AP Language and Composition

Study Session Notes

Rhetorical Analysis Essay
 Presenter Notes
• In order to write an effective essay, students must
clearly understand the task given in the prompt.
• Often the College Board will include information
that will help students determine the author’s
purpose and the intended audience.
• Students should be encouraged to include prior
knowledge from AP US History, documentaries,
and personal reading.
 Step One: Understanding the Prompt
Read the prompt and answer questions #1-4

Benjamin Banneker, the son of former slaves, was a

farmer, astronomer, mathematician, surveyor, and
author. In 1791 he wrote to Thomas Jefferson,
framer of the Declaration of Independence and
secretary of state to President George Washington.
Read the following excerpt from the letter and
write an essay that analyzes how Banneker uses
rhetorical strategies to argue against slavery.
 Step One: Understanding the Prompt
1. Who was Benjamin Banneker? From the information
given in the prompt, what inferences can we make
about him? What prior knowledge do you have of
Banneker?
• The “son of former slaves” should indicate to
students that Banneker was not a slave.
• His accomplishments in astronomy, mathematics,
and surveying indicate that he was an intelligent
and accomplished African American.
• Students should be encouraged to share any
additional knowledge of Banneker, who owned a
tobacco farm.
 Step One: Understanding the Prompt
2. Who was his intended audience? What inferences can we
make about the connection between Banneker and his
audience?
• The letter is to Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of State.
• Students should realize that this was after Jefferson had
penned the Declaration of Independence, but before he
became the third President of the United States (1801-1809).
• Banneker is therefore very respectful of Jefferson’s position
and authority in the first two paragraphs, yet bold enough to
point out that Jefferson “should be found guilty of that
criminal act” for his participation in slavery.
• While Jefferson supported the end of slave trade, he was a
slave owner himself and very aware of the economic influence
that abolition would have on plantation owners.
 Step One: Understanding the Prompt

3. What is the historical significance of the year in

which the letter was written?
• In 1791, the United States had only been free
from British rule for a short time.
• The Declaration of Independence was signed on
July 4, 1776, but the Treaty of Paris ending the
American Revolution was signed in 1783.
• African Americans, both free and slaves, had
fought on the side of the Americans and British
during this war.
 Step One: Understanding the Prompt
4. In your own words, complete this statement…
I am going to write an essay that:
explains how Banneker uses rhetorical devices to
show Thomas Jefferson that he should help end
slavery.
 Step Two: Reading and Annotating the Passage
• Read the passage to determine if there is a pattern
to the author’s word choice.
• Is the diction particularly positive or negative?
• Which words have certain connotations for the
intended audience?
• Are any words repeated throughout the passage?
• What is the overall effect of the author’s word
choice?
• Would the author have chosen different words for
a different audience?
 Step Two: Reading and Annotating the Passage
Diction or Detail?
• Many times readers confuse the terms diction and
detail.
• The distinction is in the number of words.
• Diction refers to one specific emotionally charged
word that has meaning beyond the text.
• A detail is a phrase of two or more words that
provide description or facts for the reader.
• Details can also contain connotative diction for an
emotional appeal.
 Step Two: Reading and Annotating the Passage

Diction Associated with Slavery

Negative (-) Positive(+)
Paragraph 1 Tyranny , unavailable grateful, freedom
servitude, exposed miraculous, tranquility
dangers, reduce providential, mercifully
conflict, inability preservation, blessing

Paragraph 2 injustice, apprehensions true, valuable,

horrors life, liberty
abhorrence (disgust) worthy,
happiness,
endowed
 Step Two: Reading and Annotating the Passage

Details Associated with Slavery

Negative (-) Positive(+)

Paragraph 3 “detested in others” “tender feelings”

“criminal act” “proper ideas”
“found guilty” “valuation of liberty”
“fraud and violence” “equal and impartial
“under groaning captivity” distribution”
“cruel oppression”
 Determining Tone
Analyze Banneker’s pattern of diction and details
to determine the author’s tone, and then complete
the sentence below.

The negative diction and details clearly show that Banneker is that
indignant _________,
Banneker is _________, disdainful and _______concerning
furious the
issue of slavery, while the positive diction and details show
______________________,
his compassionate feelings ____________________,
his ecstatic hopefulness and
_________________________
his sublime and spiritual views concerning the need to end slavery.
 Meaning, Purpose, Effect?
• Before you write an effective essay, you must first
clearly understand the meaning (content) of the
text and the purpose of the text concerning the
writer’s intended audience.
• Your assignment is not to write a paper that
identifies rhetorical devices, but to write a paper
that explains why the writer uses certain
rhetorical devices and how these devices affect
the meaning of the text.
 Meaning, Purpose, Effect?
Paragraph One
• The words “you cannot but”(lines 9 and 11) show
that Banneker believes that Jefferson has only
one logical conclusion after he “recalls,” “ looks
back,” and “reflects.”
1. Banneker’s conclusion is that:
• Jefferson must be grateful that
he is no longer under the tyranny of the British.
• Jefferson must acknowledge his freedom is
a blessing from heaven.
 Meaning, Purpose, Effect?
Paragraph One
2. What does Banneker accomplish with respect to
his audience in paragraph one?
• Banneker implies to Jefferson that there is a
similar situation between how the American
colonists were treated under the tyranny of the
British and how African Americans are being
treated by white American colonists.
• He also implies with phrases like “providential
preservation” and “mercifully received” that the
liberty Jefferson enjoys is a gift from God.
 Meaning, Purpose, Effect?
Paragraph Two
1. What words does Banneker quote in paragraph two?
Words from the Declaration of Independence

2. When were these words written?

1776

3. Why is this significant?

Jefferson wrote these words 15 years before, yet he has not indicated by his
actions or his political influence that he truly believes “all men are created equal.”

