Here are instructions of my instructor and I will attach the essay to the end! :

How to start? I’ll refer you all to Aristotle, who argues that good presentation of ideas plays off four major rhetorical concerns:  the author creates meaning through a clearly-stated argument, or in these cases, the central point of the short excerpt; the writer also creates meaning through creating a particularly chosen approach to reach out to the perceived audience; through establishing a persona in the voice and credibility of the work that this audience will connect with; and through being conscious of his or her purpose or intent in writing.  Used in reverse, these four terms create what I call the Rhetorical Square, and can be very effective analytic crowbars for prying open how a piece of writing achieves its meaning.  To prove my point, I’d like you to give them a try as you consider your choice of one of these pieces as your topic. 

As you make yourself notes or think about what how you’re going to attack the piece that you choose, consider the points that it seems to be presenting; the style you find in it and how the discussion treats the reader; the type of personality or voice that this writer creates and how all that does or does not affect their messages; and ask yourself about possible reasons why the author is writing the piece he or she has.  (In case you haven’t noticed, these questions address those same four terms again–argument, audience, persona and purpose–thinly disguised!)  Aristotle believed these four categories were interconnected, so don’t be surprised if one train of thought leads to another.

What on the absolute surface does each this piece say?  Is that really what the writer means?  How do you know? 

How does the writer try to appeal to the audience, and do you think it’s a good approach?  Based on tone and his word choice, what kind of attitude does the author seem to have about life and about people?  Is there a sense of humor, a dark tone, or a sense of optimism?  How seriously do we take the writer’s concerns, and can you tell if he or she means for us to take them seriously? (Do we like this person? Do we like the piece, or want to set it on fire?) 

If the writing is in a particular form, what, typically, is that form for, and how does this piece meet this criteria?  Is anything different from what we expect?  Does the form give the writer any benefits?  Why might the author have chosen to write in this form?  Is the piece to simply entertain, or does the writer want us to get up and do something, or just to see things differently, or what?

Your essay needs to make a general statement about the selection’s position, then state your own position: does this make sense? Do you think it’s worthwhile? Note whether or not you the narrative voice is  honest, accurate, or annoying. Also, how well does this form get the writer’s point across.       

Your essay should include a brief summary of the excerpt, and you should consider that your own readers have read this piece, but not recently, and they don’t have it in front of them.  You do not have to explain every single aspect of the selection, but you do need to make sure that you use accurately quoted phrases and specific references when appropriate, so the readers know what you’re referring to.

Once you have set out your intro and offered a summary, the body of your essay will be your own discussion of the concept the writer has raised. Support and develop this essay using evidence and examples drawn only from the writing sample—back your own statements up by showing where the writing of these two pieces led you to form these ideas you have.  If you can’t really pin it down, ask yourself if it’s really there, or if you’re wanting to impose an idea you’ve got onto something that may not support really support it. 

So–when you finish your draft, proofread to see….

If you are writing only an assessment of the writer’s piece, is your thesis clearly helping your readers to know what he or she has written?

If you are focusing more on your own thoughts about the piece, does your thesis address both the writer’s point and yours?

Is the summary of the piece clear enough that readers will understand the excerpt without having it in front of them?

Is the summary concise, and not the main body of your discussion?

Does your essay explain its reasoning thoroughly enough for your readers?  Has your discussion provided good references back to the original text?  New added examples to help explain relevance, or lack of it?

"The Elephant in the Village of the Blind"

Once there was a village high in the mountains in which everyone was born blind. One day a traveler arrived from far away with many fine things to sell and many tales to tell. The villagers asked, “How did you travel so far and so high carrying so much?” The traveler said, “On my elephant.” “What is an elephant?” the villagers asked, having never even heard of such an animal in their remote mountain village. “See for yourself,” the traveler replied.

The elders of the village were a little afraid of the strange-smelling creature that took up so much space in the middle of the village square. They could hear it breathing and munching on hay, and feel its slow, swaying movements disturbing the air around them. First one elder reached out and felt its flapping ear. “An elephant is soft but rough and flexible, like a leather fan.” Another grasped its back leg. “An elephant is a rough, hairy pillar.” An old woman took hold of a tusk and gasped, “An elephant is a cool, smooth staff.” A young girls seized the tail and declared, “An elephant is a fringed rope.” A boy took hold of the trunk and announced, “An elephant is a water pipe.” Soon others were stroking its sides which were furrowed like a dry plowed field, and others determined that its head was an overturned washing tub attached to the water pipe.

At first each villager argued with the others on the definition of the elephant as the traveler watched in silence. Two elders were about to come to blows about a fan that could not possibly be a pillar. Meanwhile the elephant patiently enjoyed the investigations as the cries of curiosity and angry debate mixed in the afternoon sun. Soon someone suggested that a list could be made of all the parts: the elephant had four pillars, one tub, two fans, a water pipe, and two staffs, and was covered in tough, hairy leather or dried mud. Four young mothers, sitting on a bench and comparing impressions, realized that the elephant was in fact an enormous , gentle ox with a stretched nose. The traveler agreed, adding only that it was also a powerful draft horse and that if they bought some of his wares for a good price he would be sure to come that way again in the new year.