22 Rhetorical Analysis Essay – Compare and Contrast Two Texts

Write an essay of approximately 1000-1200 words in which you rhetorically analyze and then compare/contrast two texts. The texts may be provided by your instructor, or your instructor may ask you to choose one or both texts yourself. For an effective compare/contrast, the two texts should have at least one thing in common.

Your rhetorical analysis should focus on examining how and why the texts are rhetorically similar or different, and how those similarities or differences impact their effectiveness. The key is providing an insightful examination of the texts’ rhetorical contexts and strategies rather than just summarizing their content.

Introduction

Open your essay by introducing the texts you are analyzing and establishing the issue or argument it addresses. Provide brief background information to orient the reader. End your introduction with a clear thesis statement that previews your overall conclusion about the texts’ rhetorical similarities and differences.

Body Paragraphs

Your body paragraphs should thoroughly analyze the rhetorical strategies employed in each text and how they contribute to the authors’ respective arguments or purposes. Some areas to focus on include:

• Purpose and audience – Consider the intended goals and audiences for each text, and how the rhetorical strategies are crafted accordingly.
• Tone and style – Examine the tenor of each work and the effects created by the writers’ diction, syntax, and use of rhetorical devices like metaphor, imagery, etc.
• Appeals to ethos, logos, and pathos – Discuss how the authors establish their credibility and appeal to logic and emotion through rhetorical techniques.
• Use of evidence – Analyze the types of support and evidence used by the writers, and their effectiveness in argumentation.
• Document design & visuals – Analyze how the text uses or does not use elements of document design and visuals effectively.

Devote balanced analysis to each text in the body, comparing and contrasting the rhetorical approaches in a systematic way. Integrate specific examples from both texts to ground your analysis in the textual evidence.

Conclusion

Synthesize your main points by reiterating your overall main point from the thesis. You may also reflect on how well each text achieved its purposes for its intended audience, what could have made them more persuasive or appropriate for their intended audiences, or how analyzing two texts this way can provide new insights (on their given topic or on rhetoric).

Works Cited

Don’t forget to provide a full citation for both texts!