Project 2: Rhetorical Analysis of a Multimodal Text
Write a 750-to-1,000-word (3-4-page) MLA-style essay in which you analyze a multimodal1 text of your choice. This assignment involves a close, critical examination of a single multimodal text, its designer’s choices, and the context in which it was composed—to determine not just what the text "says" but how and why the author/designer/editor composed it and to judge whether the designer has achieved a purpose (reason for creation). A successful rhetorical analysis pulls apart a text (in this case a multimodal text with images and written text), explains how it works, makes an original claim about it, and supports the claim with specific details.
In your rhetorical analysis, you will include a thesis in which you state your judgment of the text you have chosen, and a summary that communicates your understanding of the text, its message, and its audience. The body of your essay is where you will develop support for your judgment with evidence from the text (specific textual and or visual details).
Your analysis must include a discussion of at least one rhetorical appeal that you see in the multimodal text:
You may also examine one or more additional rhetorical strategies:
| Deliberate style or structure | Use of images or audio |
| Use of evidence | Color, typography |
| Repetition |
You will be writing more about the technique the designer uses than the topic of the piece. You may discover, however, that to judge its effectiveness fully, you need to think about how the text contributes to a debate or asks/answers an important question.
Assume an audience who has not viewed the text you are studying. Include a Works Cited list with at least two entries. The works you cite may come from any the following sources (other scholarly sources are also welcome):
See Week 4 Overview page to access these readings (other than the WR sections)
To see some examples of the types of multimodal text you might select, see this assemblage of images from the AdCouncil I've collected HERE
**Review the rubric for this project for more information about what I will consider when evaluating your final draft.
1 Multimodality refers to texts that have multiple "modes" (methods/ways) of communicating a message. For example, a traditional paper may only have one mode (written text) while a multimodal project may combine text, images, motion, and/or audio. Technically, you are selecting a “bi-modal” text because it should have two (bi-) modes: written text and images. The paper you write about this bimodal text is still a traditional, written paper.