E.K. Hornbeck is the play's cynical newspaper reporter, and he is a great subject for rhetorical analysis. He is funny, biting, and not always likable, which gives students plenty to work with. Essays about him often reveal how well students understand tone, audience, and purpose.

The common mistake is treating rhetorical analysis like character description. Students say Hornbeck is sarcastic and stop, without exploring what the sarcasm accomplishes. The essay reads like a personality summary.

Rhetorical analysis asks a different question. What is the speaker trying to do, to whom, and how do their choices make that possible? Feedback should keep bringing students back to that trio.

The role of the press adds another layer, since the play shows how media shapes a town's view of a trial. That opens the door to connecting the text to media literacy.

Grade the Link Between Technique and Effect

The core of a rhetorical essay is explaining how a technique creates an effect. A student who names an ironic remark should also say what it does to the audience's view of the people involved. Build your rubric around that connection.

• Identifies specific rhetorical choices such as irony, exaggeration, or understatement
• Explains the effect of each choice on the audience within the play
• Considers how the authors want the theater audience to respond
• Connects Hornbeck's role to broader ideas about media and public opinion
• Avoids listing devices without analysis

Watch for Device Spotting Without Meaning

Some students discover a list of literary terms and try to use as many as possible. The essay becomes a checklist. Feedback should ask which single device matters most and why.

Encourage depth over coverage. Two well-analyzed moments beat six shallow ones every time.

Discuss Satire Carefully

Students sometimes miss the difference between the play using satire and Hornbeck being satirical inside the story. Clarify that distinction in class, and reward essays that keep them separate. It is a subtle but real sign of maturity in reading.

GraideMind can help keep grading consistent on these finer points by applying the same rubric language to each essay. You can then focus your own attention on the writing that shows real insight.

Connect the Analysis to Modern Media

Some teachers extend the assignment by asking students to compare Hornbeck's coverage to how a modern outlet might frame a similar trial. Graded well, this task builds media literacy alongside close reading. Just be clear about which skill is being scored.

Either version of the assignment gives students practice reading persuasive language critically, which is a lasting skill.