Download assignment instructions in PDF format:  ENG 121 Essay #1.s.pdf 

For Essay #1, you will develop a paper that provides an extended close analysis of ONE of the following (your choice!):

• Short story:  Octavia Butler’s “Speech Sounds”
• Article:  Adam Grant, “The Science of Reasoning with Unreasonable People”
• Current events:  US Senate impeachment trial excerpt
• Mini-Essay:  Luara Ferracioli,”For A Child, Being Carefree is Intrinsic to A Well-Lived Life.”  For a child, being carefree is intrinsic to a well-lived life | Aeon Ideas  Note that this essay is not in the syllabus. 

Remember that a rhetorical analysis consists of the following key elements:

• A summary of the text or video you are analyzing. (“THEY SAY”)
• Attention to the context.
• A clear interpretation or judgment.  (“I SAY”)
• Reasonable support for your interpretation.  This may involve presentation of important elements or details of the text or video that you are analyzing. Quote and paraphrase as needed. You will need to cite details using MLA citation format.

Your essay may additionally incorporate one or more of the optional elements below.

OPTIONAL ELEMENT #1:  You can engage with any additional text or video we have looked at so far in class if it can help you expand your discussion, support your argument, or develop a counterargument.

OPTIONAL ELEMENT #2:  You can incorporate an element of personal narrative into your essay, but only if it is relevant to your analysis.

OPTIONAL ELEMENT #3: You can engage with one source that helps you expand your discussion and/or support your argument.  You should locate the source through Google Scholar or a library database search (see our Course Materials for a link to a tutorial on using the library).

OPTIONAL ELEMENT #4:  In the course of presenting your analysis, you can take into account an alternate or opposing viewpoint, demonstrating careful, reasonable consideration of a perspective or interpretation that differs from your own.