English 1121 -- Critiquing an Argumentative Essay -- Fall 2007

English 1121: College Writing and Critical Reading

Fall 2007 / Section 20

Essay #3 -- Writing about Argumentative / Persuasive Writing

Background:

According to The St. Martin's Guide to Writing (5th ed., 1997, pp. 206-224, 251-268, 296-316, 341-360, 405-407, and 526-543), an argumentative essay -- in which the writer (1) argues a position, (2) proposes a solution to a problem, (3) justifies an evaluation, (4) speculates about causes or effects, or (5) interprets a literary text -- has the following characteristics:

Controversial issues have no obvious "right" answer, no truth that everyone accepts, no single authority on which everyone relies.
Writers cannot offer absolute proof in debates about controversial issues because they are matters of opinion and judgment; positions depend to some extent on factual evidence but depend as well on less objective factors like values and principles, assumptions and preconceptions about how the world works and how it should work.
A convincing argument clearly defines the issue for readers.
The writer tries to establish credibility with readers by convincing them that the position is based on knowledge of the particular subject and the issues surrounding it and by making the reasons for the position explicit and supported with logical reasoning and evidence.
A convincing argument supports its position and also seeks to earn readers' trust by building an argument on common values and beliefs.
It supports its position with clearly stated reasons.
It supports its position and reasons with a variety of evidence -- examples, testimony from experts/authorities, facts, statistics, anecdotes, scenarios, cases, and textual evidence.
It anticipates readers' questions about or objections to the position.
It counter-argues (refutes) opposing arguments but also modifies its position to accommodate reasonable opposing arguments (concessions).
It uses an appropriate tone.
It avoids logical fallacies.

Reading Assignment:

Ericsson, Stephanie -- The Ways We Lie
Kasser, Tim -- The High Price of Materialism
Postman, Neil -- Future Shlock
Schwartz, Hillel -- Fat and Happy?

Writing Assignment:

Write an essay of 3-5 pages in which you critique a piece of argumentative writing by another writer. The goal of your critique is to (1) summarize the writer's argument, (2) analyze the writer's purpose and audience, (3) evaluate the writing based on the intended purpose and audience, and then (4) add further support to and/or refute the writer's argument.

In other words, you are writing your own argument about and in response to another writer's argument (two distinct parts). Remember: "a thesis is a statement in which the writer or speaker takes a supportable position on an issue." In your case, your thesis statement will have two parts:

Your position on the strengths and weaknesses of your chosen writer's argument -- that is, your overall evaluation of the writer's argument; and,
Your position on the issue your chosen writer is arguing about -- that is, your opinion/stance on the argumentative topic.

As you are preparing to write your argument, keep in mind that you will need to have plenty of evidence and support for both (1) your position on the strengths and weaknesses of the writer's argument and (2) your position which affirms or refutes the writer's argument. And, remember, you will have your "opposition" to consider in both parts of your paper: some of your readers may not agree with your evaluation of the writer's argument, and some of your readers may not agree with your position on the argumentative issue, so you will need to be thoughtful about how you will respond to anticipated objections or arguments. Of course, you might be "divided" in your own opinions, which might lead you to "argue both sides," so to speak.

Doing the Research:

Challenge yourself, and challenge your reader, by picking some things that are not only interesting but are really worth exploring. Remember: the best academic writing makes the familiar strange and creates new knowledge about everyday life. You won't be able to do this if you always take the easy way out and pick the most obvious things.

To aid you in writing your essay, you must also do some research and find at least ten (10) sources which inform you about both sides of the argument -- look for essays and articles which argue both for and against the argumentative essay you have chosen to work with -- and strive for a variety of researched sources. Then, use at least five (5) of these sources to write your evaluation and response to your chosen essay.

The reason I’m asking you to do some research as you write your essay is to encourage you to find some good ideas and evidence/support for both sections of your paper and for both "sides" of the argument. Remember, if you are going to write in support of the author's argument, you will need to offer new arguments, not merely repeat ideas mentioned by the author. Similarly, if you are going to try to refute the author's argument, you need to be prepared to offer good counter-reasons and counter-evidence. And, for example, if you are going to claim that the writer uses "bad" evidence, you might need to demonstrate what "good" evidence is. Researching other arguments might help you in all these areas.

Keeping Track of Your Sources:

When you find your sources, you must print or photocopy them (if the source is a book, copy the pages you read) and be sure you have the following information for each source:

the author’s name.
the title of the source -- a chapter, an essay, an article, a webpage, etc.
the title of the “place” where you found the source -- a book, a magazine, a newspaper, a journal, a website, etc.
the original publication information of the source -- city, publisher, date, etc.
the date you printed the source, if it is an electronic source.
the web address of the source, if it is from the internet, or the name of the database, if it is another kind of electronic source, or the location in the library, if it is a print source.

You will need all of these items as you compile your working bibliographies and works cited pages. In addition, I will require you to submit the sources you use in your analysis with the final draft of your essay.

Formatting Requirements:

Your essay should be at least three (3) pages but no longer than five (5) pages -- double-spaced and word-processed -- with 1.0-1.25” margins, and a 12-point “normal” font (Times New Roman or Arial). No title page is needed; put your name, the course, my name, and the date in the upper left-hand corner of the first page (see LBB on pages 41-43 and 521-530 for a picture of what the format should look like).