http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2e3MPI/www.ted.com/talks/rick_smolan_tells_the_story_of_a_girl.html/
Summary: This presentation was about a girl named Natasha, who was born in Korea and lived with her grandmother. A photographer named Rick Smolan met the wester-looking girl and her grandmother and began taking picture of them until the grandmother informed Smolan that she was going to die, and needed to find a family for the girl. Smolan then tells of his journey to find her an adoptive family and move her to the United States. Natasha grew up to be extremely successful in the U.S, and was given opportunities that she never would have received in her rural town of Korea.
Author/Source: Rick Smolan is a famous photographer who has taken pictures world-wide for TIME, LIFE, and National Geographic magazine. He is now CEO of Against All Odds Productions. Smolan told this story in December of 2007 in Los Angeles, which was recorded and is now on the TED website. TED conferences give people the chance to present their ideas, hence their slogan: "ideas worth spreading". Bill Clinton, Jane Goodall, Bill Gates, and Al Gore are just some of the names of people who have presented on TED.
Context/Exigence: The context of this presentation is the young girl, Natasha, who was born in Korea with limited opportunities but given a new life in the United States. The exigence is how interesting her story is, and how far she has come since she was taken out of Korea in the 70's. People are fascinated with her progress, which is the reason why Smolan told her her story.
Purpose: The purpose of this presentation was to tell the story of an amazing girl who's life was transformed. The story was mostly for entertainment, but also to inspire people to give every child a chance at life, because they have the potential to be very successful. Smolan accomplishes this purpose.
Rhetorical Devices: This story is very emotional, in order for Smolan to make an influence on his audience and to get their attention. However he also structures his speech so that the audience does not know what happened to the girl, and have a vague view of where she is currently for most of the presentation. This makes the story somewhat suspenseful, and attracts the attention of the audience. At the end, he finally ends the suspense and introduces Natasha to the audience. He also includes images, not just because he is a photographer, but so that the audience can imagine the girl and picture the story in their minds, also appealing to the audience's interest.
Friday, December 23, 2011
Sunday, December 18, 2011
AOW #15: Painting
http://johnbriner.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/starry-night.jpg
Summary: The Starry Night was painted in 1888 buy Dutch impressionist artist Vincent van Gogh. The painting uses impressionism, painting strokes to capture the mood instead of an accurate depiction. Since its creation in 1941, The Starry Night has become one of the most famous paintings in the world and is held in the Museum of Modern Arts in New York City.
Source: This painting was by Vincent van Gogh, one of the most popular artists in the world today. His work is priceless, as all of his paintings are beautiful. Any museum would love to have just one of his pictures. Even though he died in the early 1800's, his work has become infinitely famous.
Context: Van Gogh created this picture by looking outside his sanitarium room at night. The exigence is the beauty and mood of the night that few artists were able to capture until van Gogh.
Purpose: The painter's purpose was to not simply paint what the night looked like, but to give the painting a mood or feeling that any viewer could easily identify. I think he accomplished this purpose extremely well.
Rhetorical Devices: Van Gogh was an impressionist, so clearly The Starry Night was an example of impressionism. The brush stokes do not look clear when looking at the image close, however when you back away and see the entire image a mood or feeling is created. This was van Gogh's purpose. He also portrayed mood using color. He juxtaposes light and dark figures, when night is usually thought of as entirely dark.
Summary: The Starry Night was painted in 1888 buy Dutch impressionist artist Vincent van Gogh. The painting uses impressionism, painting strokes to capture the mood instead of an accurate depiction. Since its creation in 1941, The Starry Night has become one of the most famous paintings in the world and is held in the Museum of Modern Arts in New York City.
Source: This painting was by Vincent van Gogh, one of the most popular artists in the world today. His work is priceless, as all of his paintings are beautiful. Any museum would love to have just one of his pictures. Even though he died in the early 1800's, his work has become infinitely famous.
Context: Van Gogh created this picture by looking outside his sanitarium room at night. The exigence is the beauty and mood of the night that few artists were able to capture until van Gogh.
