This document provides options and guidelines for two rhetorical analysis assignments: a book review or visual analysis. For the book review, students will write a 750-word review of a short story, discussing how the author creates narrative empathy for characters through details, plot, and tension. For the visual analysis, students will analyze a photo or film clip using concepts from the textbook such as emphasis, framing, and lighting to discuss how formal elements convey mood and atmosphere. Both assignments require close analysis and should demonstrate an understanding of rhetorical techniques.

1. RHETORICAL​ ​ANALYSIS​ ​OPTIONS​:
Book​ ​Review​ ​​(~750​ ​words,​ ​2​ ​pages)
In​ ​this​ ​section,​ ​we’ve​ ​discussed​ ​how​ ​the​ ​composition​ ​of​ ​a​ ​fictional​ ​story​ ​uses​ ​elements​ ​of​ ​​ ​detail,
plot,​ ​and​ ​tension,​ ​to​ ​create​ ​connection​ ​or​ ​​empathy​​ ​with​ ​the​ ​characters.
Construct​ ​a​ ​review,​ ​​as​ ​would​ ​be​ ​found​ ​in​ ​magazines​ ​or​ ​online​ ​blogs,​ ​about​ ​a​ ​short​ ​story​ ​of​ ​your
own​ ​choosing​ ​(or​ ​email​ ​me​ ​or​ ​a​ ​librarian​ ​for​ ​assistance​ ​in​ ​finding​ ​one).
How​ ​​well​ ​​did​ ​the​ ​author​ ​created​ ​narrative​ ​empathy​ ​for​ ​character/s,​ ​or​ ​not?​ ​Performing
close-reading,​ ​identify​ ​which​ ​aspects​ ​of​ ​the​ ​text​ ​showed​ ​the​ ​characters’​ ​thoughts,​ ​emotions,​ ​or
backstory,​ ​and​ ​how​ ​the​ ​language​ ​engages​ ​the​ ​reader.
You​ ​will​ ​also​ ​examine​ ​how​ ​effective​ ​this​ ​scenario​ ​was​ ​as​ ​presented​ ​as​ ​a​ ​story,​ ​versus​ ​another
mode​ ​of​ ​composition.​ ​For​ ​instance,​ ​for​ ​the​ ​class​ ​reading​ ​of​ ​the​ ​section​ ​​The​ ​Curious​ ​Incident​ ​of
the​ ​Dog​ ​in​ ​the​ ​Night-time,​​ ​how​ ​differently​ ​would​ ​Autism​ ​have​ ​been​ ​discussed​ ​if​ ​it​ ​was​ ​a​ ​clinical
report?​ ​A​ ​scholarly​ ​review?​ ​Would​ ​the​ ​emotional​ ​resonance​ ​have​ ​been​ ​the​ ​same,​ ​why​ ​or​ ​why
not?​ ​Query​ ​these​ ​differences​ ​about​ ​a​ ​character/​ ​societal​ ​trait​ ​that​ ​appears​ ​in​ ​your​ ​own​ ​story.
Structure​:
Introduction​:​ ​Start​ ​with​ ​something​ ​pithy​ ​-​ ​use​ ​your​ ​author’s​ ​voice​ ​to​ ​get​ ​the​ ​reader’s
attention,​ ​using​ ​​pathos​​ ​in​ ​describing​ ​a​ ​scene,​ ​​ethos​​ ​to​ ​set​ ​up​ ​why​ ​you​ ​are​ ​a​ ​valid
authority,
or​ ​​logos​​ ​in​ ​making​ ​a​ ​claim​ ​that​ ​you​ ​will​ ​prove​ ​throughout​ ​your​ ​review.
Body:​​ ​Discussing​ ​the​ ​outside​ ​reading​ ​of​ ​Suzanne​ ​Keene’s​ ​theory​ ​of​ ​narrative​ ​empathy,
select​ ​2​ ​or​ ​3​ ​scenes​ ​to​ ​show​ ​how​ ​the​ ​author​ ​is​ ​creating​ ​empathy​ ​for​ ​the​ ​characters​ ​through
close​ ​reading.​ ​Use​ ​specific​ ​phrases,​ ​details,​ ​and​ ​your​ ​own​ ​emotional​ ​reactions​ ​(or
non-reactions).
