Students these days often have little knowledge, or no knowledge at all, about essays that are not usually discussed nor required in classrooms. So when they are handed one, they often get shocked and see the task as difficult. It doesn’t mean something is not mainstream, it’s not subject to giving fun and lessons along the way anymore. You might be surprised that you actually enjoy doing them.

Rhetorical essay is one of the unique types of essays. There are just times when teachers think of using this type of essay for their students’ compliance. However, don’t be quick to judge about it, and try to look for helpful things that can assist you in successfully making this type of analysis first. Fortunately, you just found the light that will give you answers today.

Guide Questions That Will Help You Establish a Good Rhetorical Essay

Do not stress over if you do not know everything about rhetorical essays. The basic understanding would actually prepare you to go beyond the extra mile already. What truly matters is knowing how to do the essay itself. It’s also better if you can see a number of well-written rhetorical analyses because it will give you a good peek on how this type of essay is done.

The rhetorical essay aims to break down a published work by knowing how the author communicated with his/her target audience. Students will also examine the language used and another usage of elements that may affect the delivery of the message.

Also, the main point is analyzing the author’s viewpoint, writing style, as well as the method of persuasion. If you want to know the basic questions that will guide you to construct a good quality essay, then read the following points below:

1. Who is the author?

   In this part, you will not just literally answer who the author is. You have to identify the author’s life background and essential information that relate to him/her because it may have greatly affected the construction of the story itself. In a sense, you may be able to see glimpses of the author’s life inside the written story.

   A lot of writers use their experiences to easily finish what they are writing or because they want to convey a deeper meaning. Be vigilant to detect any signs of similarities or vast differences between the author’s work and the author himself/herself.

2. What is the rhetorical situation?

   Rhetorical situation talks about the period, time, and societal values of the era where the book is published. As you can see, classic books often discuss fix marriages, war, and things that are not really evident today as they were before.

3. What are the author’s tone and intention in speaking?

   Did the author sound angry, neutral, happy, or sad while delivering the content? Does he intend to persuade, inform, or argue with the audience? These are the questions that you need to figure out. You have to know how the author communicated with the audience. Also, don’t forget to identify the author’s method of persuasion within the text.

4. Who is the target audience?

   Simply identify who the target audience is in this part, and how they affect the interpretation of the content itself. Also, ponder with the question “Why did the author choose this group as his/her target audience?” because things may unfold after knowing the answers behind.

5. What is the content of the author’s work?

   In this part, you need to have a clear understanding of the text and the message. Try to delve deeper into the author’s language and possible themes that emerge from the content. Say, for example, the content may sound simple in the first reading, but if you read it a few times more, you will discover that the author is giving light to feminism or women’s rights. There is more to the text than by just reading it once.

All in all, what you need to remember is that rhetorical essays should be written naturally as if you’re just having a conversation with your friend and you’re trying to figure out a person’s intention behind something. Therefore, motivate yourself to write and expect great results after!