Purpose: The painter's purpose was to not simply paint what the night looked like, but to give the painting a mood or feeling that any viewer could easily identify. I think he accomplished this purpose extremely well.
Rhetorical Devices: Van Gogh was an impressionist, so clearly The Starry Night was an example of impressionism. The brush stokes do not look clear when looking at the image close, however when you back away and see the entire image a mood or feeling is created. This was van Gogh's purpose. He also portrayed mood using color. He juxtaposes light and dark figures, when night is usually thought of as entirely dark.
Friday, December 9, 2011
AOW #14: IRB
Decoded
By Jay-Z
Author: Jay-Z is an American rapper, producer, and entrepreneur. He is considered a revolutionary in black and rap history, becoming a millionaire with his extremely successful albums. Jay-Z is not only extrmemly successful, but has become a very popular public figure, dating Beyonce and owning the New York Mets while continueing to produce chart-topping hits.
Summary: In this first section I read, Jay-Z gives an insight to his childhood and how he got involved in rapping. Going up in the projects in New York, Jay-Z had experiences most children would not have, which modivated him to tell his story in rymes. This section goes on to Jay-Z's start in the rap business, and his increased popularity in his younger years. The book also goes into some of his early raps, and breaks each song down to explain his verses.
Context: The context is Jay-Z and his music. While he goes off about other rapper's music, it connects to his own becuase it is where he drew inspiration. The exigence for this book was Jay-Z's popularity, music, and people's curiosity aurrounding it. This led Jay-Z to write a book about his life and where his lyrics came from, hense the name Decoded.
Purpose: The purpose of this section was to give an idea of where he was from and to inform the reader of how he got this start. Readers can see some of his stories and veiws in his lyrics, which allows the reader to connect the music with Jay's acutal life. He accomplishes this purpose.
Audience: Readers who enjoy rap music or Jay-Z.
Rhetorical Elements: Jay-Z begins his story very biographical, descibing the story of his life. In a way he uses many allusions and metaphores in his writing and songs to portray his personal experiences. While this section is very logical, it also gets very emotional, as Jay descibes his own personal struggle and then explains how everyone has a struggle, not just those who are poor or living in the conditions that he did. This appeals to a readers memory and gives one a better understand of how he feels and what his music is about.
By Jay-Z
Author: Jay-Z is an American rapper, producer, and entrepreneur. He is considered a revolutionary in black and rap history, becoming a millionaire with his extremely successful albums. Jay-Z is not only extrmemly successful, but has become a very popular public figure, dating Beyonce and owning the New York Mets while continueing to produce chart-topping hits.
Summary: In this first section I read, Jay-Z gives an insight to his childhood and how he got involved in rapping. Going up in the projects in New York, Jay-Z had experiences most children would not have, which modivated him to tell his story in rymes. This section goes on to Jay-Z's start in the rap business, and his increased popularity in his younger years. The book also goes into some of his early raps, and breaks each song down to explain his verses.
Context: The context is Jay-Z and his music. While he goes off about other rapper's music, it connects to his own becuase it is where he drew inspiration. The exigence for this book was Jay-Z's popularity, music, and people's curiosity aurrounding it. This led Jay-Z to write a book about his life and where his lyrics came from, hense the name Decoded.
Purpose: The purpose of this section was to give an idea of where he was from and to inform the reader of how he got this start. Readers can see some of his stories and veiws in his lyrics, which allows the reader to connect the music with Jay's acutal life. He accomplishes this purpose.
Audience: Readers who enjoy rap music or Jay-Z.
Rhetorical Elements: Jay-Z begins his story very biographical, descibing the story of his life. In a way he uses many allusions and metaphores in his writing and songs to portray his personal experiences. While this section is very logical, it also gets very emotional, as Jay descibes his own personal struggle and then explains how everyone has a struggle, not just those who are poor or living in the conditions that he did. This appeals to a readers memory and gives one a better understand of how he feels and what his music is about.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
AOW #13: Article
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1EhJvk/www.economist.com/node/21541015
Summary: This article is about how a nation with a poor reputation, Africa, is finally making a comeback. The article goes into specifics and statistics as to what progress is being made. It describes new improvements and gives hope that Africa's success will continue, overcoming being a struggling continent with many dispositions such as poverty, lack of resources, and disease.
