Critique Essay
You will write a 500-750 word critique essay evaluating the rhetorical appeals (ethos, logos, pathos) and effectiveness of journalist James Gannon’s argument in his 2018 documentary usA Moral Debt: The Legacy of Slavery in the USA. The link to the documentary is in Week 3’s Module and can also be found by searching YouTube for the title. This essay is due Sunday, Nov. 1st @ 11:59 p.m.
Your essay will be set-up in basic essay structure (introduction, body, conclusion) and will follow the requirements for a critique essay as outlined below. The essay’s format will be pursuant to proper MLA standards. Please review the MLA Set-up Sheet in the modules on proper font type, size and general formatting for your work. *NOTE: Essays not in proper MLA format will have a 10% deduction subtracted from the final grade average.)
The purpose of your critique will be to evaluate Gannon’s argument in his documentary usA Moral Debt: The Legacy of Slavery in the USA. In your introduction you will introduce the name of the documentary, the director and briefly summarize the rhetorical appeals that he uses.
In the proceeding paragraphs you will write an evaluation (critique) of the documentary analyzing each appeal in its on paragraph(s) with the following questions and/or considerations in mind:
What rhetorical appeals are present in Gannon’s documentary? Define the appeals in your own words (explain what the rhetorical appeal is and what it does based on Aristotle’s philosophy). What examples of the appeals does Gannon use in his documentary?
In the next to last paragraph analyze the effectiveness of the argument based on the appeals. Use Aristotle’s “Test” to determine if the argument is balanced and effective. Explain what Gannon does well with the appeals and/or explain what Gannon could improve based on the appeals. In other words, based on the appeals is Gannon’s argument in his documentary convincing? Why or why not BASED on the appeals? This analysis will NOT be your opinion and MUST be based on Aristotle’s “Test” concerning rhetorical appeals.
Tips for Writing a Critique
Introduction:
–Introduce the title of the documentary and the director and/or producer
–BRIEFLY summarize the documentary in one to two sentences
–Thesis statement: BRIEFLY present which rhetorical appeals are in the documentary AND if the documentary is effective based on the appeals. (Thesis should be 1-2 sentences at the end of introduction paragraph).
Body #1: Appeal #1 (Appeals can be discussed in any order BUT they must be in the same order listed in the thesis statement).
–Identify the rhetorical appeal in Gannon’s argument (one appeal for each body paragraph)
–Explain in your own words what the particular rhetorical appeal is that you see in Gannon’s documentary.
–Define the appeals in your own words (explain what the rhetorical appeal is and what it does based on Aristotle’s philosophy).
–What examples of the appeal does Gannon use in his documentary? You can briefly summarize the scene in a sentence or two that you feel illustrates the appeal.
– Detailed explanation/elaboration of how the example scene that you discussed above illustrates the particular appeal. This should prove your understanding of the appeal and how it works in argumentation.
Body #2: Appeal #2
–Identify the next rhetorical appeal in Gannon’s argument.
–Explain in your own words what the particular rhetorical appeal is that you see in Gannon’s documentary.
–Define the appeals in your own words (explain what the rhetorical appeal is and what it does based on Aristotle’s philosophy).
–What examples of the appeal does Gannon use in his documentary? You can briefly summarize the scene in a sentence or two that you feel illustrates the appeal.
– Detailed explanation/elaboration of how the example scene that you discussed above illustrates the particular appeal. This should prove your understanding of the appeal and how it works in argumentation.
Body #3: Appeal #3
–Identify the next rhetorical appeal in Gannon’s argument.
–Explain in your own words what the particular rhetorical appeal is that you see in Gannon’s documentary.
–Define the appeals in your own words (explain what the rhetorical appeal is and what it does based on Aristotle’s philosophy).
–What examples of the appeal does Gannon use in his documentary? You can briefly summarize the scene in a sentence or two that you feel illustrates the appeal.
– Detailed explanation/elaboration of how the example scene that you discussed above illustrates the particular appeal. This should prove your understanding of the appeal and how it works in argumentation.
*Note: If you feel that one of the appeals is missing in Gannon’s argument, explain this omission in the paragraph for that particular appeal and why Aristotle says that an argument missing an appeal might be unbalanced.
Body – Analysis/Evaluation: (Most important part of essay because it shows you can think critically).
–In the next to last paragraph analyze the effectiveness of the argument based on the appeals.
— Use Aristotle’s “Test” to determine if the argument is balanced and effective.
–Explain what Gannon does well with the appeals and/or explain what Gannon could improve based on the appeals, especially if you feel an appeal is missing.
–Based on the appeals is Gannon’s argument in his documentary convincing? Why or why not BASED on the appeals?
–This analysis will NOT be your opinion and MUST be based on Aristotle’s “Test” concerning rhetorical appeals.
Conclusion:
Summarize the main points of your paper
Restate your thesis statement in fresh words
Review the rhetorical appeals you discussed in the body
Discuss the success or failure of the documentary’s argument based on the appeals
Maybe one last statement on the debate
Lastly…
You are NOT summarizing, but analyzing Gannon’s argument based on the appeals
THIS IS NOT A REVIEW (“I like this documentary…”), but a CRITIQUE and you might have to read between the lines to come to some conclusions about the documentary.
Remember, be objective (unbiased and unemotional), you are NOT giving your feeling or personal opinion about the documentary, you are analyzing Gannon’s argument.
DO NOT write in first (“I”) or second person (“you”) perspective since this tends to express subjectivity rather than objectivity.
