Transcript The Essay of Analysis - Riverdale High School

The Essay of
Analysis
AP English Composition and
Language
What is analysis (for the AP
exam)?
 Take apart a particular passage
 Divide it into its basic components
 Examine how the writer develops his or
her subject
 For the AP Language exam the different
types of analysis include:
 Analysis of structure
 Analysis of purpose
 Analysis of style
What is rhetoric?
 An umbrella term for all of the strategies,
modes and devices a writer can employ in
discourse to allow the reader to easily
accept and understand his or her point of
view
 Modes of Discourse – prose can be
divided into four primary categories:
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Exposition – illustrates a point
Narration – tells a story
Description – creates a sensory image
Argumentation – takes a position on an
issue and defends it
What are rhetorical
strategies?
 The basic approaches a writer uses to
create a successful mode of discourse:

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Contrast/comparison
Example
Definition
Connotation
Antithesis
Oxymoron
And about 200 more…
What is the analysis of
rhetorical structure?
 Your job is to:
 Carefully read the passage
 Recognize and identify strategies used
in the passage
 Determine how these strategies are
utilized in the development of the
author’s purpose
Rhetorical Strategy:
1. example
Definition: Example is a specific event,
person, or detail of an idea cited and/or
developed to support or illustrate a thesis
or topic.
The excerpt from Jane Jacob’s “A good Neighborhood” uses
examples. Read it carefully and then we’ll analyze it.
1. Underline the thesis statement.
2. The topic/subject of the passage is:
3. The purpose of the passage is to: __inform
__persuade __entertain
4. Does the passage contain an extended
example?
5. The passage contains how many examples?
6. Briefly list the examples.
7. The organization is __chronological ___spatial
___least to most important ___most to least
important
Rhetorical Strategy:
2. Contrast/Comparison
Definition: A method of presenting
similarities and differences between or
among at least two persons, places,
things, ideas, etc. The
contrast/comparison essay may be
organized in several ways including:
1. Subject by subject
2. Point by point
3. combination
The excerpt from W.H.Auden’s “Work, Labor, Play” uses
contrast/comparison. Read it carefully and then we’ll analyze
it.
1. The topic/subject of the passage is___
2. Underline the thesis statement.
3. The purpose of the passage is to: __inform
__persuade __entertain
4. The items being compared/contrasted
are______
5. One example of a comparison in the passage is
_____
6. One example of contrast in the passage is ___
7. The pattern of development is: __opposing
__alternating
8. The organization is: __subject to subject __point
by point __combination
Take a break for
humor…
A linguistics professor was lecturing to his
English class one day. "In English," he said, "a
double negative forms a positive. In some
languages, though, such as Russian, a double
negative is still a negative. However, there is
no language wherein a double positive can
form a negative."
A voice from the back of the room piped up,
"Yeah, right."
Rhetorical Strategy:
3. Cause and Effect
Definition: Establishes a relationship: B is
the result of A. The cause-and-effect essay
can emphasize the cause, or the effect, or
can treat both equally. It can detail a single
cause with many effects, or several
causes with a single effect, or any
combination.
Strategies: facts, statistics, authorities, anecdotes,
cases, real or imagined scenarios
Thomas Hobbes’s “Of the Natural Condition of Mankind”
(1651). Read it carefully and then we’ll analyze it.
1. Underline the thesis statement.
2. The topic/subject of the passage is ___.
3. The purpose of the passage is to: __inform
__persuade __entertain
4. List the causes: ____________________
5. List the effects: _____________________
6. The emphasis is on: __cause __effect __causes
__effects
7. The passage makes use of: __statistics __facts
__authorities __anecdotes __cases
__real/imaginary scenarios
Rhetorical Strategy:
4. Classification
Definition: Separates items into major
categories and details the characteristics
of each group and why each member of
that group is placed within the category. It
is possible to divide the categories into
subgroups.
The principle of classification should be
made clear to the reader. (This is the
umbrella term under which everything fits.)
Jane Howard’s “All Happy Clans Are Alike.” Read it carefully
and then we’ll analyze it.
1. Underline the thesis statement.
2. The purpose of the passage is to:
__inform __persuade __entertain
3. Identify the principle of
division/classification:
____________________
4. List the main subgroups and their
characteristics: __________________
Rhetorical Strategy:
5. Process
Definition: “how to” do something or how
something is done. Process can have one
of two purposes. It can either give
instructions or inform the reader about
how something is done.
A clear process presentation must be in
chronological order—step-by-step
format.
It will define necessary terms and cite any
precautions, if needed.
L. Rust Hills’s “How to Care for and About Ashtrays.” Read it
carefully and then we’ll analyze it.
1. Underline the thesis statement.
2. The purpose of the passage is to: __give
specific directions __be informative
3. What are the major steps in the process?
4. Is it in chronological order? __yes __no
5. List any words that are defined: _____
6. Were there any other words that should have
been defined? ________
7. List any precautions given: ______
8. The process presented is __clear __unclear
__complete __incomplete
Another humor break…
 Did you hear the one about the
pregnant woman who went into labor
and began to yell, "Couldn't! Wouldn't!
Shouldn't! Didn't! Can't!"? She was
having contractions.
Rhetorical Strategy:
6. Definition
Definition: Identifies the class to which a
specific term belongs and those
characteristics which make it different from
all other items in that class.
There are several types of definition:
physical, historical, emotional,
psychological, and relationship(s) to others
An essay of definition can be developed
using any rhetorical strategy and the writer
must decide to be serious or humorous.
Bugdust. Read it carefully and then we’ll analyze it.
