A proposal is a polished “brainstorm” of ideas. It’s an opportunity to “propose” your essay focus for feedback from peers and your instructor. I recommend typing your proposal as a Word document and then pasting it into the text box of your post. For your proposal, respond to the following questions. You are welcome to respond to each question in the manner that best supports your brainstorming — you may write your responses in a paragraph format OR you may make a bulleted list.

1). What is the contemporary common concern, or topic, that you have decided to focus on? Explain the contextual situation. How does it demonstrate kairos (timeliness)? Why did you choose to focus on this particular topic?

2). Introduce and summarize the rhetorical situation plus argument for Text 1. Address the following:

• Title, genre, and author (include context for the author – make sure that you have Googled him/her);
• Purpose
• Major Claim
• Audience (to identify the audience, assess the publication that the text was originally printed in as well as the evidence that the author includes).
• Explore at least one significant rhetorical strategy that the text uses to appeal to the intended audience — identify the rhetorical strategy, share textual evidence to demonstrate how this strategy is being used, describe why the strategy is being used and what purpose it accomplishes (i.e. does it appeal to emotion, or logic and/or does it help the author to develop a credible ethos?), and finally discuss how the strategy helps the writer/speaker to develop and support the argument.
• Include the link to Text 1.

3). Introduce and summarize the rhetorical situation plus argument for Text 2. Address the following:

• Title, genre, and author (include context for the author – make sure that you have Googled him/her);
• Purpose
• Major Claim
• Audience (to identify the audience, assess the publication that the text was originally printed in as well as the evidence that the author includes).
• Explore at least one significant rhetorical strategy that the text uses to appeal to the intended audience — identify the rhetorical strategy, share textual evidence to demonstrate how this strategy is being used, describe why the strategy is being used and what purpose it accomplishes (i.e. does it appeal to emotion, or logic and/or does it help the author to develop a credible ethos?), and finally discuss how the strategy helps the writer/speaker to develop and support the argument.
• Include the link to Text 2.

4). What is the relationship between your texts in regards to the contemporary common concern/topic? How are they similar….different? At this point, does one of the texts make a more persuasive/compelling argument in lieu of the intended audience?