Rhetorical Analysis Essay:
Thesis Statements
With any academic writing that you do, your thesis statement is crucial in keeping your paper
organized and in illustrating your purpose to your reader. After brainstorming and doing the actual
rhetorical analysis of your source, you are ready to write a thesis statement. Choose two to three
appeals (depending on the prompt and what is being asked of you by your professor) for which you
can make the strongest case.
A strong thesis statement for a rhetorical analysis essay…
States what techniques you will be analyzing, and the impact of these techniques on the
effectiveness of the text
Asserts your conclusion and takes a stand on the author’s rhetorical strategies
Serves as a guide to your essay for your reader
Avoids using the first person or phrases like “I believe” or “I think”
Examples of strong thesis statements for a rhetorical analysis:
Jones effectively convinces his audience that a college education improves career opportunities through the
use of statistics and surveys paired with emotional stories.
Although Myers includes many convincing logical arguments through the use of historical facts, her
readers may doubt her objectivity because of her sarcastic tone.
Thompson uses personal stories and tells of his extensive research in the area to make his readers believe
in his credibility. These appeals to ethos, combined with his friendly tone, creates an effective argument
for why college matters.
Note: The above thesis statements all include the original author’s purpose/thesis. Your thesis does not
have to include this as long as it appears in your introduction.
A strong thesis statement for a rhetorical analysis is NOT…
A broad, simple statement of your topic
A statement of facts or statistics
A summary of the author’s essay you are analyzing
A statement of what you’re going to do in the essay
Examples of weak rhetorical analysis thesis statements:
Abortion is a big issue in the United States.
The author claims abortion is a big issue in the United States.
I’m going to examine how this author uses pathos, ethos, and logos to convince his audience.
The author uses pathos, ethos, and logos.
