Practicing Rhetorical Analysis

Part 1

 The article I would like to analyze is Tony Newman's "Criminalizing Smoking Is Not the Answer: Bans on Cloves and Outdoor Smoking Will Backfire!"

Part 2

Contextual: 

1. Jackson identifies that, at the time, Nixon was under investigation for his role in the cover-up of the   watergate scandal.
2.  Jackson points out the Audience of Jordan's speech: the other 34 members of the Judiciary House Committee.
3. Jackson states how Jordan's purpose was to set out evidence against the president.

Textual:

1. Jackson observes that Jordan had to overcome the obstacle of establishing ethos in her speech.
2. Jackson provides sufficient background information.
3. Jackson analyzes how Jordan, in order to appear unbiased, verifies her allegiance to the constitution.

What Was Not Addressed:

Contextual:

Jackson does not address the social status of minorities at the time.  This greatly adds to what was expected of Jordan's speech.

Textual:

Jackson fails to address the forceful nature of Jordan's words.  She comes across very strong and makes sure her message has been heard.

Introductory Post

I would say I have had a lot of writing experiences in the past.  I have always been interested in writing.   At a very young age I would write complete short stories and give them away to family members as presents.  In middle school I had this epic idea for a sci-fi novel trilogy (which was never actually applied full-scale).  I used to flip to a random page in the dictionary and learn a new word every day that I could use in my writing.  Ever since the 3rd grade I have been keeping this little song journal in which I would write all of my lyrics.  I still do that to this day.  Every now and again I get little moments of inspiration requiring me to jot down a poem or two on a scrap sheet of paper.   My writing is usually inquisitive and highlights minute details that would normally be overlooked.  I would like to gain more focus in my writing that would give my work a stronger bite.