Conclusion​:​ ​Do​ ​you​ ​suggest​ ​reading​ ​this​ ​short​ ​story​ ​or​ ​not?​ ​What​ ​did​ ​you​ ​get​ ​out​ ​of​ ​it?
Where​ ​did​ ​it​ ​fall​ ​short?​ ​Have​ ​you​ ​seen​ ​this​ ​done​ ​better​ ​somewhere​ ​else?​ ​How​ ​can
relating​ ​to​ ​these​ ​specific​ ​characters,​ ​help​ ​empathy​ ​in​ ​society​ ​as​ ​a​ ​whole?

2. Visual​ ​Analysis​ ​​(~750​ ​words,​ ​2​ ​pages)
Using​ ​the​ ​textbook​ ​​Becoming​ ​Rhetorical​’s​ ​section​ ​on​ ​analyzing​ ​“The​ ​formal​ ​layer​ ​of
images,”​ ​pgs.​ ​74-81,​ ​observe​ ​how​ ​a​ ​photo​ ​or​ ​a​ ​film​ ​clip​ ​is​ ​working​ ​to​ ​portray​ ​a​ ​character,
issue,​ ​or​ ​theme.
Identify​ ​the​ ​image’s:​ ​​emphasis,​ ​framing,​ ​point​ ​of​ ​view,​ ​degree​ ​of​ ​focus,​ ​distance​ ​from
subject,​ ​lighting​ ​and​ ​contrast,​ ​and​ ​color.​ ​​Use​ ​technical,​ ​descriptive​ ​vocabulary​ ​to​ ​do​ ​this.
I​ ​should​ ​know​ ​what​ ​is​ ​in​ ​the​ ​​actual​ ​center​​ ​of​ ​the​ ​image.​ ​If​ ​there​ ​is​ ​part​ ​of​ ​an​ ​object​ ​that
borders​ ​the​ ​edge​ ​to​ ​highlight​ ​the​ ​frame,​ ​this​ ​should​ ​be​ ​described.
Then,​ ​discuss​ ​what​​ ​effect​​ ​these​ ​style​ ​choices​ ​have​ ​on​ ​the​ ​mood,​ ​atmosphere,​ ​or​ ​aesthetic
of​ ​the​ ​subject.​ ​The​ ​book’s​ ​examples​ ​do​ ​quite​ ​a​ ​good​ ​job​ ​of​ ​providing​ ​examples​ ​for​ ​this.
For​ ​instance,​ ​you​ ​would​ ​not​ ​just​ ​be​ ​identifying​ ​a​ ​formal​ ​layer​ ​of​ ​the​ ​image,​ ​but​ ​also
hypothesizing​ ​​why​​ ​the​ ​photographer​ ​would​ ​have​ ​made​ ​this​ ​choice.
Ex:​ ​I​ ​might​ ​talk​ ​about​ ​a​ ​still​ ​from​ ​the​ ​movie​ ​​JACKIE​​ ​where​ ​the​ ​background​ ​of​ ​the​ ​inside
of​ ​the​ ​White​ ​House​ ​is​ ​blurred​ ​around​ ​the​ ​figure​ ​of​ ​Natalie​ ​Portman​ ​portraying​ ​Jacqueline
Kennedy.​ ​This​ ​could​ ​infer​ ​the​ ​focus​ ​of​ ​the​ ​film​ ​will​ ​be​ ​less​ ​on​ ​the​ ​political​ ​aspects​ ​and
ramifications,​ ​and​ ​more​ ​about​ ​the​ ​point​ ​of​ ​view​ ​of​ ​the​ ​woman​ ​at​ ​the​ ​center​ ​of​ ​them.