JFK’s Press ConferenceStrengths & Weaknesses of

Analytical Essay #12015

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 accurate2. Choose BEST devices:

Best = most important to purpose3. Aim for 5+ devices per essay4. 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