Source/Author: This article does not include a name of the author. However, it came from The Economist, a popular and creditable magazine published globally. Because the author cites many sources to support his argument I would consider him fairly credible.
Context: The context of the article is obviously Africa, which has been known to be a recessive continent for many years now. The exigence is the fact that Africa now seems to be going in a new, positive, direction, meaning change for an entire nation and it's people. This change is important to educate others on.
Purpose: The author wrote this with a purpose to give Africa a new, more hopeful light in contrast to how it is usual portrayed, as helpless and suffering in many areas. It was written to educate people of this change using statistics to prove the author's point. The author accomplished their purpose as they proved a valid argument.
Audience: Readers of the Economist.
Rhetorical Elements: The author's writing is obviously very logical, as they have to try to prove a point and establish credibility. His tone and style are also very positive, as this article is very happy and hopeful because the topic is cheerful. Had the author been writing about content like the fall of a country instead of the success, the tone may be much more pessimistic.
Summary: This article is about how a nation with a poor reputation, Africa, is finally making a comeback. The article goes into specifics and statistics as to what progress is being made. It describes new improvements and gives hope that Africa's success will continue, overcoming being a struggling continent with many dispositions such as poverty, lack of resources, and disease.
Source/Author: This article does not include a name of the author. However, it came from The Economist, a popular and creditable magazine published globally. Because the author cites many sources to support his argument I would consider him fairly credible.
Context: The context of the article is obviously Africa, which has been known to be a recessive continent for many years now. The exigence is the fact that Africa now seems to be going in a new, positive, direction, meaning change for an entire nation and it's people. This change is important to educate others on.
Purpose: The author wrote this with a purpose to give Africa a new, more hopeful light in contrast to how it is usual portrayed, as helpless and suffering in many areas. It was written to educate people of this change using statistics to prove the author's point. The author accomplished their purpose as they proved a valid argument.
Audience: Readers of the Economist.
Rhetorical Elements: The author's writing is obviously very logical, as they have to try to prove a point and establish credibility. His tone and style are also very positive, as this article is very happy and hopeful because the topic is cheerful. Had the author been writing about content like the fall of a country instead of the success, the tone may be much more pessimistic.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Unit 2 Reflection
Governing of society does not come with an instruction manual. If it did, dispute over how to run its people would not exist. However, Niccolo Machiavelli comes closer than other philosophers to describe the procedure of controlling society. While Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau had valid theories, Machiavelli's work, The Prince, includes suggestions most valid to our society.
Machiavelli gave clear instructions to leaders of men, which not only apply to those of his time but also in our society. One of his suggestions was for a "prince" to say what was needed in order to get support of his people, but to betray his word if necessary. Our American politicians today are perfect examples of Machiavelli's idea. Even President Barack Obama has claimed to perform actions which he never pursued further. Machiavelli also argues that a government cannot be too generous nor stingy, which also proves true in American society. Taxes placed on citizens are constantly debated to be too high or low. Without these taxes, however, there would be no way to protect or maintain our country, such as funding the Iraq war and bailing out our economy. If these taxes were to get too high, American citizens would rebel as they have prior to the American Revolution. Therefore, the government has to maintain a balance between their being generous with lower taxation or stingy with higher taxes.
Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau had theories which I do not believe hold true in society today. Hobbes believed in an absolute monarchy government, which does not exist in our country because our democracy has proven more popular than a tyranny. American citizens have come to treasure rights such as voting for leaders and having checks and balances in the government so that no person or group has too much power. Locke believed in a very liberal society where there was no aristocracy. While this seems ideal, it will never be the case in our society as there are different economic classes and jobs. Rousseau also theorized that all men are equal, which is unrealistic in America. Without a need to advance in society, our country would not be as progressive as it currently is.
