Humanities Homework Help

“Maybe [They’re] Crazy:”

Madness, Manifestos and Rhetorical Analysis

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This unit is comprised of a collection of texts designed to make social interventions. The authors of these texts were accused of being “mad” (Charlotte Perkins Gilman and Malcolm X) during their lifetimes. The goal of this unit is to conduct close rhetorical analysis to interpret how their rhetorical strategies relate to the purposes of their texts. For Charlotte Perkins Gilman and Malcolm X’s texts, you will additionally evaluate the effectiveness of their rhetorical strategies.

UNIT TEXTS

• Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” (1892)
• Malcolm X’s “The Ballot or the Bullet” (1964) 

PROMPT

For ONE of the above texts, select 1-2 rhetorical strategies that the author employs. Create an argument that interprets how that strategy or strategies serve the author’s purpose. If you select Perkins Gilman’s short story or Malcolm X’s speech, please additionally evaluate the effectiveness of the rhetorical strategy or strategies you identify.