Ethos and rhetorical analysis of lived experience

Essay 1: Living and Framing the Actions According to Ethos (How Am I Connected?) Length: Approximately 900 words Points: 100 Due: January 30, 2026, by 11:59 PM Submission: Blackboard (.docx or .pdf) Assignment Overview In Weeks 1 and 2, we examined how writing responds to a rhetorical situation, how meaning emerges through the rhetorical triangle(writer, audience, purpose), and how ethos credibilityis established through action rather than asserted through claims. For this essay, you will apply these concepts to your own lived experience. Rather than analyzing a published text, you will analyze a specific action, decision, or sequence of actions you took and examine how that action functioned rhetorically. You will ask: How am I connected to this situation through my actionsand how does that connection shape credibility? This is not a personal narrative written for self-expression. It is a rhetorical analysis of lived experience, using storytelling as evidence and rhetorical theory as an analytical lens. Purpose of the Assignment: This assignment is designed to help you: Identify and respond to a rhetorical situation Apply the rhetorical triangle to lived experience Understand ethos as situational, relational, and action-based Practice framing experience rhetorically for an academic audience Reflect on how stakes and consequences shape credibility Ethos Framework: Framing Lived Action: Your essay must engage explicitly and intentionally with at least one of Aristotles three forms of ethos: Phronesis (Practical Wisdom): How did your actions demonstrate judgment, insight, or awareness of the situation? Arte (Ethical Character): How did your actions reflect values such as responsibility, integrity, or accountability? Eunoia (Goodwill Toward Others): How did your actions demonstrate fairness, care, or concern for others involved? You may use more than one form of ethos, but your analysis should remain focused. Ethos should be shown through action and reflection, not asserted through self-description. Your Task Write an essay of approximately 900 words that: Describes a specific action, decision, or sequence of actions you undertook Frames that action within a rhetorical situation (audience, purpose, context, and stakes) Analyzes how ethos was produced through the action Reflects on how credibility was established, challenged, or negotiated Clearly connects lived experience to rhetorical concepts from class Important: You are not being evaluated on whether your action was right or successful. You are being evaluated on how effectively you frame the action rhetorically and analyze its role in shaping credibility. Audience & Tone: Your audience includes: Your classmates Your instructor Write in a clear, reflective academic tone appropriate for a first-year writing course. First-person (I) is appropriate, but your focus should remain on rhetorical framing, not confession or opinion. Formatting & Submission Requirements Length: Approximately 900 words Spacing: Double-spaced Font: 12-point standard academic font Margins: 1 inch File format: .docx or .pdf Submission: Blackboard No outside research is required unless approved by the instructor. Note to Students: This assignment mirrors the concepts introduced in class. You are being assessed on how effectively you frame lived action through ethos within a rhetorical situation, not on having the right experience or outcome.