Multimodal Analysis

OVERVIEW: “Ancient Greek rhetoricians distinguished among three kinds of appeals to influence readers—ethical, logical, and emotional. As you evaluate arguments, identify these appeals and question their effectiveness. Ethical arguments (ethos), also known as credibility arguments, call upon a writer’s character, knowledge, and authority. Reasonable arguments/logical appeals (logos) appeal to readers’ sense of logic, rely on evidence, and use inductive and deductive reasoning. Emotional arguments (pathos) appeal to readers’ beliefs and values” (Hacker & Sommers, 2021, p. 77).

“When you analyze a multimodal text, you say to readers, ‘Here’s my reading of this text. This is what the text means and why it matters.’ Analysis begins with asking questions about how the text conveys its main idea or message” (Hacker & Sommers, 2021, p. 71).

“Knowing how others use images alongside text can begin to information how you read those images— how they influence how you make meaning—and then apply what you learn in your own writing when you use all of the available means to develop an argument.” (Greene & Lidinsky, 2021, pp. 325-326).

DEFINITION: The rhetorical analysis is an essay grounded in argumentation. The rhetorical analysis builds upon the reaction; instead of responding to a reading personally, students will evaluate the text’s quality or worth according to a set of established criteria. The critique also builds upon the review; rather than reviewing the quality of a product, book, or movie, students are evaluating the quality or
effectiveness of a writer’s argument. The critique is a much more analytical and intellectual enterprise than a simple summary, a reaction, or a review. A rhetorical critique requires students to analyze the quality of a text by judging how effectively the author uses the three rhetorical appeals ethos, logos, and pathos.

THE WRITNG ASSIGNMENT GUIDELINES: The essay should be submitted in MLA format; see MLA tab in A Writer’s Reference. The essay should be an analysis of a multimodal text (selected by the student) detailing its effectiveness or ineffectiveness as it relates to the three rhetorical appeals. The essay length should be five to six paragraphs long.

WRITING PROMPT: A website is a multimodal text. Analyze www.visitnebraska.com by identifying its use of ethos, logos, and pathos to make its argument.

ESSAY WRITING NOTES:

I. Introduction
a. Lead or Hook for the first sentence
b. Provide information on the publisher of the multimodal text.
c. Provide your thesis statement for your essay in the last sentence of the first paragraph. See page 72 of our textbook A Writer’s Reference for help with the thesis statement.
II. Summarize the website’s presentation.
III. Pathos – Emotional Appeal
a. How does the website connect with the audience?

b. Look at the questions on page 71 of our text A Writer’s Reference. Select some of the questions from the green box and answer them in this paragraph. (By the end of the essay, all of these questions should be discussed in your essay.) Instead of writing these questions down in your essay, write an answer in a complete sentence. It should flow well in your paragraph(s).
IV. Logic – Logical Appeal
a. What information is provided? How does this support the website’s presentation?
b. Look at the questions on page 71 of our text A Writer’s Reference. Select some of the questions from the green box and answer them in this paragraph. (By the end of the essay, all of these questions should be discussed in your essay.) Instead of writing these questions down in your essay, write an answer in a complete sentence. It should flow well in your paragraph(s).
V. Ethos – Credibility
a. How does the website establish credibility with the audience?
b. Look at the questions on page 71 of our text A Writer’s Reference. Select some of the questions from the green box and answer them in this paragraph. (By the end of the essay, all of these questions should be discussed in your essay.) Instead of writing these questions down in your essay, write an answer in a complete sentence. It should flow well in your paragraph(s).
VI. Significance – Discuss the reason your thesis statement is significant.
a. What should viewers/audience be aware of when considering this multimodal text?
b. What concerns or precautions should be considered?
c. What value does this website add to the greater discussion on this topic?
VII. Conclusion – Remind your reader of your main points, thesis, and overall idea.

References

Hacker, Diana, and Nancy Sommers. A Writer’s Reference. 10th ed., Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2021.