Rhetoric is defined as the art of speaking or writing persuasively. A rhetorical analysis is a critical deconstruction and examination of a text. It identifies and analyzes the rhetorical strategies at play and their effects, and it focuses on the interactions between a text, its creator, and its audience.
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See the UWC handout: Summary vs. Analysis.)
Remember, the purpose of a rhetorical analysis essay is to explain how and why the writer made their argument, not to report what the writer is arguing.
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