Visual Analysis Essay Assignment After you have chosen your Visual and article,

Visual Analysis Essay Assignment
After you have chosen your Visual and article, it is time to come up with an essay plan. Read the
following suggested pre-writing and organization of your analysis. This would be a step before
you begin drafting your essay. You will not be submitting this outline. This is simply
demonstrating what your visual analysis should contain.
Suggested Organization of Visual Analysis Essay
I. Introduction (1 paragraph) – should contain a hook (attention-grabber), set the context for the
essay, and contain your thesis statement (described below).
a. Thesis statement: State what image is being analyzed and what your overall claim is
about it. The thesis should make a claim about the image such as whether they are effective or
ineffective at communicating their message.
II. Explain the Rhetorical Situation of both images: (1 paragraph) Begin by discussing what
is being advertised or displayed, who made it (company, artist, writer, etc.), who is the target
audience, where and when the image was published and shared, and where the image was made
(country).
III. Description of image (2-3 paragraphs). Discuss the image in full detail, providing the
following details about it:
a. Describe what appears in the image. Be as detailed as possible.
b. Discuss the primary color choice used and what mood these colors create.
c. Explain the overall layout and organization of each image.
d. Discuss the use of wording in the visual image. What font is used, what color, and size
is the font.
e. Explain what the message in the visual actually says and what this message
means/indicates/asks of viewers and readers.
F. Discuss any other relevant information you think is noteworthy.
IV. Discussion and Evaluation (2-4 paragraphs) – Synthesizing your findings, and analyze what
you think the smaller details accomplish. Implement your article to support your evaluation about
the message of the visual.
a. Discuss if the image appeals to ethos (credibility), pathos (emotion), or logos (logic)
and provide evidence to back up your claim.
b. Discuss what sociological, political, economic or cultural attitudes are indirectly
reflected in the images. Back up your claims with evidence. An advertisement may
be about a pair of blue jeans but it might, indirectly, reflect such matters as sexism,
alienation, stereotyped thinking, conformism, generational conflict, loneliness,
elitism, and so on. This is where your article can be introduced and implemented.
c. Assert what claims are being made by the image. Consider the reasons which
support that claim: reasons about the nature of the visual’s product or service,
reasons about those responsible for that product or service, and reasons which
appeal to the audience’s values, beliefs, or desires.
V. Conclusion (1 paragraph) – should contain both a recap of your response, as well as a closing
statement in regards to your overall response to the chosen essay. Include a conclusion that reviews
the messages the images make and offer a conclusion that combines the results of your findings and
why they matter.
Drafting/Research Strategies:
To write a visual analysis, you must look closely at a visual object—and translate your visual
observations into written text. However, a visual analysis does not simply record your observations.
It also makes a claim about the image (your thesis statement). You will describe the images in detail
and then offer an analysis of what the images communicate at the surface level. You will also
highlight any implicit messages that the images communicate. You should begin by taking detailed
notes about the image. Review every component of each image. Be precise. Consider the
composition, colors, textures, size, space, and other visual and material attributes of the image. Go
beyond your first impressions. This should take some time—allow your eye to absorb the image.
Making a sketch of the work can help you understand its visual logic.
I. Introduction
– Briefly explain what book banning is and why it is an important issue to address.
– Provide an overview of the argumentative essay against book banning.
II. Violation of fundamental rights
– Explain how book banning violates our fundamental right to knowledge and expression.
– Provide examples of historical book bans and their negative impacts.
III. Negative impact on critical thinking skills
– Discuss how book banning affects students’ critical thinking skills.
– Explain how exposure to diverse perspectives and controversial ideas is necessary for intellectual growth.
IV. Denial of individual opportunity
– Explain how book banning denies individuals the opportunity to form their own opinions and diverse perspectives.
– Discuss how book banning can limit intellectual curiosity and stifle creativity.
V. Counterarguments
– Address potential counterarguments to the essay’s thesis.
– Provide evidence and reasoning to refute opposing viewpoints.
VI. Conclusion
– Restate the thesis and summarize the main arguments made in the essay.
– Emphasize the importance of protecting our fundamental right to knowledge and expression by opposing book banning.
Research Plan:
1. Conduct thorough research on book banning and its effects on education and intellectual freedom.
2. Collect historical examples of book bans and their negative impacts on society.
3. Analyze the extent to which book banning violates our fundamental right to knowledge and expression.
4. Identify the ways in which book banning can limit intellectual curiosity and stifle creativity.
5. Consider potential counterarguments to the essay’s thesis and gather evidence to refute them.
6. Organize your research into a structured essay, with clear introduction, body, and conclusion.
7. Emphasize the importance of protecting our fundamental right to knowledge and expression in your conclusion.