While Rousseau, Hobbs, and Locke all had valid theories about mankind and society, their ideas do not hold true today. Because Machiavelli's ideas are so prevalent in American government today, his opinion is much more justifiable than the other philosophers.
Machiavelli gave clear instructions to leaders of men, which not only apply to those of his time but also in our society. One of his suggestions was for a "prince" to say what was needed in order to get support of his people, but to betray his word if necessary. Our American politicians today are perfect examples of Machiavelli's idea. Even President Barack Obama has claimed to perform actions which he never pursued further. Machiavelli also argues that a government cannot be too generous nor stingy, which also proves true in American society. Taxes placed on citizens are constantly debated to be too high or low. Without these taxes, however, there would be no way to protect or maintain our country, such as funding the Iraq war and bailing out our economy. If these taxes were to get too high, American citizens would rebel as they have prior to the American Revolution. Therefore, the government has to maintain a balance between their being generous with lower taxation or stingy with higher taxes.
Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau had theories which I do not believe hold true in society today. Hobbes believed in an absolute monarchy government, which does not exist in our country because our democracy has proven more popular than a tyranny. American citizens have come to treasure rights such as voting for leaders and having checks and balances in the government so that no person or group has too much power. Locke believed in a very liberal society where there was no aristocracy. While this seems ideal, it will never be the case in our society as there are different economic classes and jobs. Rousseau also theorized that all men are equal, which is unrealistic in America. Without a need to advance in society, our country would not be as progressive as it currently is.
While Rousseau, Hobbs, and Locke all had valid theories about mankind and society, their ideas do not hold true today. Because Machiavelli's ideas are so prevalent in American government today, his opinion is much more justifiable than the other philosophers.
AOW #12: Advertisement
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBQQ8rYFcu4
This advertisement was for Kay Jewelers and features a woman who is both a mother and wife kissing her children and showing love for them. There is a narration in the background explaining how much mothers do and how they care for their families. The narrator attempts to convince the audience to show that they care for their mother by buying her diamonds from Kay Jewelers.
This advertisement was obviously made by Kay Jewelers in order to appeal to audiences who watched TV and were children or husbands. The context of this advertisement was mothers and showing all of the wonderful things they do in order to appeal emotionally to viewers with memory of their own mothers and their love. The exigence for this commercial was that it was around the time of Mother's Day, therefor families would need to get presents for their mothers.
The purpose of this advertisement was to convince families to buy Kay Jewelry for their mothers and wives for Mother's Day. As stated above, the commercial clearly appeals to viewers emotion and memory of mothers. It also seems logical because the majority of women in America love diamonds, therefore a mother should love diamonds and a viewer should then buy their mother diamonds (syllogism). Kay Jewelers achieved their purpose to attempt to get viewers to buy their products, because they reached out to a wide variety of people watching television whom would have then went to Kay Jewelers.
This advertisement was for Kay Jewelers and features a woman who is both a mother and wife kissing her children and showing love for them. There is a narration in the background explaining how much mothers do and how they care for their families. The narrator attempts to convince the audience to show that they care for their mother by buying her diamonds from Kay Jewelers.
This advertisement was obviously made by Kay Jewelers in order to appeal to audiences who watched TV and were children or husbands. The context of this advertisement was mothers and showing all of the wonderful things they do in order to appeal emotionally to viewers with memory of their own mothers and their love. The exigence for this commercial was that it was around the time of Mother's Day, therefor families would need to get presents for their mothers.
The purpose of this advertisement was to convince families to buy Kay Jewelry for their mothers and wives for Mother's Day. As stated above, the commercial clearly appeals to viewers emotion and memory of mothers. It also seems logical because the majority of women in America love diamonds, therefore a mother should love diamonds and a viewer should then buy their mother diamonds (syllogism). Kay Jewelers achieved their purpose to attempt to get viewers to buy their products, because they reached out to a wide variety of people watching television whom would have then went to Kay Jewelers.
Monday, November 21, 2011
AOW #11: Political Cartoon
Context: This cartoon portrays how widespread technology such as ipads and iphones have become, and also how social sites such as Twitter and Facebook are so popular. This cartoon is making fun of how dependent people have become on technology today and how literally everyone does it, using a baby to show how young use of technology and the internet starts.
