Length: three-to-four pages not including Works Cited

Evaluation of a Reading through Critical Analysis – In this assignment, you are required to show your ability to evaluate a reading, based on your critical analysis of it.

Thus far in the course, we have explored the ways in which we read and analyze an argumentative text critically. Critical analysis of a text requires us to look for what the author claims (the main idea/thesis) and to closely examine how the author supports the claim (via subsidiary claims and evidence). It also requires us to examine how the author presents the claims and evidence and how he or she might address his or her opposing views.
-1 Initial Claim
+1 Secondary Claim
-1 Confusing Evidence
-1 Not enough evidence

Synthetic World
-5 +3

A. Claims

1. What is the author’s main claim (thesis)? Is it clearly stated fairly early in the essay? Does it reflect the purpose of the essay?
2. What are his subsidiary claims or the claims that he uses to support his main claim? Are they clear and valid? Are they related to the main claim?

B. Evidence

1. What kind of evidence does the author use? (e.g., facts, statistics, examples, personal experience, expert testimony, analogy, etc.)
2. Is the evidence sufficient, specific, relevant, and convincing?

C. Audience

1. What kind of audience does the author address? Is it general, specific, academic, etc.? What are his assumptions of the audience?
2. Does he effectively address the audience? Does he close the gaps between you, as audience, and himself, as writer?

D. Tone

1. What is the author’s tone or voice? How does he seem to feel about the topic? Is it academic, persuasive, informal, sarcastic, informative, optimistic, etc.?
2. How do you know? What context clues, word choice, or emphasis reveals this tone to you? How does it contribute to the argument?

E. Organization

1. How is the text organized? Does the author use attention getters/hooks, headings, subheadings, counterargument, rebuttal, graphs, questions, conclusions, etc.?
2. Is the organization effective? Is it logical, chronological, confusing, creative, etc.?

Once you have analyzed the essay and made the evaluation, decide on only three of the above points about which you can write substantially in this assignment. These are called your “points of evaluation.” These points of evaluation need to be included in your thesis statement, and each needs to be supported in your body paragraph(s).

In your introduction, introduce the essay by briefly summarizing it, beginning with its thesis. After the summary, end the introduction with your own thesis statement that is focused and reflects the evaluative purpose of your essay.

In your body paragraphs, support each point of evaluation in each body paragraph by providing several pieces of specific evidence from the essay and by explaining how such evidence proves your point (not how it proves the author’s point). While writing your body paragraphs, try to use, whenever relevant, such terminology as audience, purpose, claims, evidence, reasoning, credibility, opposing views, counterargument, language, tone, and  organization.

Please note that in your body paragraphs you should not simply write your summary or analysis of the essay; you need to write your evaluation of his essay on the basis of your analysis. You are not agreeing or disagreeing with what the writer says; you are critiquing how he presents his essay. For example, if you analyze his use of descriptive personal examples as persuasive evidence, you need to explain why those personal examples are persuasive to you, not simply list those examples.

In your final two paragraphs, briefly discuss the importance of effective communication in persuasive essays. Discuss the importance of the issue of ‘a synthetic world’ or the ‘singularity’ and what is at stake if these issues are not addressed.

For all essay assignments, try to meet the Portfolio Grading Standards found in Course Readings.