Download Analyzing Essay Writing: Fridman's 'America Needs its Nerds' - Error Identification and more Study Guides, Projects, Research Strategic Management in PDF only on Docsity! “America Needs its Nerds” Common Errors What is the prompt asking you to do? Write an essay in which you analyze how Fridman develops his argument. • Not just analyze rhetorical devices but how he develops his argument. • Identify his argument and remember he is arguing for a specific purpose • Don’t summarize. Argument VS Analysis • Argument: You analyze the effectiveness of the author’s ideas; in essence, you defend or refute what he/she is saying; this deals strictly with the ideas conveyed by the author • Analysis: You DO NOT offer any insight into whether or not you agree/disagree with the author; instead, you merely analyze HOW he made his argument (tone, comparisons, juxtapositions, rhetorical questions, shifts in diction, sentence structure, etc.) and why he chose to make it that way. Content Errors • Don’t slip into summary. Your job is to analyze how Fridman develops his argument – not to evaluate, make a judgment, or agree/disagree with the topic and not to tell the reader what the essay was about. • Be careful that you are not summarizing the complexity of an author’s ideas and assuming this is analysis; you must address specific devices and techniques. • Avoid talking about “effects on the reader;” instead think about the audience, specifically the intended audience Content Errors • Your job in an analysis is to always look at rhetorical devices. • Don’t state that he uses rhetorical devices to create his argument; just go right to analyzing: Fridman begins his essay by… • Discuss Rhetorical Strategies (NOT Literary Devices) • Some Rhetorical Strategies in this essay: • Comparison, Definition, Cause/Effect, Rhetorical Questions, Exemplification • Don’t just rely on the obvious ones (pathos/logos/ethos) • NOTE: Literary devices are used to analyze literature; rhetorical strategies are used to analyze informational text Content Errors: List of Don’ts • Don’t put in your opinion of the topic or what the author has written (DON’T EVER DO THIS!) • Don’t repeat the entire definition he gave for geeks. Instead, refer to it, but more importantly, explain WHY is he using this definition – what is he trying to do? • Don’t just list examples; explain how they develop his argument. • In reverse, don’t just tell without citing evidence. Content Errors: WHY? • Starts out with a definition of geek which exemplifies his opening statement for discrimination again intellectuals. WHY? • Uses Harvard, our most prestigious institution, as an example of anti-intellectualism. WHY? • Shows that America’s values as backward to other developing nations including Asia. WHY? • Expands to the social ostracizing of intellectuals from childhood. WHY? Content Errors • Explain quotes. Do not end a paragraph with a quote as you have not provided sufficient explanation. • Quotes need to be explained in a minimum of two sentences. Neither of those sentences should restate what you said in the quote. Stylistic Errors: Pronouns • Provide clear pronoun references: • The text states that… • <NOT> In the text, it states that… • Avoid the use of first and second person pronouns in academic writing. First person pronouns are acceptable only when using them anecdotally. • Sample from a student paper: “When you read this, I picture a nerd.” Stylistic Errors • Don’t tell us what he means or what he is trying to do. This is summary. • Avoid these: • He means that… • He is trying to tell readers that… Stylistic Errors • Thesis must be a statement – never a question. • Make sure that you get the punctuation for the title of the piece correct, especially if it is already punctuated for you in the prompt!
