Essay #1: Analyzing an Argument

ENGL 1120 Spring 2008
Essay 1: Analyzing an Argument

The Set-Up: In the first few weeks of class we will have read Henry David Thoreau’s “Where I Lived and What I Lived For,” as well as Edward Abbey's "The First Morning." Both authors offer different approaches to defining nature. Thoreau seems to argue for simplicity, suggesting the following: “Let us spend one day as deliberately as Nature, and not be thrown off the track by every nutshell and mosquito’s wing that falls on the rails.” Thoreau believed in a hands-on approach to living in and preserving the natural world.

Meanwhile, Abbey suggests that nature is best defined by "suppressing the personification of the natural." He argues that nature should be "devoid of all humanly ascribed qualities." For Abbey, the preferred method was "hands-off."

Now, think about the sustainability issue you’ve chosen. How have different groups or individuals attempted to make change regarding that issue? What rhetorical method are they using? What kind of audience do those methods address? What is their purpose? What kind of persona do they present to the world? Do they appeal to passion, authority, or logic in making their claims?


Prompt: Essay 1 asks you to search the library database for popular media sources related to the sustainability issue of your choice, then identify a source on which you'd like to focus. From there, you evaluate and analyze the argument and write an essay that discusses the rhetorical strategies used. If you find fault with the argument, you may propose a more effective method of argument for the sustainability issue you’ve chosen.


Example: Imagine you have chosen to research the fur industry. You might compose an essay that evaluates an article in TIME Magazine called "Fur Passion" about the organization PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) and the way in which they conduct their campaigns. What are the strengths of that essay? The weaknesses? You would decide the purpose, audience, and persona used in the essay, as well as the various appeals used. You might note any language which betrays bias or gives clues about the rhetorical tools being used. After analyzing the source, you might decide that the rhetorical tools used seem to suggest a kind of sympathy towards PETA. Once you determine HOW that sympathy is revealed, and determine WHY it might exist, you'll find you have a good, working thesis.

Criteria: You will need to search electronic databases for popular media sources related to your topic. Identify ONE source on which you’d like to focus, and develop your own analysis and evaluation in a four to five page paper. Your paper will need an original thesis that is thoroughly defended using at least one source. You should use MLA style, Times Roman or Courier 12 pt. font, 1 inch margins. Your paper should have a proper Works Cited page. A rough draft of the paper is due Monday, January 28th. The final draft is due Wednesday, February 6th.