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     For this assignment, we were told it would have two parts - a project and an essay. The given prompt had been that this would be a Rhetoric-In-Practice completion, and that we would need to come up with a detailed rhetorical situation for our project (which could be in the form of an article, brochure, dictionary, children's book, menu, website, blog, short story, manifesto, review, script, and etc). In a way, this would act as our culmination of the work we had completed in this class, respecting both that of the genre and rhetoric. We were also told to write a companion essay that goes through our writing and revision process of our project, as well as how we reflected upon it. I chose to do my project in the form of a entertainment website/film review article, in which I wrote about the somewhat recently-new film, The Power of the Dog, and the reasons why my readers should watch the film, all the while informing them of the plot of the film and educating them on the Western genre.

     During the process of editing and revising this my project and essay, I went through phases where I wondered if the argument I was making was even rational. Often, when people hear things (especially regarding things they do not entirely understand or are familiar with) they believe it instantly because it makes practical sense. They do not even consider the fact that the opposite of what they are hearing is true. I went back and forth from deciding whether or not I truly wanted to write my assignment based off of the fact that there are so many stereotypes about the Western genre, as well as the fact that the film I was reviewing was better categorized in the Neo-Western group.

     When trying to compare the characteristics of Westerns and Neo-Westerns and further relating that to how The Power of the Dog was a shockingly haunting yet beautiful film, I had trouble choosing what I could speak about (as I am not a credited film reviewer) and how I could prove my reasoning for my opinion - that the movie is of the Neo-Western genre. In my First Draft, I chose to speak about some of the characters in the film, without truly giving any background information on them, as well as analyzing or diving deep into how the actors had portrayed these roles. Later, when working on my Final Draft, I realized that what I had written would not be completely comprehended by my audience because they would not have seen the movie. It was when I was editing my Final Draft that I decided to change the way I worded my paragraphs, as well as include links to the actors or directors names in my review, so that if more people were interested, they could simply click on the link and have all of the information they needed.

     Following revising my First Draft and turning it into my Final Draft, I claim, "It’s in the distressed and panicked gaze coming from Rose's presence as she starts consuming alcohol because of another match of Phil’s harassment. It’s in the rough glares Peter drills into Phil when he’s bullying him. It’s in George’s low stares towards the floor, comprehending the fact that he is thoroughly powerless to prevent and contain his brother’s anguish. And it’s in the anger on Phil’s countenance as he discovers his tight-knit association with George is reaching its destination with George’s wedding to Rose." I decided to describe how the actors acting choices tied into how the story unfolded, as well as what I gathered from it. As an audience member, this is what I picked up from only a few of the more powerful scenes in the film, and I believe by the ways I described them, it helps my readers gain a better understanding of the events that had been occurring.

     After revising my project, I revised my essay. As I further rearranged my essay, I learned just how important an analysis can be when trying to persuade your readers to take advice from your argument. In my First Draft, I assert how the targeted audience for my project would have been those who are subscribed to the New York Times Vulture Magazine, as well as fans of a famed celebrity or the Western genre. Later, when reviewing my Final Draft, I choose to add more detail to that. I claim, "To be particular and exact, the people I intend my audience to be are the New York Times Magazine subscribers, as well as individuals who enjoy or like learning more about the analytical aspect of films or Western films. This would most likely be from the middle or upper socioeconomic status’, and additionally focus more on the female audience between the ages of 18 and the 30s, since they, more often than not, share an interest in reading articles written about films, and may even glance at it simply due to the fact that their favorite celebrity is a part of an upcoming or exciting project. I would attract my audience by making the site look more appealing to my particular type of consumer, and include advertisements of things that are of general curiosity to them. An audience would expect being entertained and also being greatly informed on my topic."

     By depicting the age, gender, and even social class of my audience, I am know showing and revealing how my chosen goal would be for these viewers to see and read my review, as well as hopefully end up agreeing with what I've stated if I had been convincing enough. In a way, it has the ability to confirm what I stated in the beginning of my review and educates them on the topic.

     This drastic alteration from my First Draft to my Final Draft for both my project and essay portrays how I realize that an in-depth evidence, background, and analysis is needed in order to convince the readers of my argument. I additionally choose to provide images and visual components to show how the justified scenes from the film proves my logic and reasoning.

     Many of the same instances occurred when I was going over and revising this assignment. I grew more accessible in utilizing more diverse words and learned how to arrange my essay in a manner that makes the reader more curious regarding the topic.

The Power of the Dog' Has a Queer Problem - The Atlantic

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