Consider these questions when writing your rhetorical analysis of an Internet meme.

1. Describe the images in the meme
with as much detail as possible.
* What is pictured—a person, an
animal, something else?
* If it’s a humanoid, try to describe the
facial expression or mood of the being.
* Describe the colors. Could they have
significance? Colors can be symbolic.
* Describe the design.
Jot down as many descriptions you
can think of regarding the images.

2. What do you think the purpose of the
meme is?
•Is it to persuade? To change or influence your
opinion?
•Is it a call to action? Does it want you to do
something?
•Is it something else?

3. What is the context for the meme?
•What is happening (or has happened recently)
that would cause someone to want to make this
meme?
•How does the meme reflect current social
thought?

4. Who do you think might be the audience
for the meme?
•Could it be persuasive to people who do not
have strong opinions on the topic?
•Could it be persuasive to people who do have
strong opinions on the topic?
•Would it only be persuasive to people who
already believe the message in the meme? In
other words, is it “preaching to the choir”?
•Are there cultural references or word choice
that only a specific audience would
understand?

5. What can you say about the person who
created the meme? In other words, what is
the creator’s ethos?
•What does the person think about the
issue taken up in the meme?
•How tech savvy might this person be?
•Where did you find the meme, and how
does its location reflect the authority of
the person?

6. Think more about ethos.
•Where did you find the meme? Was it on
Facebook or a blog? How might the poster of
the meme influence the persuasiveness of the
meme?
•Is someone famous pictured in the meme?
How might that person’s image influence
people who see the meme?

7. Consider the pathos in the meme.
•What language does the meme use that might
evoke strong feelings in the viewer?
•What imagery is used that might evoke strong
feelings in the viewer?
•What emotions does the meme play on?

8. Consider the logos used in the meme.
•Does the meme rely on deductive or inductive
reasoning?
•Construct one or more syllogisms (perhaps
unstated, as in an enthymeme) based on the
argument in the meme.
•Go over the syllogism(s) you created. Are they
true, valid, and sound?
•If there are logical fallacies (one or more) in
the meme, what are they?