Essay Four (Analyzing a Visual) Outline

1. Introduction:
a. Hook
b. State what your poster is
c. Describe your poster
d. Thesis
2. Body Paragraph 1 element 1
a. Topic Sentence: States the element, the appeal, and the effect
b. Make sure that you discuss the element objectively initially. Then, explain how this element
functions to make the argument the text (the poster/ad) is making.
c. Support your argument with concrete details from the image, explaining them to specifically
point out features of the text that are vital to your interpretation.
3. Body Paragraph 2 element 2
a. Topic Sentence: States the element, the appeal, and the effect
b. Make sure that you discuss the element objectively initially. Then, explain how this element
functions to make the argument the text (the poster/ad) is making.
c. Support your argument with concrete details from the image, explaining them to specifically
point out features of the text that are vital to your interpretation.
4. Body Paragraph 3 element 3
a. Topic Sentence: States the element, the appeal, and the effect
b. Make sure that you discuss the element objectively initially. Then, explain how this element
functions to make the argument the text (the poster/ad) is making.
c. Support your argument with concrete details from the image, explaining them to specifically
point out features of the text that are vital to your interpretation.
5. Counterargument:
a. Acknowledge other readings of the image or counterarguments to your choice of the significant
visual elements, demonstrating that you are aware of the ways others might view the piece.
b. In other words, one might disagree with your interpretation of the image, or one might argue
that other visual elements than the ones chosen are more significant.
c. This can also be how someone may argue that that a chosen element is actually a different
appeal.
d. Youll want to refute these counterarguments in order to establish that your reading is sound or
that your criteria is valid.
6. Conclusion
a. reinforces your "reading" of the image
b. In the last paragraph, you will want to wrap up your piece and provide an ending that gives
some closure to your essay. You may restate your thesis/arguable claim. You may want to
provide a final thought on the effectiveness of the visual texts argument.
Remember:
7. DO NOT evaluate or summarize the movie.
8. DO NOT discuss the movie/show; your focus is on the analysis of the poster.
9. DO NOT merely describe what is on the poster.
10. DO NOT evaluate the movie or the movie poster. (You should not describe if this movie poster is
excellent or if the movie was a great one to see.)

11. DO NOT use outside sources for this essay. This essay should be your own original thoughts and indepth analysis.

Common Pitfalls of Essay #4Analyzing Visual Arguments

1. Do not determine or state whether the visual is a good/bad argument. You are to analyze it for its
rhetorical strategyhow the author uses certain elements to reinforce logos, ethos, or pathosnot
its effectiveness.
2. Be sure to include thorough description of your visual argument (in your introduction) so that the
reader can tell it apart from other images that have similar features.
3. Be sure to be specific when providing support for your analysis. For example, if you say that the
author uses color to reinforce pathos, you should explain what color and how that color evokes
emotion. In short, you must present evidence from the visual to support your claims. The criteria
listed on your assignment sheet, the PowerPoint presentations, and the SMG textbook are the
categories of evidence.
4. Be sure your thesis statement lists three criteria, at least two rhetorical appeals, and the claim you
believe your visual argument is making.
5. Be sure to represent a counterargument (CA). Also, be sure it counters your thesis statement. So if
part of your claim is that the author uses the color pink to reinforce ethos, the counterargument
could interpret the color pink to reinforce pathos.
6. Lead body paragraphs with topic sentences that can relate directly back to your thesis statement.

Adapted from: ENG 6020-

Criteria for Analyzing Visuals

Composition:

Visual elements
Focal point - vectors of attention
Perspective - framing (places viewer in a particular perspective)
Color the color chosen for the poster

People/Characters/Human Figures
Characteristics - age, gender, subculture, ethnicity, profession, level of attractiveness,
socioeconomic class
Eyes - who is looking at whom? Why?
Facial expressions, body language power relationships/attitudes?

Scene/setting - lighting, staging, costumes and make-up, setting (props and objects,
backgrounds)
Implication of time (before and after?)
On-screen and off-screen space

Text
Logos Does the image explain the text, or does the text explain the image? Is
the connection between them less obvious?
Do the words or phrases rely on previous knowledge (contexts)?
Why has the particular font been chosen? What does it attempt to convey about
the author or audience?

Contexts:

Rhetorical Context
Purpose
Audience (specific)
Medium/Physical context

Social Context
What social/historical/cultural knowledge is required or implied by the piece?
Intertextual references?
Argumentative strategies? - Visual accumulation, analogy, symbolism

Body paragraph break down:

Topic sentence: State what the element you will be analyzing is.
Describe why that elements is important (do this first in general terms, so why is color important in movie
posters and what can color tell you about a poster, why is text important and what can it tell you, why are
facial expressions important, etc.), then describe the element in its relation to your poster and say why that
element is essential to your movie poster, and discuss what the element does in your poster. After that
discuss how it connects the appeal (ethos/pathos/logos). Finally, discuss how this element conveys the
overall message of the poster and why its important for the argument.
Again, make sure you are focusing on analyzing the visual element in the poster. Dont evaluate the poster
or the element (if you are picking it as one of the main elements of the poster, if must be an affective
element) and dont reference anything that happens in the movie or TV show.

