Exercise #1: Rhetorical Summary
After reading the essay by Orenstein, “I Tweet, Therefore I Am” you will write a rhetorical summary for this essay. A rhetorical summary is not a recap of the essay. Rather, your rhetorical summary should include the author, title of the work, present the major claims of the essay, and consider the author’s intended audience and purpose. This assignment should demonstrate that you are exploring the larger implications of the ideas. For example, what does the text say that others may not be aware of? The rhetorical summary should be 150-175 words (minimum) for each essay. The summary also is to be in MLA format. See RFW, pg. 410 and look at the summary example posted on Moodle.
In writing a rhetorical summary, ask yourself the following questions:
Also, remember a summary should have the following elements as well (see RFW):
A summary restates the main idea of a text in concise terms.
Much shorter than the original
Use your own words and phrasing
You can use an author’s distinctive words or phrases, but do so with proper citations Be objective in presenting the author’s main points. Do NOT include your opinion of those ideas.