Source/Author: Drawn by Mick Stevens, this cartoon is from The New Yorker. Stevens has appeared in many publications, such as The Harvard Business Review, Barons', The National Law Journal, and USA Weekend. He has also published a few books filled with his cartoons.
Purpose: Stevens's purpose was to exaggerate Americans' use of technology and social networking. By using a baby as a Apple user, Stevens sends a message that even babies are participating in the trend. I believe he accomplishes this purpose.
Audience: Readers of The New Yorker magazine.
Rhetorical Elements: This image is very ironic, considering that babies cannot speak let alone update a status on the internet. In order to understand this comic an audience also has to have previous knowledge about the situation like current computers and phones, knowing what an infirmary for babies would look like, and knowing that OMG is a term often used on the internet for statuses. Stevens is clearly using readers' memory as a rhetorical device.
Friday, November 18, 2011
2nd Marking Period IRB
Title: Decoded
Author: Jay-Z
I chose this book because it is very new and popular right now. Many people like it (including Oprah) so I expect it to not be a waste of time to read. It is also very appealing to me that it is written by a rapper, because although many public figures are currently writing books, most rappers do not. I am interested to find out Jay-Z's perspectives on life and what his lyrics are about. I am really excited to read this book because I hear his music on the radio almost every day.
This book is 305 pages, so I will divide it up to 100 pages for each response.
Author: Jay-Z
I chose this book because it is very new and popular right now. Many people like it (including Oprah) so I expect it to not be a waste of time to read. It is also very appealing to me that it is written by a rapper, because although many public figures are currently writing books, most rappers do not. I am interested to find out Jay-Z's perspectives on life and what his lyrics are about. I am really excited to read this book because I hear his music on the radio almost every day.
This book is 305 pages, so I will divide it up to 100 pages for each response.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
AOW #10: Article
Summary: This week I read an article about a current conspiracy theory of the illuminati and their goal to create a new world order. Many believe that members of the illuminati are the famous and rich of the world, such as public figures Jay-Z and Oprah. These members are so rich and powerful that they control the government and world affairs, theoretically. The article goes into depth about possible member Jay-Z, who is estimated to be worth billions of dollars. He has made many references in his music to the illuminati, Freemason society (a selective elite fraternity), and demonic figures. This makes listeners question if Jay-Z and other rappers are simply seeking attention, or actually in an organization seeking world domination.
Source/author: Brian McManus is an experienced writer of about 12 years who wrote about food and music for Houston Press for 5 years, before being a nightlife columnist. Since then he has written for Philadelphia Weekly, where I found this article. He has also recently written a book, Philadelphia's Best Dive Bars. Philadelphia Weekly, also know as PW, is an award winning alternative magazine published every Wednesday. It has featured coverage of local and national politics, arts, music, film, and theatre since 1971.
Context: This article is overall about the conspiracy about an elite group called the illuminati, who wants to establish new world order. The exigence for this article is that people have recently come to believe that current public figures, whom are rich and famous, are part of this group and intend to take over the world by spreading their ideas through media. Because our society has recently developed a very divided economic and social structure which has been made very public, people like to come up with ideas as to way the rich are so powerful.
Purpose: The purpose of this article is to present how this conspiracy is and is not plausible. McManus presents viewpoints of different members of society and evidence of the existence of the Illuminati to argue either side. I believe that he does not favor either side in order to make the reader consider which they think is true. In this way he accomplishes his purpose to make a reader develop their own opinion.
Audience: Readers of PW magazine.
Rhetorical Elements: McManus tries to be very unbiased and logical when writing this article, using mostly quotations and ideas from others about the conspiracy. He does this in order to not take a side on the issue. In this way he also juxtaposes evidence for and against belief in the illuminati.
http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/news-and-opinion/cover-story/The-Illuminati-Conspiracy-or-New-World-Order.html
Source/author: Brian McManus is an experienced writer of about 12 years who wrote about food and music for Houston Press for 5 years, before being a nightlife columnist. Since then he has written for Philadelphia Weekly, where I found this article. He has also recently written a book, Philadelphia's Best Dive Bars. Philadelphia Weekly, also know as PW, is an award winning alternative magazine published every Wednesday. It has featured coverage of local and national politics, arts, music, film, and theatre since 1971.
