RHE 309K: The Rhetoric of Eating

PAPER THREE: RESEARCHING AND DEVELOPING AN ARGUMENT ON EATING AS ENTERTAINMENT

Final drafts due between 11am-1pm, Friday, May 9, at Metro, with first submission and peer reviews attached.

Assignment
For your third and final paper, you will formulate an argument pertaining to the theme of Unit Three, Eating as Entertainment. Your argument should be constructed with an eye toward concerns of context, audience, tone, and the various rhetorical devices and arguments we have studied over the course of the semester (and which are covered extensively in Everything’s An Argument).

Your first step in constructing your argument is to consider your audience. For whom are you writing? Please note that “the general population” is not a valid audience. For the purposes of this paper, there is no such thing as a “general population.” You should conceive of a specialized audience, which will then help you to determine which type of argument you want to make. For example, are you arguing that schools should implement an all-organic lunch program? If so, are you making this argument to the school board or to the PTO? Are you presenting a proposal argument, a definition argument, a rebuttal against someone who is fine with the status quo?

After you decide on format, context, and audience, as well as what position you intend to advocate, you must decide how to argue your position within the constraints you have chosen. What claims and evidence will you use (logos)? How will you establish credibility (ethos)? How will you appeal to your audience (pathos)? What rhetorical strategies, such as metaphor, interpellation, repetition, allusion, anecdote, etc., will you use to argue?

From there, you will need to do research on your topic. In addition to one text from the syllabus for this unit, you must consult at least THREE additional sources. You don't have to incorporate all of them into your paper, but I do need to see some depth of investigation as the foundation for your argument.

The organization, tone, level of formality, and use of sources in this paper will depend largely on the situation in which you make your argument. Some situations, such as speeches, do not require rigid adherence to grammatical rules. Other situations, such as letters, have built-in conventions. Regardless of what form your essay takes, you will be expected to include a properly formatted bibliography listing all sources you have used to create your argument.

Please feel free to adapt your own brainstorming material from your blogs for your paper; that has been the purpose of that ongoing assignment. Remember, this argument must present a meaningful intervention on the topic, rather than just parroting the arguments you have come across over the course of your research.

The successful (C or higher) paper will present a clear, interesting and thoughtful thesis statement, engage in insightful analysis supported with solid evidence, and fulfill the formatting and ethos requirements detailed below.

Format:
5-7 pages, double-spaced.
Times New Roman, 12pt font
1-inch margins
Page numbers in the upper right-hand corner (or bottom center) of each page
MLA format (consult Chapter 20 of Everything's An Argument for the particulars)

Grading Criteria:
Thesis/Argument
I do not mean the first sentence of your introduction. I do mean your general argument. I look for an argument that is insightful (not just a summary of the material), appropriate to the assignment, reasonable, and analytical. I do not grade on whether I agree with the thesis.

Evidence and Analysis
You need to provide evidence from the text to support your assertions. You will generally need to provide some analysis so that it is clearly related to the conclusions you want to draw.

Organization
Your paper should have an appropriate order of ideas so that a reader can follow your argument, and they should be well proportioned so that you spend the most time on the most important material.

Introduction and Conclusion
Your introduction should set up the problem that your paper will discuss. Your introduction should have a clear statement of your thesis (what you intend to argue and why it's important). Your conclusion should effectively summarize what you've argued (without simply restating your thesis) and consider the implications of that question/argument. (In other words: "Summarize and forecast.")

Ethos
I use this term as a catch-all for the various things that affect your credibility as an author: clarity, reliability of sources, format, grammar and usage, tone, style, etc. PROOFREAD YOUR PAPER. Get one of your peers to do it for you, your mom, brother, RA, whatever. MISTAKES WILL AFFECT YOUR GRADE.

You MUST have a Works Cited page. Any documentation you provide should follow MLA style.

REMEMBER:
1. Asking for help early is a good thing and I can help guide you on an effective path. Also, be sure to utilize the Undergraduate Writing Center to get help in any stage of the writing process. You've paid for it as part of your fees -- don't let it go to waste!

2. If you don't find your topic interesting, who will? Make this assignment work for you!! If you're interested in your topic, it will show in your writing and make it a pleasurable paper to write as well as read.