A presentation about developing your rhetorical analysis thesis statement

1. THESIS STATEMENTS
RHETORICAL ANALYSIS

2. THESIS STATEMENT
Your thesis statement
is your opinion about
the rhetoric used in
the article
Your thesis statement
is your main idea
It is a statement, not a
question
It should not
announce
• Don’t say “I will
discuss how this
article uses…”
It should state how the
article is attempting
to persuade using
rhetoric
It should not state
your feelings about
the topic of the
article! Focus on
rhetoric!

3. WORKING THESIS STATEMENT
• ANSWER TO THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:
• HOW DOES THE ARTICLE ATTEMPT TO
PERSUADE THE AUDIENCE OF THEIR MESSAGE?
• AND DID THE AUTHOR PICK A GOOD
STRATEGY?

4. GOOD
THESIS
STATEMENTS
The article relied heavily on pathos and
contained some logical fallacies but was able to
make a persuasive argument.
The article uses a combination of pathos and
logos, making appeals to the audience's
emotions while providing statistics to create an
effective argument.
This article uses the appeals of pathos and ethos
effectively. However, the use of indirect ad
hominem causes doubt about the truth of the
author’s claims.
• Each of these examples
clearly identifies the
rhetorical techniques used
by the article to persuade
• They are all about the
same article, but they focus
on different aspects.
• One focuses on pathos
alone. Another focuses on
pathos and logos. And the
third focuses on pathos,
ethos, and a fallacy.

5. BAD THESIS
STATEMENTS America has grown immensely and should
continue to grow, whether that be investing
in properties, being wedded, or having a
secure job.
America is a great country; it is a place
that we can call home and where we can
feel safe and secure.
The article is right about America needing
to secure the borders.
• These are bad thesis
statements because they
do not focus on the
rhetorical techniques used
by the article to persuade.
• Don’t focus on the issue
or topic of the article!
Focus on the rhetoric.
• I do not care how you feel
about the issue; I want
your opinion about the
rhetoric they used and how
it relates to the article’s
rhetorical situation.

6. STRONG
THESIS
STATEMENT
•AVOID 1ST
PERSON AND “I
BELIEVE” OR “I THINK”
•STATE THE RHETORIC USED!
•DISCUSS THE RHETORIC, NOT THE
TOPIC!
•PLACE IT AT THE END OF THE
INTRODUCTION PARAGRAPH

8. CREDIT
• MUCH OF THIS PRESENTATION IS TAKEN DIRECTLY FROM “HOW TO WRITE A THESIS
STATEMENT FOR RHETORICAL ANALYSIS” BY DR. TATIANA KEELING, CENTRAL ARIZONA
COLLEGE, SPRING 2020.