(Youll want to include the appeals)

Thesis:
o Through this ad Condom Shop is promoting safe sex through protection by using text, composition, and sub
text.
TS 1:
o The text in an ad is what tells the viewer exactly what the ads about and what it is promoting which in this
case its promoting safe sex.
TS 2:
o Text is very important in an ad but the composition or way things are positioned in an ad shows the focal
points and also shows the underlying meaning of protection.
TS 3:
o The composition in an ad really helps describe the meaning of an ad but there is sometimes underlying
messages throughout ads. This is also known as the subtext of the ad.

CA:
o Although this ad is for condoms and protecting yourself with them, someone else could view this another
way. Someone else could look at this ad and think it is an ad about not having sex at all and staying
abstinent. The background of this ad makes it seem like they are in a dangerous place (My Comment:
would explain why this is the case). It also looks like they may be hiding behind the wall because its
just to dangerous to go out there. Even though the other three men in the picture are well protected they are
still hiding behind the wall. The ad is also kind of dark and gloomy which could also lead people to think
that sex is bad and that the best way is to just not have sex at all.

Refutation:
o Even though this is another way the ad can be viewed, it is clearly an ad about safe sex because of the main
fact that it is a condom ad and you dont make an ad to tell people not to use a condom at all when thats
what your selling. By the ads usage text, composition, and sub text you can see that the clear message is safe
sex.

(Youll want to include the appeal as well)

Thesis:
o Nike is using their advertisement ad to draw their audience to play basketball with their text, the scenery,
and the athlete within the ad.
TS 1:
o The first way to display that the ad is promoting its audience to play basketball is by looking at the text in
the ad.
TS 2:
o The scenery is another element that shows how Nike wants their audience to continue to play basketball.
TS 3:
o The way Nike is attempting to get their audience to play basketball in this ad is by using a non-celebrity as
the star of this ad.
CA:
o As certain readers see this ad as helping the athlete; other readers may see this ad as Nike trying to promote
their product regardless of the NBA lockout. Readers may see the athletes clothing as a way for Nike to
promote their new products. This maybe an opinion because the reader sees the light shinning down on the
athlete; which then exposes the clothing on the guy more.
Refutation:
o However when looking at the ad closely, the reader will see that the Nike logos on the guys clothing is hard
identifying because its not about the clothing. Nike could have made it visible on the non celebrity, but
Nike didnt because its not about the brand; its about drawing the audience in to play basketball.

CA must:
o Be legit/make sense (cant say that Les Mis poster is trying to argue the movie will be a comedy)
o Be well developed (not just a sentence or two)
o Be well conceived (shows you put thought into a different argument)
o Be introduced, include an example/evidence, explain this evidence
o Be specific

Refutation must:
o Respond directly to CA
o Support thesis
o Not repeat the same information already in the paper
o Be specific

Thesis:
Through the characters facial expressions, its text, and its inclusion of a ship bisecting its subjects, this
poster blends ethos and pathos to achieve the feelings of drama, sadness, and defeat.

TS 1:
The characters facial expressions use pathos to help convey a feeling of sadness.
TS 2:
The text uses ethos to illustrate that this movie will be a drama.
TS 3:
This posters inclusion of a ship bisecting its subjects illustrates pathos.

CA: While this analysis focuses on the use of the ship bisecting its subjects as an example of the posters use of
pathos, another viewer could argue that this image actually evokes logos. This is a possible interpretation of this
advertisement. It could be said that the ship bisecting the two characters invokes logos because it requires the
audience to have former knowledge of the historical event of the sinking of the titanic. Without that understanding,
it would be impossible to know that it is the ship that will come between this couple and be what leads to them
becoming separated.

Refutation: Seeing the posters use of the image in this manner does seem plausible, however, there is one major
flaw to viewing the appeal of this element as logos over pathos. If it is logos, then everyone who sees the poster
would have to have knowledge of the Titanic, but since this event happened over one hundred years ago, this is not a
fact that should be assumed. Therefore, it is more logical to see this as pathos because then you only have to know
what something will come between this couple, and it is not relevant that it is the actual ship that will do so.
Viewing this element as pathos makes it applicable to everyone who views the poster, not just those with former
knowledge of the event.

Create a CA and refutation supporting the idea that the text in this poster uses logos and not ethos:

Student Examples from in-class counterargument/refutation activity:

Counterargument: Ethos is meant to make a poster look and say what the audience expects it to, this could
be accomplished by the use of text, but in this particular poster the text is used more as an appeal to logos.
The biggest piece of text on the poster is the title of the movie, "Titanic". As this movie was made in 1997
and the actual ship sunk in 1912, the sinking of the Titanic should be a well known historical event. In this
aspect, the poster is not calling upon its genre to inform the viewer of would should happen, it is calling
upon the knowledge of past events as the viewer should already know about the demise of the Titanic.
Refutation: Although the text for the title of the movie uses the appeal to logos to use to the viewer's
former knowledge to inform them of the movie's plot, the underlying text could be used as ethos. It uses
the director to emphasize that the movie will be good if the viewers thought the other movies that this
director made were good.

