ESSAY BLUEPRINT

PREPARATION & ANNOTATION (10-15 MINUTES) PRINT YOUR PROMPT OR HAVE IT UP ON THE SCREEN and TAKE DO ANNOTATIONS ON PAPER

READ/ANNOTATE THE INTRO SECTION TO THE PASSAGE QUICKLY LABEL AS MUCH OF THE RHETORICAL SITUATION (SOAPS) AS YOU CAN Who is the SPEAKER/WRITER? What is the OCCASION? (The when, where, and social situation or “climate” in which the

passage “lived”) Who is the intended AUDIENCE? What is the speaker’s PURPOSE? What is the speaker’s MESSAGE/TOPIC?

NOW READ/ANNOTATE THE PASSAGE FOR: MAIN IDEAS in the sections or paragraphs and LOOK FOR ANY PATTERNS IN HOW THE PASSAGE IS ORGANIZED/LAID OUT. KEY LINES (“best of show” quotes) that help you understand the speaker/writer’s attitudes, beliefs and purpose help you understand the audience’s attitudes, shared beliefs and emotions that demonstrate the persuasiveness of the speakerRHETORICAL DEVICES/STRATEGIES/CHOICES (such as repetition, figurative language like metaphors/similes, personification, hyperbole or understatement, use of detailed imagery/descriptions, appeals to pathos, logos and/or ethos, use of praise or criticism, juxtaposition of opposite words or ideas, use of compare/contrast, use of allusions or literature or historical precedents, etc. ) REMEMBER, anything the writer is doing/using that is geared to persuade their intended audience is considered a “rhetorical choice.”LOOK FOR WORD CHOICES THAT REVEAL THE WRITER’S ATTITUDES (TONE) TOWARD THE

TOPICNOW, LOOK OVER YOUR ANNOTATIONS: CHOOSE TWO RHETORICAL DEVICES/STRATEGIES/CHOICES:

that you can find great examples (CDs) for that help reveal the exigence (motivation, inspiration) and purpose of the writer that help reveal the beliefs/values/opinions/emotions of the intended audience.

WRITING THE ESSAY (30-35 MINUTES with a few minutes left to submit)

WRITE A GOOD OR GREAT INTRODUCTION PARAGRAPHHERE ARE THE GOOD AND GREAT INTRODUCTION CHECKLISTS FOR REFERENCE:

HERE ARE SOME GREAT THESIS STATEMENT EXAMPLES:Remember—devices, strategies, ideas are all names for RHETORICAL CHOICES

THESIS STATEMENT EXAMPLE THAT FOCUSES ON THE RHETORICAL DEVICES THE WRITER USES

FORMULA: WRITER + STRONG VERB + “through” + RHETORICAL DEVICES + PURPOSE + MESSAGEEXAMPLE DEVICE-DRIVEN THESIS

Secretary of State Madeleine Albright strengthens the power of her speech through repetition of important values, and through strong, encouraging diction to persuade her audience of female graduates to always persevere.

THESIS STATEMENT EXAMPLE THAT FOCUSES ON THE RHETORICAL STRATEGIES/IDEAS THE WRITER USES

FORMULA: “By” + STRATEGIES + STRONG VERB + “through” + RHETORICAL DEVICES + PURPOSE + MESSAGEEXAMPLE OF IDEA-DRIVEN THESIS

By opening her speech describing the current state of America and then shifting to powerful examples of women, Albright successfully conveys her message to these graduates that they must continue to fight for rights in the face of opposition, and that they will succeed.

ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF IDEA-DRIVEN THESIS

By relaying inspiring stories and urging graduates to aim high and persevere, Albright conveys to her audience that the noble path in life is one of challenges so that they will persist and strive to change the world.

WRITE TWO TRIPLE LAYERED OREO PARAGRAPHS Watch your time…two good DOUBLE LAYERED OREOS can work too!

TRIPLE STUFFED OREO #1WRITE A TOPIC SENTENCE THAT STATES THE FIRST RHETORICAL CHOICE YOU LISTED IN YOUR THESIS.WRITE YOUR FIRST OREO LAYER 1.  State your example (aka CD)2.  Explain your example (aka lead into your CD with a brief explanation of the quote means)3.  Analyze for Writer (see CM Stretcher #4)4.  Analyze for Audience (see CM Stretcher #1) 5.  Describe WHY the evidence (CD) would be persuasive to the intended audience (Extra CM) 

HERE IS AN EXAMPLE OF ONE OREO LAYER THAT ANALYZES THE CD FOR WHAT IT REVEALS ABOUT WRITER AND AUDIENCE PLUS WHY THE CD WOULD BE PERSUASIVE TO THAT AUDIENCE.

