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Essay 4 – Rhetorical Analysis of an IMage
Dr. Ethan t. Jordan GSW 1110 Draft due 11/3, Final Draft DUE 11/
In this essay, you will choose an image to analyze rhetorically, arguing for the two primary rhetorical strategies (ethos, logos, and pathos) used in the text. For instance, if your text relies heavily on ethos and pathos, logos may be emphasized less to make the text persuasive. This image can be an advertisement, a painting, a flyer, a commercial, short documentary, or other short visual text. While you are free to choose an image you feel would be interesting to discuss, you’ll also want to be certain that you can identify particular rhetorical features within it. For example, the image below can be said to rely heavily on pathos, but there are other rhetorical strategies at play:
Banksy. “Stop and Search.” Image. www.banksy.co.uk. Web. 17 July 2012. http://www.banksy.co.uk/shop/images/shop%20large/stopandsearch.jpg
In addition to describing the rhetorical forces at play in your text, you will have to choose three specific criteria (from the “Criteria for Analyzing Visuals Handout” or the “comprehension clues” from pages 54-55 in PA) you believe contribute to the specific rhetorical strategy. In other words, you can talk about the use of color and how it demonstrates the pathos in the image. For the image above, you might discuss how the text includes “intertextuality” in using imagery from a well-known text. In creating this essay, you will want to make sure to:
- Describe in detail the way your particular image uses visual elements (fonts, colors, framing, etc. – we will be discussing these in more detail in class)
- Choose 2 of the 3 rhetorical strategies you believe are vital to your “reading” or interpretation of the image – what does it mean to you? If the image is relying on pathos and logos primarily, what visual elements back up this claim?
- Support your argument with concrete details from the image, explaining them to specifically point out features of the text that are vital to your interpretation.
- Acknowledge other readings of the image or counterarguments to your choice of the significant visual elements, demonstrating that you are aware of the ways others might view the piece. In other words, one might disagree with your interpretation of the image, or one might argue that other visual elements than the ones chosen are more significant. You’ll want to refute these counterarguments in order to establish that your reading is sound or that your criteria is valid.
- Properly cite your image, and include it in your document (you can either scan it, in the case of a printed piece, or include a digital file in the text).
MLA Citation Examples:
Print: Truth by Calvin Klein. Advertisement.Vogue Dec. 2000: 95-98. Print.
Web: Claridge, Iain. “Apple Logo Dissected.” Image. iainclaridge.net. 4 April
- Web. 28 October 2011.
What do you mean by “Specific Criteria”?
Pages 54-55 in PA list specific visual elements or rhetorical elements that may come into play in your text. I will also be supplementing with the handout “Visual Criteria” on the blog. Discussing and describing at least three of these are essential to your essay. For instance, an image’s use of text can vary according to font choice, size, color, layout, etc. Without analyzing these details, readers won’t know exactly what choices were made to make the image “work” rhetorically – in other words, choosing a grungy font has a specific ethos and pathos to it, as does using a brand-specific font like Myriad Pro:
Children at Play
iStudent
Alternative criteria or alternative rhetorical strategy
- some could say ethos is important
- alternative criteria - context is more important, but I think text is much more important to the "reading" of the image
Refutation of the counterargument – why is your reading more likely?
Conclusion - reinforces your "reading" of the image -
Final Advice: Choose an image with enough “meat on the bone.” Trying to analyze abstract, minimalist artwork is going to be far more difficult to discuss than a print ad in a magazine. If you don’t feel there is enough for you to write about (or if there aren’t more than one visual components involved), find a new image!
Pick an image you care about, not the first one you find on the bulletin board. If you choose an image related to your interests, you’ll have a much easier time discussing it in detail.
Have a thesis statement. (this can often be the last sentence of the first paragraph, but it doesn’t have to be), a statement that describes your argument for what the text means rhetorically (as in, “The Charmin advertisement relies on ethos and logos to sell toilet paper in bulk, and to do so, it employs fonts, colors, and social context to show readers the money they will save.”). Think about creating a “How does” question… in the sense of: “How does this ad try to persuade readers of the trustworthiness of their product?”
Consider organizing your body paragraphs by visual elements in order to show how the visual elements demonstrate the use of the rhetorical strategy. Ordering the essay this way will force you to discuss the image in detail and use these details as evidence of the strategy being used.
Use metadiscourse to refer back to your thesis main points – remind readers why what you are presenting demonstrates your thesis. (We don’t know unless you show us what you are saying…)
Timeline: Your first draft is due on 11/3 in your conference. Your final draft is due on 11/14 at the start of class.
Length: This paper should be 850-1100 words (roughly 3 to 4 pages) typed and double spaced. Double space your essay, use 1-inch margins, and Times New Roman font (or something similar). Center the title of your essay, and please do not create a title page.
Final Packet Contents: For the final draft of this essay, you will need to turn in:
- purple page for this essay (Audience and Values Exploration from portfolio)
- first draft of the essay with my comments (printed)
- final version of the essay, with your image included (printed)
- goldenrod rubric page filled out with your name and paper info at top (from portfolio)
Need Additional help? Bounce ideas off of the writing consultants at the Learning Commons. Make an appointment with me during office hours.
GOOD LUCK!
Criteria for Analyzing Visuals
(WE’LL TALK ABOUT THESE IN CLASS)
Composition:
Visual elements
Focal point - vectors of attention (Alabama Pledge)
Perspective - framing (places viewer in a particular perspective)
Color - cda 275-
People/Characters/Human Figures
Characteristics - age, gender, subculture, ethnicity, profession, level of attractiveness, socioeconomic class
Eyes - who is looking at whom? Why?
