Critical Analysis Final Paper - Assignment Description and Guidelines

Goals

Goals

To draw comparisons between course texts and to closely analyze the rhetoric within them; to demonstrate critical thinking and an original perspective; to demonstrate clear and coherent writing and complete APA citations.


Passing the Paper/Course

Students must receive at least 50% on the critical analysis final paper to pass the course.

To receive at least 50% on the final paper, students must demonstrate clear and coherent writing, full and complete APA citation, and a thorough understanding of the rhetorical terms and concepts covered in class.

Papers will fail for any one of the following reasons (this list is not comprehensive):
They are plagiarized (this may also result in further consequences)
They do not contain complete and correct in-text citations and a reference list
The writing is unclear and/or incoherent; the ideas are not clearly expressed
They do not demonstrate the student’s original perspective (it is not enough to summarize course texts)
They do not analyze the rhetoric of the course texts (it is not enough to respond generally to the content of the course texts)


Assignment Description

Choose one of the topics from the list below and develop it into a focused, argumentative paper. To develop the topic into firm position, identify the key rhetorical concept in the topic, select course texts that strongly demonstrate this concept, and interpret how and to what end these texts use the rhetorical concept. Your analysis and argument should be about the texts’ use of rhetoric rather than about the texts’ themes or the authors’ perspectives.

The essay should be an argumentative essay with an introduction, thesis statement, at least 4 body (MEAL) paragraphs, and a conclusion. Note that the word count is low enough that you will have to write very concisely to accomplish all of this in the space provided.

This is not a research paper, so please do not consult outside sources. Note that no credit is given in this assignment to finding, summarizing, or responding to research sources: you should focus your efforts on an original analysis of the course texts.

You may not repurpose material from your Critical Response or Analytical Paragraphs. This final paper must be original work.

Topics

1.Interpret how and to what end three course texts represent and engage with tension.
2.Interpret how and to what end three course texts use direct criticism (calling out).
3.Interpret how and to what end three course texts use diplomatic criticism (calling in).
4.Analyze tone in three course texts.
5.In three non-fiction course texts, analyze how the authors establish their credibility and why they made this choice, given their audience and purpose.
6.In three non-fiction course texts, analyze how the authors use emotional appeal and why they made this choice, given their audience and purpose.
7.In three fiction course texts, interpret how and to what end the writers use metaphor.