My Comment: I would just add one or two more sentences here about how based on
the director, the viewer would know to expect a drama, and also bring in the actors
names.

Counterargument Even though this poster does use some ethos and pathos, logos could be more heavily
present in the poster. The reader picks up on the idea that logos conveys sadness when they read the text
on the poster. The title "Titanic" is the main centerpiece of the poster. With the Titanic being a very well
known historical ship, when the audience sees the title "Titanic" many would be able to infer that the ship
is going to sink and there will be sadness based off of that previous historical knowledge.
Refutation: While the idea of logos being a main point of the poster is very relevant, ethos and pathos still
do a better job of portraying the ideas in the poster. This is because even though most people are aware of
the "Titanic," many may be unaware and therefore making the title irrelevant to them. Ethos and Pathos
can appeal to all people regardless of prior knowledge when they simply view the poster and its
components to give them feelings of drama, sadness, and defeat.

My Comment: The only thing to add to this one would be a specific example of how
the text could be pathos or ethos-it will be easer if you pick one appeal instead of
both
Counterargument: This analysis describes the text as being a use of ethos in the poster, other viewers may
feel the posters text uses logos instead. The title Titanic uses logos because the event it was involved in is
one that most people have some kind of prior knowledge about. The sinking of the titanic is an emotional
event for anyone who knows about it and thus the viewers know from the poster that the movie will not
be a comedy. The quote used above the paragraph also uses logos because even though it states nothing
on earth could come between them the viewers know that most of the people that were on the ship died.
Refutation: The argument that the text could be logos could be valid, however, there is a flaw in using
logos instead of ethos. Seeing as there are still a wide variety of viewers who have not learned about the
titanic it seems more logical for it to be ethos. The viewers who do not have previous knowledge of the
titanic cannot relate to the poster on an emotional level leaving other elements such as ethos to be applied
to interest the viewers, such as using the actors names of Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet because
they are both established as stars. The actors gain the appeal of the viewers who like either of the actors
because they know that there other movies were good and thus this movie must be good as well.

Worksheet Addressing Common Issues in E4:

Student Name
Instructor Name
GSW 1110
3 November 2014 (no punctuation)
Fun Title

Fig. 1 Orphan Black poster.

Works Cited
(Movie/TV show/image). Digital image. Website where you found image. N.p., n.d. (unless theres a date listed for
when the image was published). Web. 28 Oct. 2014. Image URL
Orphan Black. Digital Image. TVLine.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Oct. 2014. http://tvline.com/2014/03/21/orphan-blackseason-2-photos-posters-sarah-rachel-alison-cosima/

Avoid we
Instead of we can see the blue in the image say the viewer can see the blue in the image
Instead of therefore, we know the dark background symbolizes doom write therefore, the viewer knows
the dark background symbolizes doom
Movie and TV titles should always be in italics

Poster should take up no more than of a page

In a title or a subtitle, capitalize the first word, the last word, and all principal words, including those that
follow hyphens in compound terms. Therefore, capitalize the following parts of speech:

Nouns (e.g., flowers and Europe, as in The Flowers of Europe)

Pronouns (e.g., our, as in Save Our Children; that, as in The Mouse That Roared)
Verbs (e.g., watches, as in America Watches Television: is, as in What Is Literature?)
Adjectives (e.g., ugly, as in The Ugly Duckling: that, as in Who Said That Phrase?)
Adverbs (e.g., slightly, as in Only Slightly Corrupt: down, as in Go Down, Moses)
Subordinating conjunctions (e.g., after, although, as if, as soon as, because, before, if, that, unless, until, when,
where, while, as in One If by Land and Anywhere That Chance Leads)
Do not capitalize the following parts of speech when they fall in the middle of a title:
Articles (a. an. the, as in Under the Bamboo Tree)
Prepositions (e.g., against, between, in, of, to, as in The Merchant of Venice and A Dialogue between the Soul
and Body
Coordinating conjunctions (and, but, for, nor, or, so, yet, as in Romeo and Juliet)
The to in infinitives (as in How to Play Chess)

Questions to ask while revising body paragraphs (I is in the question, but make sure you arent
using it in your paragraphs):
o Does the topic sentence focus on the element/criteria being analyzed in the paragraph?

Do I also mention the appeal in the topic sentence?

o Do I include a specific example of this element? What is it?

Do I clearly describe this example in detail?
What is this element conveying/saying? Do I clearly describe it?
How and why is this element conveying this feeling/message?
o Do I clearly describe another example of this element?
Repeat the same questions for each example of the element in the paragraph

Repeat this process with each body paragraph