1. Rhetorical Analysis 2. Develop a thesis and one supporting paragraph using the MEAL concept. everything needed is attache.

Developing Support in an Analysis Essay

LESSON
As with any essay, an analysis essay will have an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. All body paragraphs should include the same elements: a topic sentence, major supporting details and minor supporting details, and a concluding statement. However, when you create a paragraph in an essay, you need to make sure that it works not only on its own but also in the context of an entire essay. It needs to both support the thesis and work with the other supporting paragraphs. One method to ensure a cohesive essay is to craft your body paragraphs with the MEAL concept. A paragraph created with MEAL has a main idea, evidence, analysis, and a link.

Main Idea

The topic sentence presents your topic as well as the specific point you wish to express or the claim you argue in your essay.

For example, if your general topic is how the characterization in the book The Crucible reveals human nature, your thesis statement might be something like, "The character John Proctor of The Crucible demonstrates that good people are capable of evil behavior." Your topic sentence for your first body paragraph could be something like, "John Proctor is the image of a good man, and yet, in spite of his goodness, even he is not immune to immoral acts." Remember that your topic sentence must support your thesis.

Evidence

In your topic sentence you made a claim about a topic; now you will present evidence to prove your claim. Providing evidence builds credibility with the reader. If a writer doesn't support claims with enough legitimate evidence, the reader won’t take the writer's claims seriously. Do not present evidence in the topic sentence because that spot is reserved for your claim; instead, evidence should be provided separately to develop and support the claim made by the topic sentence.

For example, if you were writing a paragraph about John Proctor from The Crucible, you might use John Proctor's affair with the character Abigail as evidence of what he did wrong.

Analysis

When you analyze evidence, you explain to your reader why and how your evidence proves your claims. You have to make a clear connection between your ideas and how the evidence supports your ideas. This is crucial because when people have different perspectives, they may interpret evidence differently.

Using the above example, you could analyze your evidence by explaining that Proctor's affair with Abigail was not just an evil act in itself, but it caused other problems in Proctor's marriage and in the rest of the community. You might describe these consequences. You will want to provide enough analysis so the reader thoroughly understands your reasoning in using this particular evidence to support or prove your claims.

Link

The final step is to create a transition from this paragraph to the next body paragraph as well as back to the thesis. This is called a link. You can do this by adding a sentence to the end of the paragraph that mentions the topic of the next paragraph. Another technique is to add a word or two at the beginning of the next paragraph. Regardless of how you create the transition, the important thing to remember is that your writing needs to carry the reader from one paragraph to the next, so you have to show how the ideas in one paragraph are related to the ideas that came before.

Keep in mind that the MEAL concept is flexible. You might include more evidence or analysis so that your paragraph is MEAEAL or MEEEAL. What is most important is that a paragraph contains all of the elements of the MEAL concept: main Idea, evidence, analysis, and link.

- PRACTICAL APPLICATION

Consider how evidence is used in court proceedings. The legal teams do not march into court and just throw all the evidence at the judge and jury. Instead, they make a claim; in a criminal case, they claim that the defendant is either innocent or guilty. Then each lawyer will present one piece of evidence and then analyze the evidence, that is, explain why the evidence is relevant. Lastly, they link that piece of evidence to the overall case. This is exactly what you need to do when you use the MEAL concept to write a paragraph.

The MEAL concept may also be used in a variety of settings beyond the writing of an essay for an assignment. If an employee would like to ask for a raise, the employee’s MEAL concept for a memo to the employee's supervisor might look like the following:

Main idea: I deserve a raise because I am a valuable and experienced employee who contributes to the success of the company.

Evidence: I have been with the company for five years. Every year, I have received a positive performance evaluation.

Evidence: Since I have been with the company, I have taken advantage of various opportunities to learn and gain new skills. I have participated in voluntary training classes.

Evidence: Last year, I developed a new work process that saves the company thousands of dollars each year.

Analysis: My performance evaluations show that I have worked hard to gain valuable experience, and that I am committed to learning and developing new skills. I have proven my ability to use my new skills and knowledge on the job. This ability resulted in substantial savings for the company, and these savings meant greater profit and greater success for the company overall.

Link: Giving me a raise will be a sound investment for the company as I will continue to develop and apply new skills.

- EXAMPLE

Using the thesis below, see how two body paragraphs that utilize the MEAL concept are developed.

Thesis:

It does not matter whether the film Supersize Me is a serious attempt to help people or a shocking prank to get attention and boost Spurlock's career. In either case, the film sends an important message that will help prevent obesity.

First Body Paragraph:

Main idea: Spurlock's Supersize Me is an effective attention-getting prank. Spurlock set up an outrageous, unrealistic situation with his rules.

Evidence: For a whole month, Spurlock had to eat three meals a day; all of his meals had to be ordered from the McDonald's menu; he had to eat every item on the menu at least once; and if he was asked if he wanted to "supersize" his order, he had to say "yes." Spurlock also cut back on exercise, restricting his walking to 5,000 steps a day, in order to more closely copy the lifestyle of many Americans.

Analysis: Few people, if any, eat 100 percent of their meals at restaurants, as Spurlock did. However, Spurlock's reduced rate of exercise is still higher than average; according to the Center for Disease Control, 80 percent of American adults do not get any daily exercise. Not surprisingly, Spurlock gained a whopping 24.5 pounds in one month. His liver became so fatty that he was at risk for cirrhosis and other diseases.

Link: The high drama of sudden health risk paid off: Supersize Me was a hit at the Sundance Film Festival and made Spurlock famous.

Second Body Paragraph:

Main idea: Spurlock made the film to boost his career.

Evidence: Spurlock's face, voice, words, and experience are front and center throughout the film. The changes he undergoes are shocking (he gained 24.5 pounds, his cholesterol levels increased by 65 points and his liver held so much fat that Spurlock was at risk for a host of diseases, including cirrhosis of the liver), and make him even more central to the film.

Analysis: Spurlock's dramatic experience of putting his health at risk creates the tension and drama of the film. As the face of the film, Spurlock is the main focus of every film review. Spurlock must have known that his choice to make himself the star would boost his career more than if he were simply the filmmaker whose name appeared only in the credits.

Analysis/Link: The attention-getting, career-boosting prank was a success; without Supersize Me, Spurlock never would have been given his own show on the HBO cable network.

Adapted from content.nroc.org.