The Rhetorical Precis

1. The Rhetorical Precis Figuring out how they did it…

2. * highly specialized, specific kind of summary * emphasis placed on the rhetorical aspects * FOUR PREDETERMINED SENTENCES – to help you get started on your writing! The precis is used to condense the most important rhetorical information about atext into a 4-sentence summary.

3. the name of the author, and if possible a phrase describing the author • the genre (essay, novel, etc.) and title of the work with the date (in parentheses) • a concise appropriate verb (claims, posits, argues) followed by a “that” phrase in which the thesis of the work is stated (either paraphrased or quoted) Sentence One

4. Rhetorically accurate verbs include: • conveys • explores • inspires • elicits • utilizes • twists • conjures up HUH?

5. Example of Sentence One: In her article "Who Cares if Johnny Can't Read?" (1997), Larissa MacFarquhar asserts that Americans are reading more than ever despite claims to the contrary and that it is time to reconsider why we value reading so much, especially certain kinds of "high culture" reading.

6. Did you catch that? Requirements Text the name of the author, and if possible a phrase describing the author the genre (essay, novel, etc.) and title of the work with the date (in parentheses) a concise appropriate verb (claims, posits, argues) followed by a “that” phrase in which the thesis of the work is stated (either paraphrased or quoted) In her article "Who Cares if Johnny Can't Read?" (1997), Larissa MacFarquharasserts that Americans are reading more than ever despite claims to the contrary and that it is time to reconsider why we value reading so much, especially certain kinds of "high culture" reading.

7. Let’s try that again… Requirements Text the name of the author, and if possible a phrase describing the author the genre (essay, novel, etc.) and title of the work with the date (in parentheses) a concise appropriate verb (claims, posits, argues) followed by a “that” phrase in which the thesis of the work is stated (either paraphrased or quoted) Sandra M. Gilbert, professor of English at the University of California, Davis, in her essay “Plain Jane’s Progress” (1977), suggests that Charlotte Brontë intended Jane Eyre to resemble John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress in that Jane’s pilgrimage through a series of events based on the enclosure and escape motif eventually lead toward the equality that Brontë herself sought.

8. Sentence Two • provides an explanation of how the author goes about supporting his/her thesis • Keep it brief! Do NOT restate details from the text. • explains the rhetorical method used by the writer to develop these supports (in order) Got it? Good!

9. Examples of Sentence Two MacFarquhar supports her claims about American reading habits with facts and statistics that compare past and present reading practices, and she challenges common assumptions by raising questions about reading's intrinsic value. Gilbert supports this conclusion by using the structure of the novel to highlight the places Jane has been confined, the changes she undergoes during the process of escape, and the individuals and experiences that lead to her maturation concluding that "this marriage of true minds at Ferndean – this is the way" (501).

10. Let’s break it down… Requirements Text • provides an explanation of how the author goes about supporting his/her thesis • Keep it brief! Do NOT restate details from the text. • explain the rhetorical method used by the writer to develop these supports MacFarquhar supports her claims about American reading habits with facts and statistics that compare past and present reading practices, and she challenges common assumptions by raising questions about reading's intrinsic value.

11. And again… Requirements Text • provides an explanation of how the author goes about supporting his/her thesis • Keep it brief! Do NOT restate details from the • explain the rhetorical method used by the writer to develop these supports Gilbert supports this conclusion by using the structure of the novel to highlight the places Jane has been confined, the changes she undergoes during the process of escape, and the individuals and experiences that lead to her maturation concluding that "this marriage of true minds at Ferndean – this is the way" (501).

12. Sentence three • states the purpose of the piece • follows the author's purpose with an “in order to” phrase • explains what the author wants the audience to do or feel as a result of reading the work Figuring it out!

13. Examples of Sentence Three Her purpose is to dispel certain myths about reading in order to raise new and more important questions about the value of reading and other media in our culture. Her purpose is to help readers see the role of women in Victorian England in order to help them understand the uniqueness and daring of Brontë’s work.

14. Side by side… Requirements Text • states the purpose of the piece • follows the author's purpose with an “in order to” phrase • explains what the author wants the audience to do or feel as a result of reading the work Her purpose is to dispel certain myths about readingin order to raise new and more important questions about the value of reading and other media in our culture.

15. Side by side… Requirements Text • states the purpose of the piece • follows the author's purpose with an “in order to” phrase • explains what the author wants the audience to do or feel as a result of reading the work Her purpose is to help readers see the role of women in Victorian England in order to help them understand the uniqueness and daring of Brontë’s work.

16. Sentence Four contains: • a description of the intended audience • textually supported • a description of the relationship the author establishes with the audience (tone ) Almost done…

17. Sentence Four Examples She seems to have a young, hip, somewhat irreverent audience in mind because her tone is sarcastic, and she suggests that the ideas she opposes are old-fashioned positions. She establishes a formal relationship with her audience of literary scholars interested in feminist criticism who are familiar with the work of Brontë, Bunyan, Lord Byron and others and are intrigued by feminist theory as it relates to Victorian literature.

18. Side by Side… Requirements Text • a description of the intended audience • textually supported • discusses tone or relationship with audience She seems to have a young, hip, somewhat irreverent audience in mind because her tone is sarcastic, and she suggests that the ideas she opposes are old-fashioned positions.

19. Final example Requirement Text • a description of the intended audience • textually supported • discusses tone or relationship with audience She establishes a formal relationship with her audience of literary scholars interested in feminist criticism who are familiar with the work of Brontë, Bunyan, Lord Byron and others and are intrigued by feminist theory as it relates to Victorian literature.

20. You try…here’s the background for the next picture:

21. Let’s try it together.