Non-Fiction

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Non-Fiction

• A Rhetorical Analysis

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Authors purpose the reason the author writes
what the reader wants to take with him/her from
the text.
Example Martin Luther King Jr. wrote his I Have
a Dream speech to inspire/persuade people to
believe in a future with freedom for all.
Example Maya Angelou wrote her memoir I Know Why
the Caged Bird Sings to share her story with the
world and inspire others who are struggling.
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Audience A writers readers or listeners.
It is important to know the audience of the work
to understand authors purpose. The audience
determines what rhetorical devices to use.
Example
Squealer is able to convince the animals to
believe anything he says no matter how unpleasant
because he knows that his audience has a need for
reassurance and a natural need to believe the
voice of authority.
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Exigence an issue, problem, or situation that
causes or prompts someone to write or speak. (Why
now?)
Your job is to determine the exigence of each
work.
Example Martin Luther King Jrs I Have a
Dream is powered by the civil rights movement,
which King is a key leader.
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Tone the writers or speakers attitude toward
the subject.
It is your job to determine the tone the Author
creates and why.
Orwell adopts a humorous and light hearted tone
in the alcohol scene of Animal Farm so that his
readers will enjoy his work of satire. 
Example
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When writing your essay, avoid saying The writer
uses tone since ALL writers use a tone of some
kind. Instead, say The writer creates a
__________ tone...
Effusive Flippant Foreboding Haughty Indignant Jov
ial Morose forthright Dejected Disdainful Ecstatic
Disinterested Scornful Amiable Callous Caustic In
credulous Didactic Droll Facetious
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Satire A literary work in which vices, follies,
stupidities, abuses, etc., are held up to
ridicule and contempt.A pointing out of the
difference between how things are and how they
ought to be.
Your job is to decide what the author is making
fun of and how.
Example Vonnegut satires the United States
everlasting quest for equality even at the
expense of individuality in his short story
Harrison Bergeron. He mentions the 211th,
212th, and 213th amendments to the constitution
to mock our current government.
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Figurative Language any element or the entirety
of elements a writer uses in the structure of
their work.
Your job is to determine the purpose/impact of
the term.
Example
In Martin Luther Kings I Have a Dream speech,
he contrasts segregation with racial justice by
using the contrasting metaphors of dark and
desolate valley (of segregation) and sunlit path
(of racial justice.)
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Anecdote a brief story told as an example to
illustrate a point.
Your job is to find out why the author uses this
anecdote. (how does it further prove his/her
point?)
Novelist, Amy Tan, in her narrative essay, Fish
Cheeks, she recounts an embarrassing Christmas
Eve dinner when she was 14 years old. Tans
purpose is to convey the idea that, at fourteen,
she wasnt able to recognize the love her mother
had for her or the sacrifices she made. She
adopts a sentimental tone in order to appeal to
similar feelings and experiences in her adult
readers.
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Allusion a reference to a historical or literary
person, place, event, or aspect of culture.
Your job is to find out why the author makes the
allusion.
Example Martin Luther King Jr.s repetition of
the phrase Let freedom ring is an allusion to
the star spangled banner. He is alluding to this
document to show how America was founded on this
principle, therefore everyone deserved it (King).