REPEAT FOR 2ND OREO LAYER, BUT TRY TO INCLUDE A NEW CM STRETCHER STRATEGY FROM THE 8.REPEAT FOR 3RD OREO LAYER, AND AGAIN TRY TO INCLUDE ANOTHER NEW CM STRETCHER STRATEGY FROM THE 8.WRITE A CONCLUSION SENTENCE THAT REPHRASES YOUR TOPIC SENTENCE AND INTRODUCES YOUR NEXT OREO’S TOPIC FOR A SMOOTH TRANSISION TO OREO 2.

TRIPLE STUFFED OREO #2REPEAT OREO 1 PROCESS ABOVE. INCLUDE AGAIN ANALYSIS FOR WRITER AND AUDIENCE (CM STRETCHERS 1 AND 4) PLUS ONE OR TWO OTHER CM STRETCHER STRATEGIES FROM THE 8 FOR VARIETY.

EXAMPLE OF A DOUBLE LAYERED OREO

EXAMPLE OF A TRIPLE LAYERED OREO-you don’t have time to reread this during the exam…but it’s here as a good luck charm.SHOOTING AN ELEPHANT OREO on the RHETORICAL CHOICE of AUTHOR’S VIVID DICTION

Orwell’s knack for painting vivid pictures with words comes at a price; the graphic descriptions can unsettle the steadiest of readers. In the second paragraph Orwell describes the Burmese locals as “in cages...wretched...gray...and scarred,” causing the reader to feel shock that a civilized country such as England would treat is prisoners inhumanely—the skin colored gray connotes death and decay, and the scars suggest perpetual torture that is disturbing to Orwell who witnesses it firsthand and serves as a social criticism of oppressive regimes in general. Furthermore, these grim words establish that imperialistic abuse by the British perpetrated upon oppressed citizens reduces those citizens to helpless and abused animals in their own home country, perhaps causing his readers to reflect on their own countries’ past interactions with foreign countries. Orwell’s persuasiveness comes in the form of graphic images of suffering human beings at the hands of British invaders who should not even be there in the first place. Orwell’s’ conflicting emotions are described with precision as he endures the “hideous laughter…sneering yellow faces, and insults hooted after me” while at the same time admitting that “secretly, of course – I was all for the Burmese and all against their oppressors, the British,” which includes himself as a British police officer. Such conflicting emotions have placed Orwell in a lose-lose situation wracked by personal guilt and frustration which functions as an example of universal oppression everywhere. In addition, Orwell’s inner turmoil is what ultimately prompts him to kill the elephant out of pride and a desire to avoid ridicule from the Burmese villagers watching him, who despite their subordination to British rule still hold sway over Orwell’s choices. Part of the persuasiveness of Orwell’s writing is his ability to draw the reader into his dilemma—we can see ourselves giving into pride in order to prove ourselves superior and avoid looking weak or indecisive. Orwell’s discomfort becomes our own. We have all done or said something to please the crowd rather than stand alone and face mockery for our beliefs. Finally the haunting descriptions of shooting the elephant are the stuff of nightmares as “the thick blood welled out of him like red velvet, but still he did not die…the tortured breathing continued without a pause.” The seemingly endless details in the last paragraphs capture the reader’s deepest sympathy and horror, both toward

Orwell and the elephant. By using “he” and “him” as pronouns referring to the elephant humanizes this great beast, which in turn, accentuates the agony of his slow death even more. Undoubtedly, Orwell’s uncensored diction is the perfect vehicle to elicit pity for the Burmese living under British rule and to sympathize with young Orwell’s encounter with his worst self that resulted in one of his greatest regrets. (This last sentence also works as a concluding sentence that rephrases the topic sentence.)

HOPEFULLY YOU NOTICED:

I ANALYZED EXTENSIVELY FOR AUTHOR AND AUDIENCE (READERS) INCLUDED A VARIETY OF OTHER CM STRETCHERS TOO AND THE GREEN (CMS) OUTWEIGHS THE YELLOW (CDS) ABOUT 2:1

FINALLY WRITE A GOOD OR GREAT CONCLUSION PARAGRAPH

UPLOAD YOUR ESSAY, AND YOU ARE DONE! HOORAY!