INTRO:
In recent decades, American schools, which have long served as bastions of our societies’ values, have found themselves under attack by various forces, both tangible and social. Most notably, gun violence has made its way into classrooms across the country, taking the lives of students and teachers at an increasingly alarming rate with minimal legislative response. At the same time, proponents of so-called “traditional values” have launched attacks on progressive ideas that they believe will influence impressionable children, and in order to curb this perceived indoctrination, their first strategy has been to ban books that even mention these ideals. Among the books challenged in the last decade are the famous children’s stories “The Lorax,” Charlotte’s Web, and “Little Red Riding Hood.” While these discussions may seem trivial, in reality, they have fervent support, and as the organization Moms Demand Action highlights, they distract our attention from dangers that are actually harming children. This idea is emphasized in a speech by Vice President Kamala Harris, in which she reiterates the necessity of using common sense when considering and contrasting political issues like gun violence and censorship. Both the advertisement and the speech garner support for their cause, which advocates for quality education and peace, justice, and strong institutions, through their uses of commonplaces that depict American ideals, their use of visual rhetoric and diction, and by evoking the emotions of viewers.
BODY 1: FOCUS ON COMMONPLACES IN AD
- Idea of what school is/comfort
- Little Red Riding Hood – children’s stories/innocence
- Library/rocking chair/fiction isle
- Patriotism and American flag
- Responsibility with lawmakers
BODY 2: FOCUS ON VISUAL RHETORIC IN AD
- Sullen faces of children
- Dulled colors
- Ties back to commonplace of happy childhood
- Only children in vivid color
- Size of gun in comparison to girl
BODY 3: PATHOS AND LOGOS IN AD
- Pity for children
- Use of the words
- Name of organization
- Implication of mothers losing children
- Dramatism
BODY 4: ANALYZING SPEECH
- Commonplace of “common sense”
- Repetition of statistics about deaths of children
- Pathos
- Demographics
- Dramatism of going to Florida
- Going to the site of the conflict
CONCLUSION: Tying them together
- Public memory
- Rhetorical situation in current times
- Call to action
Essay Outline
INTRO
A teacher in Texas is sent to her boss’s office because of what was reportedly found in her classroom. It’s inappropriate, it’s deplorable, and it’s illegal. It’s a book. Meanwhile, a six year old in Virginia placed his mom’s gun in his backpack and walked right out of the door and into his elementary school.
INTRODUCE ARTIFACT #1 – AD
- Analyze different elements in the visuals
SCHOOL LIBRARY
- Commonplace of classroom / safe childhood
- Comfort
LACK OF COLOR
- Commonplace of looking back on childhood with fondness.
- CONTRASTING it with today’s children’s realities
KIDS IN VIVID COLOR
- Innocence
- PATHOS
- Visual rhetoric
- Dramatism
AMERICAN FLAG
- Commonplace of patriotism
- Turning civic duty to mean restricting guns
- Call to action – legislation
CONNECT TO BANNING BOOKS AND ARTIFACT #2
ARTIFACT #2:
SDGs
- Quality education
- Peace, justice, and strong institutions
LOGOS AND ETHOS
- Demographics
- Her own experience working in law
DRAMATISM
- Diction
- Demanding action
CONCLUSION AND CALL TO ACTION
Based on the Draft Workshop for Rhetorical Analysis:
1) The claim, the heart of your analyzation of the civic artifact is to draw/bring attention to gun violence. You show this through a multitude of convincing lenses.
2) I really liked your way in for your speech, I thought that was really capturing and matched the serious tone of the subject you were discussing. I can’t suggest anyways to improve that, great job.
3) I culdn’t find any warning flags in your introduction/thesis, you did a great job at not using generalized statements.
4) Strong analytical topic sentence – “ Both the advertisement and the speech garner support for their cause, which advocates for quality education and peace, justice, and strong institutions, through their uses of commonplaces that depict American ideals, their use of visual rhetoric and diction, and by evoking the emotions of viewers.” – You did a great way of connecting these artifacts to the goals they are attempting to accomplish, while also explaining how they accomplish that. I can’t find any topic sentences that need to be improved!
5) The organization of the piece flows really well, I like how in your essay, you mention the visual artifact first, and then the speech. It allows us to understand the view of the Vice-President better!
6) I really enjoyed looking over these outlines, it’s a very intriguing subject that makes me want to read more about it, in your finished versions of the essay and speech. Great job!
1) The introduction reads well. It’s aim is to discuss gun control and leads into the artifacts well.
2) The way in is great. I like how you point the fixation of books for fear of “indoctrination” while also highlighting the failure to address gun violence by Washington.
3) I didn’t find any warning flags in your speech. It reads and flows well.
4) “Both the advertisement and the speech garner support for their cause, which advocates for quality education and peace, justice, and strong institutions, through their uses of commonplaces that depict American ideals, their use of visual rhetoric and diction, and by evoking the emotions of viewers.” Does a good job introducing your main points to the reader.
5) Well organized. The structure of the outline looks like it will make for a good essay.
6) I’d like to read more about book bannings and justifications for them.
1. The main claim is how specific rhetorical strategies seek to persuade people to limit the amount of gun violence instead of banning things like books.
2. I think both your intros look good so far, and immediately capture my attention with the serious nature and wealth of background information you presented in them.
3. I couldn’t see any red flags.
4. Strong: “Both the advertisement and the speech garner support for their cause, which advocates for quality education and peace, justice, and strong institutions, through their uses of commonplaces that depict American ideals, their use of visual rhetoric and diction, and by evoking the emotions of viewers.” This works really well as a thesis statement by pointing out which rhetorical strategies you will be analyzing the use of and what SDGs it connects to. I don’t anything really would count as analytically weak in what you have so far.
5. It looks like you have solid plan for what you want to accomplish in both your speech and essay.
6. I can’t wait to read more about Kamala Harris’ speech.