By now we’ve all acknowledged that my grand resolution bit the dust this week. Two days in a row. But considering the paper and a crazy week at work, I’m okay with it.
Yesterday we all arrived at class with droopy eyes, tired sighs, and little to say in class. However, Dr. Persuasion was kind: “I fully realize that you’ve been working hard on your papers and so I’ll do most of the talking today.” Thank you. And in the middle of her lecture, when she noticed Marvin on the point of slumber, she announced to us all that she was “very sympathetic” to our plight. I’m not sure why this specific paper exhausted me so much, but I felt a profound sense of accomplishment when I handed in my draft.
The paper process for this semester is rather brilliant in my opinion.
- Paper 1 – Descriptive Analysis. The process starts with a close textual reading followed by examining the seven elements of descriptive analysis: purpose, audience, persona/role, tone, structure, evidence, and strategy. According to Dr. Persuasion, this paper “starts the conversation” with our artifact in question.
- Paper 2 – Historical Contextual Analysis. This paper resembles your typical history term paper, except you must use your historical research to inform your understanding of the speech and the context in which it was given. What was going on to make the speaker say this/that? How did the audience react to the rhetoric based upon the events of the day? This is also called examining the “rhetorical situation” or discussing the “rhetorical problem.”
- Paper 3 – Critical Theoretical Analysis. This is where the process gets a bit “heady.” Which type of rhetorical criticism will you employ? Will it be intrinsic, neo-Aristotelian, ideological, or something else? I’m in the process of trying to figure out the differences between types of criticism and, thankfully, have a few more months.
- Paper 4 – The Final Product. The fourth or final paper is a compilation of the first three, a product that is supposed to be good enough for publication or presentation. We’ll see.
I’m tired and feel wordless right now, but I’m excited too. This paper sequence allows me to learn individual bits of rhetorical criticism and practice them for a while before moving on to the next form.
Thank you, Dr. Persuasion. You’re a great teacher.
