension, sets a negative tone, audience expects to be angered or disturbed.

E. Example 2: strong negative language used throughout the site

F. Description of example: links titled “PETA’s Lame Defense,” “PETA’s Dirty Tactics,” and “PETA’s Radical Agenda”

G. Effect of this design choice on audience: words like lame, dirty and radical all have negative associations. Explain each one.

H. Closing sentences: These textual elements work together with the visuals to ensure the reader is primed to feel anger and discomfort as they view the site. They may no longer react rationally because their emotions will take over.

V. Major Point of Analysis 3

A. Topic Sentence: Once the creators have put their viewers in an angry mindset, they add statistics and sources to convince viewers their anger is justified; they appeal to logic to achieve this goal.

B. Example 1: statistics

C. Description of example: “PETA has killed more than 36,000 animals since 1998” on first page. “The Evidence” link includes a chart with additional statistics on animals killed.

D. Effect of this design choice on audience: The high number is shocking to the viewer and makes them consider how they may have supported a group that they knew nothing about.

E. Example 2: citing strong sources

F. Description of example: documents from Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

G. Effect of this design choice on audience: The reputation of this department creates a compelling argument to trust this website. The reader can click on the links to see the actual documents so the reader may be convinced that this argument is valid

H. Closing sentences: The creators of the website know that they cannot rely on anger alone to spur the viewers to action so they strengthen their claims with statistics which have the reputation for being unbiased and objective. Combined with the use of a strong source, these logical appeals help convince the audience they are not simply reacting out of anger, but out of reason.

VI. Major Point of Analysis 4

A. Topic Sentence: While the choice of visuals, text, and logical appeals may be convincing to many viewers, critical readers will begin to notice logical fallacies and other issues with the argument.

B. Example 1: logical fallacies

C. Description of example: The sources are limited to one state. PETA is a world-wide organization. Using statistics from one state creates a hasty generalization fallacy.

D. Effect of this choice on audience: Critical readers understand that strong arguments will consider diverse and comprehensive evidence. Such limited evidence should cause the reader to question the argument in the site.

E. Example 2: lack of updated information

F. Description of example: the report that the site links to is dated 2010; there’s no strong evidence from later years.

G. Effect of this choice on audience: Like the previous issue, this is very limited information. It’s possible there was a situation in Virginia in 2010 that led to the necessity of PETA killing animals at their shelters. The reader doesn’t have enough current information to trust the site.

H. Closing sentences: A critical reader will carefully consider these limits to the argument and question whether they should really trust this site.

VII. Conclusion

A. Reaffirm thesis: While PETAkillsanimals.com is a well-designed site to achieve the author’s goals, critical evaluation shows issues with their argument.

B. Consider larger implications: The website demonstrates the importance of examining arguments critically. Many arguments may “sound” or “look” good but lack a concrete rationale. As consumers of web media, people today need to look more closely at arguments on the Internet.

Remember, this is just an example. You may need to develop more or fewer paragraphs that the example.