Context: This article is overall about the conspiracy about an elite group called the illuminati, who wants to establish new world order. The exigence for this article is that people have recently come to believe that current public figures, whom are rich and famous, are part of this group and intend to take over the world by spreading their ideas through media. Because our society has recently developed a very divided economic and social structure which has been made very public, people like to come up with ideas as to way the rich are so powerful.
Purpose: The purpose of this article is to present how this conspiracy is and is not plausible. McManus presents viewpoints of different members of society and evidence of the existence of the Illuminati to argue either side. I believe that he does not favor either side in order to make the reader consider which they think is true. In this way he accomplishes his purpose to make a reader develop their own opinion.
Audience: Readers of PW magazine.
Rhetorical Elements: McManus tries to be very unbiased and logical when writing this article, using mostly quotations and ideas from others about the conspiracy. He does this in order to not take a side on the issue. In this way he also juxtaposes evidence for and against belief in the illuminati.
http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/news-and-opinion/cover-story/The-Illuminati-Conspiracy-or-New-World-Order.html
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Independent Read
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
This entire story was written because of Henrietta Lacks' life. Lacks, who lived during the early 1900's, was diagnosed and later died of cervical cancer. While being treated at Johns Hopkins, doctors took cells of her cervix and gave them to Dr. Otto Gey. The cells continued to survive and multiply in labs (unlike previous cells) and scientists finally were able to perform experiments which were able to create vaccinations which saved lives. These became known as HeLa cells, and were used for years without Henrietta or her family's knowledge after she died. Skloot later interviews them after many difficult attempts to question the relatives of Henrietta, and they are extremely resentful because of how doctors have taken advantage of them with limited information on the cells. Skloot presents both the medical advances and the great strides that have been taken in medical fields because of HeLa cells and juxtaposes them with the emotional experience of Henrietta's family. The medical information is mostly logical, but a reader sees a very relatable and emotional side of the cells when they read about her family's pain. Skloot did this in order to not take a side on the issue of whether or not cells should be obtained without consent, but instead she presents both sides of the argument. Overall, I think that her purpose was to express how positive cell research can be for patients only if consent is given to obtain them. I believe this is her purpose because she states multiple times that it would have been very simple to ask Henrietta or another patient with her cancer for some of cells instead of taking them and then insulting her and her family.
This entire story was written because of Henrietta Lacks' life. Lacks, who lived during the early 1900's, was diagnosed and later died of cervical cancer. While being treated at Johns Hopkins, doctors took cells of her cervix and gave them to Dr. Otto Gey. The cells continued to survive and multiply in labs (unlike previous cells) and scientists finally were able to perform experiments which were able to create vaccinations which saved lives. These became known as HeLa cells, and were used for years without Henrietta or her family's knowledge after she died. Skloot later interviews them after many difficult attempts to question the relatives of Henrietta, and they are extremely resentful because of how doctors have taken advantage of them with limited information on the cells. Skloot presents both the medical advances and the great strides that have been taken in medical fields because of HeLa cells and juxtaposes them with the emotional experience of Henrietta's family. The medical information is mostly logical, but a reader sees a very relatable and emotional side of the cells when they read about her family's pain. Skloot did this in order to not take a side on the issue of whether or not cells should be obtained without consent, but instead she presents both sides of the argument. Overall, I think that her purpose was to express how positive cell research can be for patients only if consent is given to obtain them. I believe this is her purpose because she states multiple times that it would have been very simple to ask Henrietta or another patient with her cancer for some of cells instead of taking them and then insulting her and her family.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
AOW #8: Editorial
Summary- This editorial was about the recent protests against Wall Street. It explains what these protestors are fighting against, the inequality of taxpayers and the top 1% of Americans in our economy. The writer's opinion is that these protestors are right on with their fight, and that the Wall Street financiers were not always much wealthier than the rest of Americans and should not be this wealthy. He thinks of it as unjust, because recently taxpayers have had to bail out the financial industry.
