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English 1A: Paper #1
We began the semester by reading Orwell's "Politics and the English Language" and examining some of Aristotle's
principles of rhetoric. Then we read a number of speeches, including Abraham Lincoln's inaugural address, Rev.
Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, and Susan B. Anthony's "On Women's Right to Vote." Your task
is to perform a rhetorical analysis of one of these speeches * in light of what you've learned about rhetoric thus far.
So what is a rhetorical analysis? It is a piece of persuasive discourse that seeks to judge the effectiveness of a
particular text as rhetoric. Is the piece effective? Why or why not? What devices does the author use to achieve his
or her goal? Is he or she successful?
Your first step in such an analysis is to determine the author's rhetorical purpose. To do so, you must first determine
the audience to which the author is writing and his or her attitude toward that audience. A good rhetorical analysis
will always include an analysis of the nature of the audience.
Also, please bear in mind that a rhetorical analysis is itself a piece of rhetoric. Your paper must have an argument—
a position you wish to defend. In this case, your argument will likely focus on your perception of the effectiveness
of the speech.
For this assignment, you will find it useful to use the material from Orwell's article and draw on the principles of
Aristotelian rhetoric we discussed in class. All citations from this material and from the speech you choose to
analyze (as well as material from any other sources you might choose to bring into your argument) should follow
MLA format, which we will discuss in class, and which is also detailed in your Little, Brown Handbook. You may
find it useful to do some research on the historical events that formed the backdrop for these speeches. This is not
mandatory, but if you feel that such investigation will help your argument, by all means feel free to include what
you have learned from any outside sources you consulted (cited properly, of course).
I will be evaluating your paper based on the CSUS English 1A grading rubric and the following criteria:
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Content. Is your argument well thought-out and have you clearly examined the issue from all sides?
Clarity. Have you expressed your ideas in a straightforward manner? Does your paper demonstrate a clear
main argument?
Organization. Does your paper have a strong and consistent structure?
Grammar/mechanics/usage. Is your paper free of major errors and typos? Have you proofread the final
draft?
Your paper should be at least three to four pages typed, double-spaced, with a one-inch margin on all sides, and a
font size no larger than 12-point. You may use Times New Roman, Arial, or a similar font—no Courier, please!
There is no maximum page length for this essay, but you should not feel obligated to write more than the required
three to four pages if you don’t feel it is necessary for your argument. A six-page essay is no more likely to receive
an A than a well-written three-page essay.
Happy writing, and please feel free to come to me with any questions you might have.
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Note that you cannot write on Kennedy’s inaugural address, since that was our model for discussion in class. 