Transcript JFK Essay Tips 2015

JFK’s Press Conference
Strengths & Weaknesses of
Analytical Essay #1
2015
Strengths
• Most had some idea of JFK’s purpose
(how clear & specific impacted final score)
• Most integrate partial quotes well.
• Most used accurate rhetorical strategies
• A few top essays attempted “layering”
Finding a balance
Author’s
purpose
Rhetorical
Strategies
Author’s purpose
General Idea
• Mention it in thesis
• In Topic Sentences &
In Paragraph Clinchers
• In Conclusion
Application
• JFK’s purpose is to chastise steel
executives
• JFK uses pathos to show sacrifices of
Am. Ppl to guilt the execs
• JFK uses logos & ethos to buttress his
claims that execs’ actions were
ridiculous
• JFK references “legislative
safeguards” to threaten execs
• JFK threatens steel execs to protect
the rights of the Am ppl.
Rhetorical Strategies
1. Be accurate
2. Choose BEST devices:
Best = most important to purpose
3. Aim for 5+ devices per essay
4. Be thorough in analysis (multiple examples per P?)
5. Try “layering” to add complexity
JFK’s audience
• This time NOT “readers”
• Definitely tiered and nuanced – press, Am. Ppl, steel execs,
foreign leaders/citizens
• In 1962
Formality
• Not “John”
• Typical to use just last name after first reference – “Kennedy”
(here JFK is fine too).
• & is fine
• Avoid “you”
Quote Sandwiches
• One strategy of successful
speakers is anaphora to focus
listeners’ attention on key points:
“more difficult for Am. . . more
difficult to. . . more difficult to
improve. . .” JFK’s anaphora
focuses his audience on three
specific ways life has become
more challenging for Ams. due to
the steel executives’ selfish
actions.
Long quotes
• Not recommended for these timed essays.
• But, format = >4 lines = indented as a block quote
• So you’re typing your setup. Then you remember to use a colon
before your long quote:
This is my long quote. See how it’s indented extra 5 at left? It will continue for
4+ lines like this. It’s also weird because it has no quote marks around it. Finally
it’s weird because it uses slightly different punctuation at the end. Note the
citation’s form with the period before it. If I were a book, I’d have a #, but since
there are just my rambling thoughts, I stand alone. There’s a special button in
most programs to make it easy. (Bush)
Avoid “announcing quotes”
• Don’t say “This quote. . .”
• Focus instead on “Kennedy [powerful verb] to XYZ”
Speaking of verbs. . .
• Avoid two-word verbs like:
• brings up
• going through
• gets across his point
More Tips
• Review comma rules (esp after intro clauses and phrases)
• Review apostrophe rules (or edit for this in last few moments)
• People’s decisions
• Avoid clichés. Ex. “to drive his point home”
• Be accurate: Reservists NOT Reservationists
• Use an adjective before “diction”
• Not “The author uses diction. . .
•  The author uses effective/patriotic/military/commanding diction to X”
Tighten Language
• So, vivid verbs like vilifies, chastises, etc.
• Pay attention to “what”
• Ex. “what the steel companies have done”
• The steel companies’ actions. . .
Top essays
• Have fun
• Assume the reader is intelligent
• Zoom from general to specific for added flair.
• “As is usually the case with American Presidents, JFK does X”
• Use your own rhetorical strategies and syntactical structures