The purpose of reading and writing rhetorically is to think carefully about the author’s purpose, audience, genre, and stylistic choices.
Writing Purpose
The purpose of reading and writing rhetorically is to think carefully about the author’s
purpose, audience, genre, and stylistic choices. The following questions should help
you start to think about the author’s rhetorical effectiveness. Please note: Do not try to
address all of these issues in your essay—you won’t have a narrow enough focus.
These questions are intended to help get you in the right frame of mind.>
• What is the author’s purpose in writing the text? Provide evidence from the text
that indicates what the author’s purpose is.
• Who is the intended audience? Identify a textual feature that communicates the
intended readership of the piece.
• What change does the author hope to make in the audience’s view of the topic?
Provide an explanation for your assessment.
• What is the genre and how does that genre define/limit readership, style, and
purpose? Identify specific textual features that communicate genre and its effect
on the author’s message.
• What persuasive strategies does the author use?
◦ Methods of reasoning
◦ Organization of ideas
◦ Amount of and kinds of evidence
◦ Selection/omission of details
◦ Diction/language choices
◦ Choice of voice or perspective (“I” or “They”)
◦ Choice of tone (attitude)
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