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Diction the word choice, including the
vocabulary used, the appropriateness of the
words, and the vividness of the language.
It is your job to determine if the author
intentionally uses certain diction and what it
indicates. Look for specific words or phrases
that seem stronger than other. Never write The
author used diction in an rhetorical analysis
essay!
Examples A coat isnt torn it is tattered.
The US Army does not want revenge it is
thirsting for revenge. A door does not shut it
thuds.
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Denotation the meaning of the word is strictly
literal, as found in the dictionary.
Squealer always spoke of it as a readjustment
and never as a reduction (Orwell 112).
Denotation
Vs.
Connotation
Literally translated both readjustment and
reduction meant they had less food.
Readjustment makes the animals feel better
because it doesnt imply less food.
Connotation the meaning of a word that carries
ideas and feelings.
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Dialect a regional variety of language
distinguished by features of vocabulary, grammar
and diction employed by a specific people as
distinguished from other persons geographically
or socially.
Example Twain uses dialect in his novel Huck
Finn to differentiate between characters, such as
when Huck and Finn are discussing Jims freedom
Jim Wes safe,Huck, wes safe! Jump up and
crack yo heels! Dats de good ole Cairo at las.
I jis knows it! Huck Ill take the canoe and
go see Jim. It mightnt be, you know.
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Repetition Repeated words or phrases for
effect.
Example The word comrade was used throughout
Animal Farm to remind the animals that they were
a team united for one cause. This made them feel
like they were a part of all the decisions made
on the farm (Orwell).
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Syntax refers to the way words are arranged
within sentences
One aspect of syntax is sentence length Good
writers will use a variety for emphasis.? Short
sentences imply straightforward Long sentences
imply descriptive, detailed.
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Sentence Type A second aspect of syntax is
sentence type. Again, good writers use a
variety.
Simple subjectverbcomplete thought.
Example 1 Harry Potter went to Hogwarts.
Simple Sentence compound predicate
Example 2 Harry went to Hogwarts and learned the
art of wizardry.
Example 3 Harry, Ron, and Hermione went to
Hogwarts.
Simple Sentence compound subject
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Compound 2 independent clauses joined by a
coordinating conjunction or a semicolon.
Harry defeated Voldemort, and they all lived
happily ever after. Coordinating Conjunctions
For And Nor But Or Yet So
2 independent clauses connected by a semi-colon
must relate to one another Harry defeated
Voldemort It was epic.
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Complex independent clause and dependent clause.
After I watched the last Harry Potter, I felt a
strange void in my life.
A dependant clause has a subject and a verb but
does not have a complete thought. It is
identified by a dependant clause marker.
Some markers after, although, as, as if,
because, before, even if, even though, if, in
order to, since, though, unless, until, whatever,
when, whenever, whether, and while.
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Compound-complex 2 independent clauses and one
or more dependent clauses
I felt a void because there will be no more Harry
Potter, and no other series even compares to its
greatness.
Harry Potter is a tale of growing up and finding
oneself, and it is a fan favorite because of the
action and adventure throughout.
Because J.K. Rowling wrote Harry Potter, you
girls now have your sparkling vampires, and you
can dream about werewolves with anger management
problems.
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Punctuation A final aspect of syntax is
punctuation. Yes, good writers use a variety here
too.? Semicolon() gives equal weight to two or
more independent clauses in a sentence. Writers
use this to reinforce parallel ideas and show how
both ideas are equally important Colon() directs
the readers attention to the words that follow.
Writers use this to show the reader that the
information after the colon is important. Dash
(-) marks a sudden change in thought or tone or
sets off a brief summary
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Anaphora repetition of beginning phrases of
sentences to create a dramatic effect.
It is your job to identify the anaphora and
determine the effect.
Example In time the savage bull sustains the
yoke, In time all haggard hawks will stoop to
lure, In time small wedges cleave the hardest
oak, In time the flint is pierced with softest
shower. Thomas Kyd, The Spanish Tragedy, I,
vi. 3
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Parallelism an arrangement of the parts of a
composition so that elements of equal importance
are balanced in similar constructions.
It is your job to identify what two things the
author is saying are of equal importance and the
effect of this statement.
Ex 1 In Patrick Henrys historical speech he
states, Give me liberty or give me death to
show that a life without liberty is equal to
death (Henry). Ex 2 "The inherent vice of
capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessing
the inherent virtue of socialism is the equal
sharing of miseries."
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Ethos an ethical appeal based on the nature of
the person giving the appeal. Think Is this
source credible?
Its your job to analyze how the author uses
ethos to persuade the audience.
While Squealer is convincing the animals the
necessity of the pigs getting the milk and the
windfalls, he develops ethos by saying, I myself
do not even like milk and apples (Orwell 12).
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Logos An Appeal to reason.
Its your job to analyze how the author uses
logos to persuade the Audience.
While Squealer is convincing the animals the
necessity of the pigs getting the milk and the
windfalls, he develops logos by saying, This is
scientifically proven comrades (Orwell 12).
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Pathos An appeal to emotion.
Its your job to analyze how the author uses
pathos to persuade the audience.
Squealer always convinces the animals to do what
they are ordered to do by appealing to their fear
of Jones. He always warns the animals, You
wouldnt want Jones to come back would you?
(Orwell 15).
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