The main goal of this essay is to take something we've read and to show the relationship between the pieces of the essay and one of its main arguments. This is what we've been working on in your own writing: getting all the elements of your paper to work towards proving the thesis. Now I want you to show how another author does this, or perhaps doesn't do this.
So the elements that you could show in your examples are all the ones we've gone over this quarter. You could look at the clarity of the thesis statement itself (is the main argument clear in the essay?), the PIE structure (do the paragraphs have clear points, examples, and explanations?), the amount of evidence (is there enough to prove the points?), the explanation of the evidence (is it clear what the evidence is there to prove?), the understanding of the audience (does the author explain things that the audience needs to know?), and appeals (how does the author use logos, pathos, and ethos to make the points?). You also may want to point out the rhetorical modes used by the author. For instance, does an author use contrast successfully to make a point? Does the author do a nice job of explaining a process? Is there a cause and effect relationship that is not adequately explained?
Overall, this essay will require a close reading and a clear understanding of the essay you will be writing about.
Feel free to e-mail me with any lingering questions. Or post a comment here so other students can read it.
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