For essay #2, students will write an analysis of a visual argument. In this analysis, students will examine how visual, verbal, and possibly audio, elements work together to create either an effective or ineffective argument.

Resources:

All readings under the Visual Analysis heading in the genres index in your Norton Reader

Model Essays:

Goals:

• Examine logos, pathos, and ethos
• Examine the potential persuasive power of the visuals we engage with everyday
• Examine the importance of audience consideration when creating texts, visual or written
• Review strategies for writing clearly and descriptively
• Review strategies for stating conclusions and supporting those conclusions with evidence
• Review basic documentation guidelines

Options for Visual Analysis:

• Choose an advertisement photo (something you’d find in a magazine, billboard, newspaper, webpage)
• Choose a documentary/journalism photo.
  • (some of this is behind a paywall, but not all)
  • https://thephotosociety.org/
• Choose a commercial (t.v., youtube ad)
• Or choose a artwork or sculpture that is not abstract in nature

A Tip:

Isolate images that catch your attention. Choose an image that is compelling to you. An image that enrages, excites, motivates, catches you off guard, or that makes you think will be easier to analyze. The images you choose can be current or they can be historical.

Keep in mind the purpose of a visual analysis is not to comment on whether or not you agree with or disagree with, like or dislike what the image is saying. Instead, your goal is to analyze how the visual creates meaning and how well (or not well) the visual’s argument works.

Strategies (these are suggestions; if you can think of another approach, go for it!)

• Examine one image and comment on it
• Analyze two photographs of an event from magazines with different political biases; two news photographs from articles addressing the same story from different angles of visions; or two images on Websites presenting different perspectives on a recent issues of public interest.
• Examine two different ads (print or commercial) that sell essentially the same product but that are clearly targeting different audiences.

Basic Essay Requirements: 

• All essays should discuss logos, pathos, ethos
• All essays should describe the visual, verbal, and if applicable, audio elements of the image
• All essays will consider the image’s strengths and weaknesses and comment on overall effectiveness of the image in achieving its persuasive goals.

Nuts-and-bolts:

• Length: 800 – 1200 words (3 to 5 pages for point of reference)
• In-text citations and Works Cited page required
• 12 Point, Tacoma or other sans serif font
• Double space the document

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