ENGL 1302 Visual Analysis Essay

FINAL Draft

Assignment and Purpose

Write an essay that analyzes the rhetoric of visual arguments (advertisements, political cartoons, paintings, films, websites, etc.). Choose interesting, complex images. Your overall goal in this paper is to construct and support a thesis that evaluates the quality of the arguments being made in your visual sources. In order to do this, your paper should place the visual arguments in a social or cultural context for your intended readers. Most importantly, though, make sure that you are going beyond merely explaining the obvious in the imagery by analyzing and interpreting repetitions, strands (similar objects/ideas), binaries (objects or ideas that are opposite in nature), and/or an anomaly and answering the so what question (why does your analysis matter?).

The purpose of this assignment is to help you practice the basics of analysis in a creative way by exploring images that exhibit complexity and rhetorical purpose. In writing this essay, you will be more aware of the cultural, social, and political implications of visual sources.

Requirements

• MLA format (heading, header, double spaced, etc.) Must have Works Cited with every draft.*
• Times New Roman, 12-point font
• Academic writing style (use 3rd person, avoid contractions, use sentence variety, clear transitions, etc.)
• Use Analysis and Interpretation discussed in class.
• 3-4 pages (excluding Works Cited); typed drafts average 300 words per page, so the minimum is 900 words.

Course Student Learning Outcomes

Demonstrate critical thinking standards as they engage in analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of visual sources in order to explore patterns and contradictions among images and present the complexity of multiple interpretations and implications.

Write in a style that clearly communicates meaning, builds credibility, and offers fresh insights.

Getting Started

1. Choose complex, interesting visual sources;
2. Use analytical methods (Notice and Focus, strands, binaries, etc.) to develop points of analysis
3. Write body paragraphs first, using paragraph strategies and academic writing style
4. Write opening and overall analytical thesis
5. Write conclusion with overall implications of your analysis (why does it matter?)
6. Revise, revise, revise.

Evaluation Criteria

The following categories determine the grade for each submitted paper:

Thesis, Critical Thinking/Analysis, Development/Supporting Evidence, Synthesis, Structure/Coherence, Grammar/Mechanics, and MLA Documentation.

Not all of these elements are weighted the same, but all are part of the final grade for your paper. The most important aspect of any paper in this class is critical thinking.

make sure you look at the Introduction, Conclusion, and Works Cited lecture posted in Modules as well as the example for guidance with your Introduction and Conclusion:

Please use MLA format for headings, Works Cited, and essay format. Visit Owl Purdue MLA for examples:

Include your images in the final essay. These should be pasted onto the document AFTER the Works Cited page.

I noted some issues with the development of thesis sentences. Please see the mini-lecture below for guidance and examples.

Formulating and Evolving Thesis Statements

College-level essays are thesis-driven, so you want your thesis statements to be clear and engaging and to evolve throughout the paper based on the evidence you present and the conclusions you draw.

In your opening for the Visual Analysis Essay, you will introduce your sources, tell why its important to analyze them, and present your thesis. The thesis statement is the overall map of your paper (points of analysis) and why they are interesting, significant, revealing, or strange.

In order to create a meaningful, complex thesis statement, specify and subordinate the ideas in your thesis (the examples below become increasingly specific and only the last sentence uses a subordinating conjunction (although, even though, since, while, etc.) to create a complex sentence.

It’s important to recognize the problems of a weak thesis and revise your thesis statements using the solutions. Study the examples and try to make your thesis as specific as possible, using the complex sentence format.

The thesis statements below move from simple to complex; the brackets say what is correct or incorrect about the potential claims.

1. There are many similarities (such as?) and differences (such as?) in the cartoons (why interesting or strange?). [this student makes no claim; weak thesis type 1; fix this problem by being more specific]
2. The rhetoric in the political cartoons of the womens suffrage movement includes many important ideas. [this student states something obviously true; weak thesis type 2; fix this problem by making an assertion with which others may disagree]
3. The cartoons exhibit elements of the binaries feminine/masculine and private/public. This claim is not fully developed; the student has two points of analysis but does not answer the so what question; fix this problem by telling why the points of analysis matter (interesting, significant, revealing, or strange because . . . . )]
4. An analysis of the binaries leads the viewer to ponder the contradictory conclusion that private matters decide public policy. [not fully developed]
5. Although the masculine/feminine binary in the political cartoons draws the viewers attention to a lack of government participation in the womens suffrage movement, an analysis of the binaries illuminates a more important argument that private conflicts will eventually decide public policy. [Strong, specific thesis in complex sentence form]