One of my favorite things to do as an English tutor is to help an AP English Language student with a rhetorical analysis essay. In this type of writing students are asked to read some sort of rhetorical passage, be it a speech, letter, or persuasive essay, and then write an essay analyzing what the author’s argument is and why it is effective. There are a multitude of reasons why I like working with students on this type of essay. First and foremost is how simple the premise is for a student to grasp, while still allowing them to flex the entirety of their writing and analytical knowledge. I believe this medium is uniquely beneficial in a way that analyzing and writing about fiction cannot match.
Why this type of essay?
Now, I recognize that in the world of high school English what I have said may come across as sacrilege, heresy, and even just flat out wrong. But please allow me to clarify my position: firstly, this is not a recommendation to remove or suppress literature and fiction in any way. Fiction is, of course, a wonderful artistic medium that is extremely important for any high school student to engage with. Furthermore, many techniques and skills used in analyzing fiction are also necessary and useful in analyzing non-fiction. Fiction isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, and I don’t think it should. What I am advocating for is merely the addition of non-fiction into the regular reading diet of the high school student, and not its mere treatment as the red-headed step child of the English curriculum or a reluctant one-off to be completed. It can be a little frustrating when I am helping a student in a rhetoric unit and they have never even discussed the basics of how to make an appeal. Meanwhile, all they are discussing in class in the rhetoric unit is the green light in the Great Gatsby (yes, this is a real thing that has happened). Quite the confusing situation for both students and myself.
What are the benefits of non-fiction?
So– why do I think non-fiction has these unique benefits that fiction does not? Well, for one, because being able to read, analyze, and write about non-fiction spreads beyond the high school classroom in a very tangible way. Regardless of your major in college, you will be asked to read non-fiction and probably write about it too. In your job you will need to convince your coworkers and boss that your position is the correct one to take. It seems almost inconceivable that many students will never practice these skills in the classroom first. Furthermore, non-fiction doesn’t need to be all speeches and academic papers. Some of my favorite pieces of non-fiction are letters and memoirs. These windows into the past are rich with analytical opportunities for any English teacher to sink their teeth into and provide something perhaps more “real” and tangible to the student.
Real World Applications
Additionally, rhetoric and non-fiction are everywhere. Have you ever tried to convince your friend to watch your favorite movie? That’s rhetoric. Have you ever read an academic journal or report? That’s non-fiction. Have you ever read a newspaper opinion article? That’s rhetoric and non-fiction. Because of this, non-fiction can be an intuitive medium for students to grasp and build their skills as writers and speakers. This doesn’t make the exercise simple, however. To master rhetorical analysis, let alone rhetoric itself, is something that takes skill and lots of practice. Any student that has taken AP English Language can tell you that. When analyzing non-fiction, I more often see students’ eyes light up as they realize their own life experiences and knowledge can be applied in a very direct way. It makes them feel like a budding writer, intellectual, expert, or whatever it is that they want to be. That is something invaluable that every educator and student should want to achieve.
