RWS 100 Paper #2 Prompt: The Witch Reviews
DUE: Monday 11/09 Turnitin and Hardcopy
Rough Draft Due: Wednesday 10/28
Learning Outcome 2 & 3: Identify the rhetorical strategies used to support an argument. Analyze how those strategies contribute to the authors appeals to ethos, pathos, and logos. Evaluate the extent to which those appeals persuade the intended audience and discuss how those strategies are based on key assumptions the author makes about that audience. Construct an account of an authors project and argument, focusing on its use of a significant source. Examine the original source material and analyze how that argument makes use of it. Consider what was included and what was excluded and why.
Essay Prompt: You have watched the 2016 film The Witch, watched and participated in my witch lectures, and read four articles reviewing the filmand that kinda makes you an expert, right? Well, enough for you to get back to writing. Choose one article from the four provided and develop a thorough rhetorical analysis using the following requirements:
1. Identify rhetorical strategies used to support an argument(s) and analyze how these strategies contribute to the authors appeals (ethos, pathos, logos).
2. Evaluate the extent to which the appeal(s) effectively persuades the intended audience and analyze assumptions the author makes about that audience.
3. Examine a source used by one of the authors (hyperlinks, photos, other things the author alludes to). Examine the original source material and analyze how the author makes use of it. Consider what was included and excluded, and why. One example is that New York Times author Manohla Dargis referred to William and Katherine as Grant Wood prototypes. Grant Wood is an American artist best known for his painting, American Gothic. Your analysis would include answering whether or not the comparison is useful to Dargiss intended readers and why?
4. Include one other article into your analysis. Youre using the other article to highlight your thoughts of your main article. For example, lets say Im analyzing Eggertsens article Why Do So Many Horror Fans Hate The Witch? and I want to discuss how Eggertsens use of hyperlinks are well thought out and helpful to his readers (Id then give an example where Eggertsen does this). To insert another author into my analysis itd look like this:
Not all authors hyperlinks are equally helpful to readers when understanding the complexities of The Witch. Unlike Eggertsen, film critic for Quartzy Adam Epstein uses hyperlinks more often as a political tool than assisting the reader with understanding The Witch. This is most apparent when he states, Witches appear to be a hot topic nowadays, and when the reader clicks on hot topic it takes them to Donald Trumps twitter page where Trump tweeted: A TOTAL WITCH HUNT!!! Although this is helpful to Epsteins feminist reading of the film, it still lacks the usefulness Eggertsen demonstrates with his hyperlinks.
See, youre not to take-up too much of your paper using the outside article. Its only meant to enhance your own analysis.
5. Work Cited Page
Formatting:
MLA formatted, Times New Roman (12), Double-Spaced, 1 Margin, and a minimum of 4 pages.
RUBRIC
RWS 100 Rubric for Paper #2
1. Complete Submission/Specifications___________/30
a. Satisfies page length requirements_______15
b. Includes a correctly formatted MLA work cited page_______/15
2. Content and Execution__________/220
a. Accurately and effectively introduce and contextualize the main text, article, his/her project and argument in your introduction. Demonstrate a clear understanding of the authors main argument.__________/15
b. Clearly signal to your reader what you plan to discuss in your paper and say how youll present/organize your analysis_________/5
c. Critically discuss the main texts use of evidence and strategies to support his/her argument. Connect strategies to the readers appeals (ethos/pathos/logos). ___________/50
d. Evaluate the extent to which the appeal(s) effectively persuades the intended audience and analyze assumptions the author makes about that audience_______/30
e. Examine a source used by one of the authors (hyperlinks, photos, other things the author alludes to). Examine the original source material and analyze how the author makes use of it. _________/15
f. Include one other article into your analysis. Youre using the other article to highlight your thoughts of your main article. _________/15
g. Effectively use textual evidence to support your analysis. Adequately introduce, correctly cite, and effectively comment on the source____________/30
h. Conclude your paper by presenting a thoughtful, persuasive analysis of one of the following: a) the significance of the argument, b) how the author has impacted your thinking/views on this topic, c) the effectiveness of the argument (a key strength or weakness)________/10
i. Use an effective structure that smoothly guides the reader from one idea to the next. Your careful attention to transitioning and topic sentences will be considered here_____/15
j. Have a thoroughly edited paper: sentences are readable & appropriate for an academic audience. Adhere to MLA format, grammar, and sentence structure_________/20
k. Demonstrate a strong command of the written language. Voice and style will be considered here__________/15
TOTAL: ____________/250