Project 4: Repurposing an Argument
Length: 7-10 pp.
Weight: 15%
Peer Review: 24 Nov.
Due: 1 Dec.
Purpose & Scope
The purpose of this paper is to provide you with practical experience writing in the rhetorical tradition. You will use concepts from class to briefly analyze an artifact from your political issue, criticize it, and then rewrite it for a specific audience (identified in the introduction to your rewrite). The purpose of these papers is not editorial, that is, I do not want you to "correct" the artifact; rather, you are to use the papers to demonstrate your understanding of rhetorical appeals by generating an "alternative" edition of the original artifact that is aimed at a different audience.
Thus, to successfully complete the assignment, you will need to be accurate and succinct in your initial analysis, identifying the appeals used, the audience at whom it is directed, and the ways in which the content can be reframed to appeal to a different audience. Note: your rewrite should retain the "spirit" of the original artifact, that is, you cannot take a "pro" statement and make it a "con;" instead, you are to emphasize and sublimate different aspects of the content in order to gain the support of a different audience.
Research & Writing
You will select one rhetorical artifact from your political issue for your analysis and rewrite, organizing the papers according to the three-part format below. You may use any of our course readings and class discussions from up to one week before the due date to aid you in performing your initial analysis. I do not want you to repeat the content of the readings, but to demonstrate your understanding. You have limited space in which to do so, so instead of defining a concept in detail, citing the source, and then moving to analysis, you should name the source (author) and concept when discussing a feature of the artifact. It is important that you identify the source through which you are framing the term: Isocrates and Aristotle, for instance, differed on subtle aspects and uses of a few terms.
Example: Bob's opening statements provide a classic example of Cicero's method of winning the audience's favor by using more subdued ethical appeals alongside ardent pathetic appeals and an engaging, disarming wit.
NOT: In De Oratore, Cicero - through Antonius - suggests that winning the audience's favor is best accomplished by using a modest, mild style for ethical appeals and a more ardent, passionate style for pathetic appeals. Indeed, according to Cicero, the orator should truly feel the emotions he wishes to evoke: "There is no mind," he writes, "so ready to absorb an orator's influence, as to be inflammable when the assailing speaker is not himself aglow with passion" (De Oratore XLV 2). In "Why Are They Being Bad People?" Bob's opening statements provide a classic example of this through the use of such impassioned language as "will not stand," "trampling our rights," and "weep for the children."
Organization
Your papers will follow the three-part format given below. Identify each section with an individual heading.
Analysis (3 pages or so): In the analysis, you will first provide the context of the artifact (setting, medium, issue, and rhetor's role). Next, identify the audience at whom it is directed, providing evidence from the artifact, and why this audience is important to the rhetor's achieving his or her goals. Next, identify and discuss the appeals that the rhetor uses, again providing evidence from the artifact. Your discussion should be brief but concise: tell me precisely why this is an example of X's Concept, without a verbose description of the concept.
Introduction to the rewrite (1-2 pages): identify the audience at whom you will direct your rewrite, the means by which you plan to reframe the appeals to address that audience, and how you plan to retain the spirit of the original artifact while appealing to that audience.
Rewrite: Acting as the rhetor, rewrite the original artifact, keeping in mind the requirements that your rewrite should retain the original spirit, address a different audience, and use different methods of appeal. Be creative, but again, don't change the facts, political position, or rewrite history.
Your final paper should use the cover sheet provided with this assignment sheet (also available from the course website). The body should be double-spaced (without the irritating extra space between paragraphs), using 12-point Times New Roman, Garamond, or Palatino font. The headers of each page should consist of your last name and page number on the right margin, 1/2 inch from the top of the sheet, and headings within your paper (identifying the section) should be bold, centered, and without extra spaces (hit enter, center the font, bold, enter, and continue the paper). A brief bibliography (on a separate page, not counted as part of the page length requirements) in MLA format should accompany your paper, identifying the source of the concepts you discuss.
Evaluation
When I evaluate your paper, I will be looking primarily at three criteria: first, I want to see how well you demonstrate your understanding of the appeals used - appropriate attribution and labeling are important, but your understanding of the concept is more so. Second, I will evaluate your understanding of the relationship between the appeals and the audience. Finally, I want to see how well you can apply your knowledge in a practical setting: how well does your rewrite appeal to a new audience while retaining the position of the original artifact?
Your paper will also need to meet the general criteria of good academic writing: a clear focus, logical and purposeful organization, strong use of supporting evidence, and thoughtful development of the ideas you are presenting. It will also need to be well written both stylistically and grammatically. In addition, we will also be discussing specific evaluation criteria in class.