Analyze one of the following essays;
1. Toynbee, “Inequality is the Real Enemy”
2. Hogan, “The Voyagers”
3. Rosenzweig, “Can TV improve us?”
4. Mayer, “Welcome to the frontier of male disaffection”
5. Swift, “A Modest Proposal”
6. Stossel, “The Man Who Counts the Killings”
Checklist
1. Does a direct thesis convey both the subject and the reviewer’s value judgment?
2. What is the author’s main point? What is his/her purpose?
3. What arguments does the author use to support the main point?
4. Is his/her reasoning in line with the claim and what you know to be true?
5. Has the writer provided examples that logically support his/her claim?
6. Is the article organized in a way that makes sense? Does the organization make the article easier to read or more difficult?
7. Is the writer’s tone appropriate to the subject matter?
8. Is the word choice appropriate for the audience?
9. Does the author establish himself/herself as an authority on the subject? If so, how? Does he/she use technical terms? Refer to sources? Describe his/her credentials?
10. Does the text present and refute opposing points of view?
