Purpose what the essay tries to accomplish; the author wouldnt have - PDF document

11/09/2012 Purpose  what the essay tries to accomplish; the author wouldn’t have written it without some sort of purpose in mind  common purposes are to narrate, to describe, to express, to argue, to persuade, to instruct, to report (usually purpose is expressed as a verb)  figuring out the purpose behind the essay is essential ESSAY ANALYSIS in order to recognize the type of essay you are analyzing English 621 Subject Matter Audience  Subject  to whom the essay is directed  the topic (broad or specific) of the essay being analyzed  Thesis  why would the author choose to direct this essay  sentence(s) summarizing the main point of the essay; all subordinate at this particular audience? (this is tied to the points should support thesis purpose)  Subordinate Points  individual thoughts or arguments that develop the thesis (topic sentences for each paragraph)  we must assume that the audience has been carefully chosen by the writer. We find the best  Supporting Details ‘fit’ for this essay.  examples, illustrations, quotes, reasons used to support the subordinate points (which support thesis) Vehicle Context  the form of writing the author has selected  the personal, historical or social circumstances of the writer that influence the content and form of the essay  letter, article, review, column, editorial, speech, etc.  for example, what would prompt Michael Moore to produce a documentary (an essay on film)  in some cases, the vehicle isn’t an essay at all, but which points out the flaws in the American a documentary film, a speech, a photo essay, etc. healthcare system or another one which suggests President Bush acted in error during his first presidential term? 1

11/09/2012 Style Style: Structure  in simple terms, style refers to the author’s writing style,  pattern of development & arrangement of details his/her structure, diction, use of figurative language and rhetoric  Style includes such things as:  style also refers to the overall selection and arrangement of  Beginnings and endings; and sounds, words, phrases, sentences, and paragraphs.  Developing an argument  style is affected by regional and cultural variations, by changing uses of words, by the development of new words and new meanings in the language, and by the fertility of the author’s imagination.  a good writer chooses and arranges words to convey his/her particular meaning and to produce a particular effect. Style  Structure  Beginning/Endings Style  Structure  Beginning/Endings  Significance of Beginnings and Endings: Beginning/Ending Example Illustrative Anecdote: a brief recounting of an In his essay, ‘How to Live to be 200', Stephen incident that illustrates or introduces the point Leacock uses the anecdote of Mister Jiggins, the  The reader often remembers these best. you made or are about to make health nut, to introduce his criticism of the overly health conscious.  They contain the ideas you most want to emphasize. Shocking Statistic ...powerful industries - the $33 billion a year diet  The beginning is what draws the reader in. industry, the $20 billion cosmetics industry, the $300 cosmetic surgery industry, and the $7  The ending leaves the reader with a strong final billion pornography industry - have arisen from the money made out of peoples’ anxieties, and image, thought, or insight. are able to negatively influence mass culture’. (Naomi Wolf, The Beauty Myth) Bold, Direct, Statement ‘A student often leaves high school today without any sense of how to survive in a world where his parents wipe his nose when he sneezes’. (Northrop Frye) Style  Structure  Development Style  Structure  Development  The development of arguments is the main Development Method What is It? Example component of the structure of the essay. Analogy compares something that is Niels Bohr's model of the atom less familiar with something made an analogy between the atom  Using different methods indicates a sophisticated more familiar in order to help and the solar system. thought process. Some methods: the reader understand the less familiar topic  Analogy Cause & Effect explains why something Factory jobs draw people to cities happened by showing the which, in turn, have become  Cause-effect direct causal relationships overpopulated.  Definition between two or more things Definition explores in greater depth the Susan Sontag defines ‘beauty’ by  Example significance associated with examining the ancient views of the term or concept in order  Comparison beauty, the language used to to give as full a picture as describe men’s versus women’s  Contrast possible of its characteristics beauty, internal and external beauty, and the significance of the  Classify absence of beauty in the world. 2

11/09/2012 Style  Structure  Development Style  Structure  Development Development Method What is It? Example Development Method What is It? Example Example illustrates a point with In his essay ‘Were Dinosaurs Dumb?’ Contrast points out differences By contrasting the openly reference to a personal or Stephen Gould cites Jack chopping between two characters or discriminatory laws against women shared experience, an down the beanstock and David smiting ideas; because this method with any other visible minority, Doris allusion, statistics, analogy, Goliath with a slingshot as metaphors can sharpen and clarify an Anderson argues that 51% of women or quote from an authority that show how ‘slow wit is the tragic argument, it is frequently suffer routine discrimination flaw of the giant.’ more powerful than comparison Comparison points out similarities and Comparing Brutus to Hamlet as tragic differences between two or heroes reinforces the characteristics of Categorize/Classify places together under a single Kildare Dobbs in his essay ‘Canada’s more ideas, things, people, the Shakespearean tragic hero while heading concepts or things Regions’ classifies the people of each etc; point-by-point pointing out specific differences in their that share sufficient key region of Canada by their character. comparison is a more tragic flaws. characteristics as to be effective organization in that considered similar similarities and differences are clearly pointed out Style: Diction Style: Figurative Language  choice of words used (connotation,  In writing, this includes figures of speech and specific/general, colloquial/form, specific imagery. abstract/concrete)  What impact do these devices have on the passage?  The reader?  This includes the use of rhetorical devices.  The level of the language chosen often points to the intent of the writer and the audience to which he/she seeks to address. Style: Sentences Style: Rhetoric  Rhetoric is the study of effective speaking and writing;  Is the passage written in short, long, fragments? the art of persuasion; and many other things.  Does the passage include rhetorical devices - deliberate use of words for effect.  Rhetorical devices include techniques that help persuade the reader to agree with the view presented.  Knowledge of those devices is critical to effective writing.  Use rhetorical devices appropriately and carefully, since overuse can result in unnatural and even unintentionally humorous effect. 3

11/09/2012 Tone Style: Common Rhetorical Devices  Parallelism  the feelings toward the subject matter of the  arrangement of phrases, sentences and paragraphs so that audience and how the subject matter is supposed elements of equal importance are equally developed and to make the reader feel. similarly phrased  Alliteration  Includes:  repetition of initial letter or sound  Voice  writer’s own words and attitude  Rhetorical Question  Persona  a question not intended to induce or require a reply; answer  an adopted voice by the author is obvious A FULL LIST OF RHETORICAL DEVICES CAN BE FOUND ON PAGE 130 OF THE STUDENT  GUIDE TO LANGUAGE, LITERATURE, AND MEDIA Tone Voice  The tone is created through a number of  In reading and analyzing essays, it is important to features, such as rhetorical devices, diction (word identify the writer’s voice and examine its impact on choice or vocabulary), and type of evidence what is being said. presented.  There are times when a writer may adopt a persona -  Tone is a major factor in establishing the overall a character other than him/herself - in order to add impression of the piece of writing. Tones vary another dimension to his/her writing. as much as there are emotions and attitudes.  In other words, there is a split between the surface  The tone of an essay may be ironic, frustrated, meaning of the text and the deeper meaning - the sincere, angry, self-mocking, encouraging, or writer’s real message. This method is particularly nostalgic, etc. useful in writing satirical pieces. 4