Analysis of Rhetorical Strategies in the Essay Kid

Instruction
The student will be required to write a short essay that analyzes the rhetorical strategies utilized in one of the essays in the class textbook. The eligible essays are listed below. The assignment should contain an introduction identifying the author, essay title, thesis, and a brief summary of the argument. It should also indicate the intended audience and tone of the original essay and briefly outline the methods of development that will be presented in the body paragraphs. The body paragraphs of the assignment should identify three rhetorical strategies employed by the author and three examples of where each strategy is used. The student should also suggest what the effect of these examples might be and why they are used. The strategies cited could be as general as ethos, pathos or logos, with the three examples being specific methods of development. They could also be specific methods such as a narrative, with three examples of narratives used in the essay. The various types of figurative language discussed in class may also be used. The acceptable methods will be described in class and will be listed prior to the assignment. Any varieties that do not appear on this approved list will not be accepted. Additional clarification regarding the formatting of the assignment and the eligible rhetorical strategies will be outlined in class. The content of the assignment will vary depending on the essay selected and the interest of the student. 40% of the assignment grade will be determined by argument. Are the author’s thesis, argument, intended audience, and tone clearly articulated? Are the assigned number of strategies and examples represented and do they coincide with the definitions of the methods of development outlined in class and in the textbook? If presenting figurative language, do the examples offered match the definitions of the types of figurative language (metaphor, assonance, etc.) discussed in class and within the textbook? 40% of the grade will be determined by arrangement. Does the analysis contain an introduction and a conclusion? Are the methods of development being examined enumerated in the introduction? Does the organization of body paragraphs clearly indicate which examples belong to which strategy? Is it clear which effect belongs to which example? 20% of the grade will be determined by grammar and style. Is the analysis free from typos and other grammatical issues? Are the structures of sentences clear and do they adequately convey the necessary information without generating confusion? You may choose one of the following essays. Michael Chabon, “Kid’s Stuff” (940) Dave Barry, “Guys vs. Men” (970)The student will be required to write a short essay that analyzes the rhetorical strategies utilized in one of the essays in the class textbook. The eligible essays are listed below. The assignment should contain an introduction identifying the author, essay title, thesis, and a brief summary of the argument. It should also indicate the intended audience and tone of the original essay and briefly outline the methods of development that will be presented in the body paragraphs. The body paragraphs of the assignment should identify three rhetorical strategies employed by the author and three examples of where each strategy is used. The student should also suggest what the effect of these examples might be and why they are used. The strategies cited could be as general as ethos, pathos or logos, with the three examples being specific methods of development. They could also be specific methods such as a narrative, with three examples of narratives used in the essay. you can choose one of the following essays. THX Michael Chabon, “Kid’s Stuff” (940) Dave Barry, “Guys vs. Men” (970)

Analysis of Rhetorical Strategies in the Essay “Kid’s Stuff”

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Analysis of Rhetorical Strategies in the Essay “Kid’s Stuff”

Rhetorical Strategies: “Kids Stuff” is an essay written by Michael Chabon focusing on his feelings on comics. He shows passion and liking for comics and makes the argument that they should have the same value as they had in the past when he was a kid. He appears biased towards the necessity of comic books in children as his childhood fun was derived from reading comics. He indicates that children did not abandon comics but rather the comics, in their bid to seek artistic attainment and respect left them. He applies a persuasive tone to convince publishers and authors to evaluate the kind of stories that children would want to find in comic books. He presents facts on how comics were important to children of his time only for the emerging breed of children to lose interest in them over the years. Chabon believes that if authors write comics containing what they would have wanted when they were kids rather than what they think the children would like, children would develop an interest in reading comics again. He uses a variety of rhetorical strategies to support his argument including ethos, pathos, and logos.

Chabon rightfully uses ethos to convince the audiences of his credibility and character in presenting an argument on comics. He indicates that he has been writing comics for some years and this would make the audience believe him in his claim that comics would still be relevant to kids today. In his recommendations of what ought to be done to get children to loving comics, he cites the principles from his love for them when he was a child. It makes him credible with a moral authority to argue in support of the comics.

Analysis of Rhetorical Strategies in the Essay Kid

Pathos is a crucial part of the rhetorical strategies that Chabon uses in presenting his argument. At the start of the essay, he utilizes words and word combination that awakens the emotional appeal of how comics used to be a crucial part of their childhood. For example, he indicates that comics were the literary equivalents of bubblegum cards to be poked in the spokes of children where they would elicit a rumble of pleasure. In addition, he uses a Spiderman cover image with the caption, “The Fantastic Four Think I’m Trapped But They Don’t Suspect My Real Power.” to show how comics can be powerful in attracting the attention of not only children but also older people. Using this strategy, he inspires authors to think back in time concerning what would be attractive to kids.

Logos are also applied in the essay as Chabon tries to use logic and reason to convince authors and publishers to write what they feel would impress them as children. He provides numbers highlighting the number of comic books that have been sold since the 1950s up to now with the annual expenditure in the early years being $650 million. Today, only $80 million is spent on comics. He wants to inform the audience of the decline in the spending on comics despite their significance to childhood fun and children’s understanding of life. He indicates that comics should incorporate stories with twisted endings and knowledge that is not oblivious with complex buildup involving mythology (Costello, 2015). Amidst the use of statistics to support his claim, he uses historical and literal analogies.

Rhetorical strategies are crucial in presenting literally works. It is evident that Chabon has explicitly the strategies of ethos, pathos, and logos to convince authors and publishers that comics could still be a viable investment for contemporary children. He presents himself as a credible character to give advice on comics through his involvement in reading and writing them for many years. He applies phrases and word choices that elicit emotions that would promote the making of choices in support of his argument in addition to using statistics and his own opinion regarding comics.

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References

Costello, B. (Ed.). (2015). Conversations with Michael Chabon. Univ. Press of Mississippi.