RHE 309K: The Rhetoric of Eating

PAPER ONE: Rhetorical Analysis of The Morals and Ethics of Eating

Due dates: First draft (for peer review) due Friday, February 22
First submission due Monday, February 25
Revision due Monday, March 17

Instructions:
In general, this paper is a rhetorical analysis, which is to say, you will select a text or set of texts and analyze the rhetorical tools used to produce a particular effect that you notice. You will argue for this "effect" -- and its manner of being effective -- as your thesis. Please note that you are not passing judgement or taking a "side"; you are simply making an observation and coming to conclusions as a result of a close analysis of your text(s).

To put your task another way, "you perform a rhetorical analysis by analyzing how well the components of an argument work together to persuade or move an audience. You can study arguments of any kind [...] And you can examine many different aspects of a piece to discover how it does its work. Because arguments have so many components, you may need to be selective when you try your hand at a rhetorical analysis" (Lunford and Ruszkiewicz 42).

Your writing in this course should help you come to understand the topic: to think critically about the messages we receive about what, how, why, and with whom we should eat. For that reason, I will help guide your thesis by having you select a topic from one of the following. You need not worry about answering these questions in your paper; rather, these questions should be a guide for your analysis, to help spark your critical thinking about your chosen text(s).

1. What does Michael Pollan see as the moral and ethical concerns of eating? Where does he situate the American farmer in relation to the American eater in The Omnivore's Dilemma? In what way is the American consumer complicit in the economic subjugation of the commodity farmer? How does Pollan envision an escape from our overreliance on corn and, by extension, the "military-industrial complex"? Is his vision of "the perfect meal" a realistic one?

2. What do the makers of King Corn see as the moral and ethical concerns of eating? Does King Corn effectively raise awareness of the 2007 Farm Bill renewal? Why or why not? Do Cheney and Ellis seem convinced by their own argument? Are you able to discern an argument? If so, what is it and how do they make it?

3. What does the Kingsolver family imagine to be the ethical and moral concerns of eating? In what way does Animal, Vegetable, Miracle serve as a practical example of the local food movement? What does Camille Kingsolver mean when she says that our food should possess integrity?

4. Propose your own topic question based on other readings or exercises from this segment (the Pollan articles, packet readings, Edible Austin if you're so inclined, etc). YOU MUST GET MY APPROVAL BEFORE PROCEEDING!!

Format:
5-7 pages, double-spaced, with page numbers on the upper right-hand corners
Times New Roman, 12pt font
1-inch margins (yes, I do check this!)
MLA format (consult 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.

Developing Your Argument
Become intimately familiar with the text you choose to analyze. Read through it -- or the parts of it you see as important -- several times. Read with different goals each time. Try to identify major sections of the argument where the purpose or topic clearly changes. Try to summarize the purpose of each section in a sentence or two of your own words. Look for key words to identify the main claim of that secion. Then look for appeals that support that claim.

Remember that the author may have had readers in mind who are not quite like you. You may want to consider the reactions that the author was expecting as well as reactions that unexpected readers might have.

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 either a clear statement of your thesis (what you intend to argue and why it's important) or a clear statement of the question your paper is exploring. 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. Seriously. It gets lonely in office hours. 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.