Analyzing Arguments

Paper instructions:
Essay: Analyzing Arguments

This assignment challenges you to analyze how two writers present arguments about a significant issue/topic. For this assignment, you will choose a current newspaper or scholarly journal article that focuses on a current issue relevant to the people on the continent of Africa, and/or people of African descent. Your goal is to identify the purposes and claims of each author, locate their arguments in a rhetorical situation, and analyze the appeals each writer makes to support their argument. You will then evaluate the arguments: which author better satisfies their readers? Which author crafts the more fitting response? Choose your issue/topic carefully, as you may want to make an informed argument about the same issue/topic for the next essay.

In sum, then, the main goals are:
1. Identify the purposes and claims that two authors make about a significant issue.

2. Locate the arguments in a rhetorical situation (what is the exigence the authors address? What constraints and resources exist for the authors? To whom are they writing? When and where was the article published?

3. Analyze the appeals (logical, ethical, emotional) put forth by the writers.

4. Evaluate the arguments. Which argument is more fitting? Which author better satisfies readers? (Your evaluation need not be either/or: maybe one author is more effective logically, for instance, while the second author is more effective ethically and emotionally.)

This paper must be at least 5 1/2 – 6 pages in length, and you need to appropriately cite your two sources in MLA style.
First draft: This draft should be at least 1-2 pages in length and should reflect at least a brief summary of each text. (Two different summaries for both texts)