Author s Reason for Arguing; Critque paper of Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11

· What is the author s reason for arguing? What is its purpose? What does the author hope to achieve? Is this accomplished by the end of the argument?

· What facts are used in this argument? How does the writer apply logic or provide evidence to support his case? Are claims supported with clear reasons? Are these reasons presented in a persuasive way? Why or why not?

· What kinds of evidence are used to develop the argument? Is this evidence persuasive? (Notice that each kind of evidence could be a separate paragraph in your paper “ one for statistics, facts, anecdotes, authorities, case studies & observations, scenarios, textual evidence, and visuals.)

· Does the author convince readers he is trustworthy? How? How does the writer create a sense of credibility? What makes his audience want to believe him? Try to identify specific factors in how the writer makes himself or his argument seem believable, credible, and reliable.

· Are there any ways that the argument builds common ground to appeal to the audience?

· Does the author acknowledge or incorporate other viewpoints? Does this help the argument to seem more logical and trustworthy?

· Does the author refute other arguments?

· Does this argument mistakenly use any logical fallacies?

· Does the argument effectively appeal to people s emotions? What emotional arguments or techniques does it use? Which values does the writer invoke to win over his audience?

· Does the writer address the audience’s doubts effectively? Are any potential problems addressed or ignored? If so, how does this make the argument more or less persuasive? Are there any significant issues or problems that are ignored or overlooked?