4. What does Banneker accomplish with respect to his audience in paragraph two?
Banneker again reminds Jefferson of the “horrors” and “injustice” of British
tyranny. He then flatters Jefferson for writing the “true and valuable” beliefs in the
Declaration of Independence. The phrase “that you publickly held forth” sets the
stage for Banneker’s upcoming rebuke in paragraph three.
 Meaning, Purpose, Effect?
Paragraph Two
Use the fill-in-the-blank activity to summarize
paragraph two.
Mr. Jefferson, you obviously understood the
injustice of slavery. You found slavery so
_______
detestable that you declared _______
_________ publicly your belief
that “All _____
men are created _____
equal and should
have the right to ___,
life ______,
liberty and the ______
pursuit of
happiness.
 Meaning, Purpose, Effect?
Paragraph Three
To help you with a close reading of paragraph three, answer the
following questions.
1. What would an appropriate synonym be for tender as used in line
26?
compassionate
2. Yourselves in line 27 is a plural reflexive pronoun. To whom could
it refer?
Jefferson and the other political leaders of the time, the American
colonists, the writers of the Declaration, Jefferson and other white
Americans.  
3. What is the subject for the verb had engaged in line 27?
  Time
 
 Meaning, Purpose, Effect?
Paragraph Three
To help you with a close reading of paragraph three, answer the following questions. 
 
4. Thus means “in the way just indicated.” What does the phrase thus to declare
(line27) refer to?
  This statement relates to the previous paragraph where Banneker quoted Jefferson’s
words from the Declaration so independence. Banneker reminds Jefferson again of
his own words and tells Jefferson that “then” he had the “proper ideas.”

5. You can be either a singular or plural pronoun. If the pronoun is singular in line 30,
to whom could it refer? If it is plural, to whom could it refer?
  Jefferson (singular) / All white Americans (plural)

6. What did Banneker mean by “entitled by nature”(line 31)?

  Because Jefferson was born white, he had privileges.
 
 Meaning, Purpose, Effect?
Paragraph Three
To help you with a close reading of paragraph three, answer the
following questions. 
 
7. Re-write this sentence in normal word order:“…sir, how pitiable is it to
reflect…”
  It is how pitiable to reflect
8. Line 31-41 contain three dependent clauses introduced by the word
that. List them.
  You were convinced, you should counteract, you should be found guilty.
9. In lines 32-35, of what was Jefferson convinced?
  That in his kindness God had given all men the same rights and
privileges.
 
 Meaning, Purpose, Effect?
Paragraph Three
To help you with a close reading of paragraph three, answer the following
questions. 
10. According to Banneker, how did Jefferson counteract God’s mercies (line 36)?
  If Jefferson truly believed that all men were created equal, then he would use
his political influence to abolish slavery
11. According to Banneker, what “criminal act” has Jefferson committed (line
40)?
  Jefferson watched as Banneker’s “brethren” were kept in slavery. He could also
be referring to the fact that Jefferson himself owned slaves.
12. What does Banneker accomplish with respect to his audience in paragraph
three?
In the beginning of paragraph three, Banneker is still very flattering to
Jefferson and compliments his “proper ideas” about the value of freedom.
However, Banneker’s tone shifts. In essence, he tells Jefferson he should be
ashamed of himself for believing one way and behaving another.
 Rhetorical Devices and Strategies
• Often the words rhetorical devices and rhetorical
strategies are used interchangeably.
• However, usually devices refer to the literary
terms associated with rhetoric like anaphora,
hyperbole, metaphor, etc.
• Rhetorical strategies are the persuasive
techniques that a writer uses to craft his
argument like ethical, logical, or emotional
appeals.
 Rhetorical Devices and Strategies
Rhetorical Device Rhetorical Strategy Explanation of Effect
Repetition of “sir” To create an The repetition of “Sir” shows Banneker’s respect
_______ appeal for Jefferson’s position and his political influence.
 
Think ETHOS This politeness is necessary to offset the
harshness of his words in paragraph 3.
Repetition of To create an The repetition of “time” reminds Jefferson of a
“time” _______ appeal period in recent history when although he was a
 
Think LOGOS free man, he felt himself under bondage to
British rule. It is a logical argument to remind
Jefferson of a personal experience similar to
Banneker’s cause.
Biblical diction To create an The use of Biblical diction establishes a common
_______ appeal belief that Banneker and Jefferson share. His
  reference to “the Father of mankind” implies both
Think PATHOS
are children of the same heavenly father and as
such should have the same entitlements. By
showing that he believes in the “blessing of
heaven,” he furthers an emotional appeal to
Jefferson’s Christian charity.