The document provides instructions for an essay assignment analyzing a written text. Students are asked to choose a text from the options provided to write a 3-week essay about. They are told critical thinking is like detective work, requiring analysis and reflection beyond initial impressions. Students must summarize the text in 4-6 sentences, then answer questions about the text's goal, message, emotional and logical appeals, credibility, intended audience, and striking elements like imagery and symbolism.

1. Part 1
:
After reading the assignment
instruction
s
for Essay 2, Analyzing a Written Text Essay, answer the
following questions:
What is the goal of this essay? In a brief sentence or two,
explain what you understand to be the main purpose of this
essay.
Note: your response here should be on the goals of the essay
assignment you will write, not on the essay you have chosen as
your subject.
What questions or concerns do you have about this type of essay
or this essay assignment? What questions can we answer to
help clarify the assignment's purpose and goals?
Part 2
:
Critical thinking is similar to detective work. It relies on you to
analyze ideas and reflect on them. This means you must go
beyond your initial impression of a text to uncover deeper
meanings.
FIRST
, choose a text from the Essay 2 options ("
Recovery Season

2. ,”). This will be the text you write your paper on, so choose one
that is powerful to you and that you feel you can spend three
weeks writing about it.
NEXT
, summarize your text in four to six sentences. In your
summary, be sure to capture the most important elements of the
text in your own words.
FINALLY
, answer these questions to begin understanding and analyzing
your text:
What is the text’s goal or purpose?
What message, if any, is the text trying to convey?
Does the text appeal to your emotions? How? (use details from
the text to explain)
Does the text appeal to your logic? How? (use details from the
text to explain)
Do you think the text is credible? Why or why not? (use details
from the text to explain)
Who is the text's intended audience? How do you know?
What elements of the text—such as imagery, symbolism, tone,
word choice, characterization/narration, etc.—are most striking
here? Why do these catch your attention?