1. Underline the thesis statement.
2. The purpose of the passage is to: __inform
__persuade __entertain
3. The attitude of the writer is: __serious
__humorous
4. To what class does the word being defined
belong? ___
5. List the major rhetorical strategies used:__
6. The definition is: __historical __physical
__emotional __psychological __relationship(s)
to others
7. Do you, as a reader, have an understanding of
the definition presented? _____
Rhetorical Strategy:
7. Narration
Definition: Storytelling. There is a beginning, a
middle, and an end.
There’s a point to it—a reason for recounting the
story that becomes clear to the reader.
There is a focus to the story as well. Your point
might be that lying gets you into trouble. To
illustrate this, you focus on an anecdote about
the repercussions of a specific lie you told.
Narration requires a specific point of view: 1st
person, 3rd person omniscient, 3rd person
objective, stream of consciousness
Louisa May Alcott “Death of a Soldier.” Read it carefully and
then we’ll analyze it.
1. The topic/subject of the passage is ___.
2. The purpose of the passage is to: __inform
__persuade __entertain
3. The point of view is: __1st person __3rd person
objective __3rd person omniscient __stream of
consciousness
4. The setting is: ________________
5. The main character(s) is/are: ______________
6. The gist of the plot is: __________________
7. List the sequence of the major events
(beginning, middle, end)
Rhetorical Strategy:
8. Description
Definition: Writing that appeals to the senses
It can be objective, which is scientific or
clinical
It can be impressionistic, which tries to
involve the reader’s emotions or feelings
It can be direct or indirect
The organization can be: chronological,
spatial, emphasizing the most important
detail, or emphasizing the most
noticeable detail
Rhetorical Strategy:
Description – Page 2
To create his or her description, the writer can
employ any or all of the following literary
devices:
Analogy
Concrete, specific words
Appeal to the senses
Personification
Hyperbole
Contrast and Comparison
Onomatopoeia
Other figurative language (scads of these)
Charles Dickens, excerpt from Bleak House. Read it carefully
and then we’ll analyze it.
1. Underline the thesis.
2. The description is: __objective
__impressionistic
3. The passage contains examples of:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Analogy, ex. ___
Concrete words, ex. ___
Imagery, ex. __
Contrast/comparison, ex. ___ (Differences/Alike)
Personification, ex. ___
Onomatopoeia, ex. ___
Other figurative language, ex. ___
4. The intended effect is to __inform __persuade
__entertain
New Idea: What is style?
What is the difference between the comedy
on The Simpsons and Family Guy?
Subject matter
Language (diction)
Pacing
Selection of detail
Presentation—body of language
Attitude toward material
Attitude toward audience
Those elements are what is called style.
Given two literary passages, you could
probably tell which was written by
Hawthorne and which by Twain. How would
you know?
You would use the same principles you
considered with the two television shows.
1. Subject matter
6. Attitude
2. Selection of detail
7. Tone
3. Point of view
8. Pacing/syntax
4. Diction
9. Organization
5. Figurative
language/imagery
On what do you focus when writing
about style?
Understand and refer to some basic writing
terms and devices:
Subject matter
Selection of detail
Organization
Point of view
Diction
Syntax
Language
Attitude
Tone
A brief review of those terms:
Subject Matter and Selection of
Detail:
1. Each author CHOOSES consciously about
the topic/subject she or he will write.
2. Sometimes writers become associated with
a particular type of subject matter. (Stephen
King-horror and suspense, Mario Puzo-organized crime)
3. Example: If two students, one a vegan and
one a meat-eater, were assigned to write
about hamburgers each one would choose
a different group of details to do the job.
A brief review of those terms:
Organization:
1. The way in which a writer presents her or
his ideas to the reader
2. Example: Think about your locker. How are
your books, jacket, lunch and other things
arranged in it? If someone else were to
open it, what conclusion would that person
draw about you?
3. Some options for writers are: chronological,
spatial, specific to general, general to specific,
least to most important, most important to least,
flashback or fast-forward, contrast/comparison,
cause/effect
A brief review of those terms:
Point of View:
1. The method an author utilizes to tell the
story.
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first person
third person objective
third person omniscient
stream of consciousness
chorus, stage manager, interior
monologue
A brief review of those terms:
Diction:
1. Can also be called word choice
2. The conscious selection of words to
further the author’s purpose.
3. Example: How would you describe a
date you went on last weekend to your
parents? To your peers? To your self?
4. A writer searches for the most
appropriate, evocative or precise word
or phrase to convey intent and
meaning
One more bit of humor…
A brief review of those terms:
Figurative Language and Imagery:
1. The written creation of sensory
experience achieved through the use of
figurative language
2. Analogy
3. Sensory description
4. Poetic devices, including: metaphor,
simile, hyperbole, onomatopoeia,
personification, oxymoron, alliteration,
assonance, consonance, etc……
5. Look at Melville’s “Nantucket” – Find
several different examples of figurative
language used in the paragraph.
A brief review of those terms:
Syntax:
1. Grammar—the function of words and
their uses and relationship in a
sentence
2. Syntax is the grammatical structure of
sentences. Without it, there is no clear
communication.
3. Not grammatical correctness, but rather
the deliberate sentence structure the
author chooses to make her or his
point.
Phrases, clauses, basic sentence types (declarative,
interrogative, imperative, exclamatory), simple sentences,
compound sentences, complex sentences, compoundcomplex sentences
A brief review of those terms:
Tone and Attitude:
1. Both terms refer to the author’s
perception and presentation of the
material and the audience.
2. Tone reinforces the mood of a piece.
3. An author’s attitude is not just the
creation of a mood. It represents the
stance or relationship the author has
toward his or her subject.
4. You may have to “read between the
line” to identify attitude.