Essay 550 words — read instructions

Rhetorical Analysis: Responding to a Written Argument The first part of the assignment requires you to find writing that makes an argument. One of the best places to find a written claim is in editorial writing. Editorials are written by columnists whose work appears in the Opinion or Editorial section of a newspaper. In other words, all editorials have a debatable claim. I have listed some popular columnists at the bottom of this page. Please do an internet search on any of these columnists or the newspaper for which they work – this document includes hyperlinks to help you. You may use a columnist that is not listed; just make sure you have chosen an argument. In a 500-750 word essay, I want you to analyze the editorial that you have chosen. You should use MLA style 8th edition; if you include direct quotations, you should make sure to enclose these in quotation marks and to provide an attributive tag. You should include a Works Cited page that includes the citation for your chosen editorial. In the introduction, you should introduce the columnist and the editorial. The first sentence of the essay should contain the author’s name (if given), the title of the editorial, the publication name, and the author’s main idea. In addition, you should give a brief summary of the passage in the first paragraph. Tell me what claim is being asserted. You also need to include your own thesis and underline it. Your thesis should indicate whether the columnist has effectively presented and supported his/her claim. REMEMBER: I am not asking whether you agree with the columnist. I want you to analyze the effectiveness of his/her argument. Therefore, you should not provide your own opinion on the topic anywhere in the paper. Focus instead on analyzing the writer's style. As you plan your essay, ask yourself the following questions: Where in the passage is the claim most clearly stated? Where else is it stated? What assumptions is the author making? Are they valid? What support is offered on behalf of the claim? Are the examples relevant, and are they convincing? Are the statistics (if there are any) relevant, accurate, and complete? Do they allow only the interpretation that is offered in the argument? If authorities (experts, other sources) are cited, are they indeed authorities on this topic, and can they be regarded as impartial? Are counter-arguments adequately considered? If so, where? Is there any evidence of dishonesty or of a discreditable attempt to manipulate the reader? Does the author reveal any biases throughout the column? You do not have to answer each of these questions within your essay; instead, you should select the most relevant questions and respond with your own thoughtful, well-written analysis. List of Columnists/Editorial Locations David Brooks, New York Times: http://topics.nytimes.com/top/opinion/editorialsandoped/oped/columnists/davidbrooks/index.html Maureen Dowd, New York Times: http://topics.nytimes.com/top/opinion/editorialsandoped/oped/columnists/maureendowd/index.html Katha Pollitt, The Nation: http://www.thenation.com/authors/katha-pollitt Leonard Pitts, Jr., Miami Herald: http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/leonard-pitts-jr/ Debra Saunders, San Francisco Chronicle: http://www.sfgate.com/columnists/saunders/ Colbert I. King, Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/colbert-i-king/2011/02/22/ABqKPvI_page.html Kathleen Parker, Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/people/kathleen-parker Steve Chapman, Chicago Tribune: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chapman/