Rhetorical Analysis – Outline and topic selection NO PLAGIARISM!!!!

Rhetorical Analysis Outline Example

I. ​Introduction:​ Provide a hook to make your readers want to read further. Identify the work and its
author, formulate the thesis of the article, and present your thesis: 1 sentence that mentions the three
appeals AND the overall success of these appeals.

● Hook – Imagine you were diagnosed with a terminal illness. The doctor has given you

three months to live.

● Work and author: Dr. Benjamin Corey’s article “Brittany Maynard Didn’t Commit Suicide.”

● Article thesis: Hastening your own death in light of terminal illness is not the same as

committing suicide.

● My thesis: He makes a convincing argument for this by appealing to ethos, pathos, and

logos.

II. ​Summary Paragraph​: Present the article’s thesis & main points, along with a few significant
supporting details.

● Thesis: ​People should not be judged for hastening their own imminent death.

● Brittany Maynard, terminally ill, compared to the 9-11 jumpers in “Falling Man”

photograph

● Neither the jumpers nor Maynard should be condemned for taking their own lives

or hastening their deaths when there was “imminent death looming”

III. ​Analysis Paragraph 1:​ TS: State your ethos point in a topic sentence, support your point with
evidence from the article or speech, & SS: conclude your point in a summary sentence.

● Topic Sentence: ​In the article, Corey (2014) successfully builds his integrity using

appeals to ethos by his credentials and by using credible sources.

● Supporting details: Corey is a cultural anthropologist and holds a doctorate.

● Corey uses credible sources: New York Medical Examiner quote

● Falling Man photo

IV. ​Analysis Paragraph 2:​ Repeat above structure with second analysis point (logos)

● Next, Corey (2014) effectively shows logic and reason throughout his article by

his appeals to logos.

● The logical analogy of the 9-11 jumpers and Brittany Maynard

● Burning building = terminal illness

● Definition of homicide/suicide from Medical Examiner

V. ​Analysis Paragraph 3:​ Repeat above structure with second analysis point (pathos)

▪ Emotional decision — the choice to jump evokes desperation and sadness

▪ Justice and fairness — it would not be fair to tell jumpers’ children they died by suicide

▪ Compassion — the idea of being burned alive

▪ All of the above apply to Maynard, too

VI. ​Concluding Paragraph:​ Reword your thesis, summarize your main points, leave on a thoughtful note.

▪ Ethos – author’s education and credible sources

▪ Logos – well-reasoned argument free of logical fallacies

▪ Pathos – empathy without manipulation

▪ Overall, the author does successfully argue that choosing to hasten death because of terminal

illness does not constitute suicide in the traditional sense.