I. Introduction
A. Background Information
o
Establish
the importance of writing about this particular text, or the topic of the text
o
Provide
a brief introduction to the text that you’ll analyze
- topic,
title, author, main argument, intended audience, purpose, rhetorical strategies
used, etc.
B. Thesis
statement
o
Your
overall evaluation of the rhetorical strategies used in the text
o
A
preview of the main points you will argue about the text
II. Body
Each body
paragraph will ideally have the following components:
A. Point – present ONE of your main idea (critique)
about the text (and how it relates to your thesis)
B. Illustration – provide a specific example(s)
from the text that illustrates your point
C. Explanation – explain how the examples
prove your point and provide your evaluative comments (if you are using outside
sources to show the accuracy of the point you are making, here would be an
ideal place to put them).
D. Closing sentence – Reemphasize the connection
between the point and your thesis.
III. Conclusion
Restate
your thesis and briefly go over your main points, emphasizing the ways in which
they prove your overall analysis/evaluation of the text
