Rhetorical Exercise Two: Stasis Write a response to an argumentative magazine article on a topic that you might be interested in researching and writing on for your term paper. The Atlantic, The New Yorker, and The Walrus are all good places to start looking. Your paper should do the following: Summary : Write a concise summary of what the article is about and its central argument (thesis). This is harder than it sounds, because you need to cut to the core to keep this within the word count (remember that the “sum” in summary is Latin for “being” or “essence.” What is the essence of the article?). Be sure to include an MLA citation for the article you find and format it at the beginning of your article, just above the summary. Analysis: Use stasis theory to map the main argument and supporting arguments of your article. Show how these arguments relate to each other and their relative positions of stasis. Be sure to attend to the following: What is the article's main argument? At what level of stasis is the article’s main argument? Practical or Theoretical?? Conjecture, Definition, Quality, Policy? Give examples of sub-arguments that support the main argument At what level of stasis are those supporting arguments? What's the significance of constructing the argument this way? Why does it matter that the argument resides at the levels of stasis that you indicate? Reflection ):? Briefly reflect on how the rhetorical insights that you’ve gleaned from the article might help direct your approach to your project. What are some things that you want to keep in mind as you start working to craft determine the point of stasis for your project and how you want to present it?