Source/Author- This editorial was printed in the New York Times on October 29. It was written by Eduardo Porter. I would consider this editorial very credible because it was published in a well read newspaper. It was also credible because he included factual reports and charts to back up his argument.
Context- The context of this article is the richest 10% percent of Americans, and their affect of the rest of Americans. The exigence was the recent protests which have occurred across the country against Wall Street
Purpose- The purpose was to convince a reader whom may doubt the purpose of the Wall Street protest that they are completely purposeful. I think that Porter accomplished this because he included many facts to back up his argument to prove to anyone who would disagree.
Audience- Readers of the New York Times.
Rhetorical Elements- This editorial included majorly appeals to logos. While the author could have written this article emotionally, complaining about how unfair it is that a small proportion of Americans are richer than most Americans (including himself), he uses factual arguments. He includes Wall Street's affect on America as a whole, and backs up his opinion with data and past events. It made his argument much more affective.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/30/opinion/sunday/wall-street-protesters-hit-the-bulls-eye.html?_r=1&ref=editorials
Source/Author- This editorial was printed in the New York Times on October 29. It was written by Eduardo Porter. I would consider this editorial very credible because it was published in a well read newspaper. It was also credible because he included factual reports and charts to back up his argument.
Context- The context of this article is the richest 10% percent of Americans, and their affect of the rest of Americans. The exigence was the recent protests which have occurred across the country against Wall Street
Purpose- The purpose was to convince a reader whom may doubt the purpose of the Wall Street protest that they are completely purposeful. I think that Porter accomplished this because he included many facts to back up his argument to prove to anyone who would disagree.
Audience- Readers of the New York Times.
Rhetorical Elements- This editorial included majorly appeals to logos. While the author could have written this article emotionally, complaining about how unfair it is that a small proportion of Americans are richer than most Americans (including himself), he uses factual arguments. He includes Wall Street's affect on America as a whole, and backs up his opinion with data and past events. It made his argument much more affective.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/30/opinion/sunday/wall-street-protesters-hit-the-bulls-eye.html?_r=1&ref=editorials
Sunday, October 23, 2011
AOW #7: Political Cartoon
Summary: This cartoon shows elephant dressed as robbers presenting their leader with Obama's stolen teleprompter which presents a negative message about the republican party. The top states "News Item: Obama's Teleprompter stolen" that explains the context of this cartoon.
Author: Clay Jones drew this cartoon for Creators Syndicate, an independent distributer for comic strips and syndicate columns for newspapers. Creators Syndicate is the second major syndicate for the country and has won more Pulitzer Prizes than any other. Clay Jones creates cartoons for over 400 newspapers across the country, and has been printed in USA Today, New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, Newsweek, and Time Magazine.
Context: The context of this cartoon is the event that President Obama's teleprompter was stolen. The exigence is that this was a recent event, and who stole it is still unknown, so the author is playing off that idea.
Purpose: The purpose of this cartoon was to create humor of who stole President Obama's teleprompter. He blames the republicans for the theft. I would say that the author accomplished this purpose because a reader clearly understands the references he is making and the humor he is trying to make out of the situation.
Audience: The audience is anyone who reads local newspapers which this cartoon was put into.
Rhetorical Elements:
Allusion- the elephants as members of the republican political party
Memory- reader memory of what robbers dress like and memory of the recent theft of President Obama's teleprompter
Juxtaposition- comparison of stealing tires and stealing the teleprompter to make a point
Sunday, October 16, 2011
AOW #6: Photograph
http://www.3quarksdaily.com/3quarksdaily/2011/09/the-meaning-of-911s-most-controversial-photo.html
Summary: This photograph shows a group of New Yorkers casually sitting in the sun and talking in a park in Brooklyn. In the background is water and New York City, with a cloud of black smoke rising above it from the twin towers. The picture was taken on September 11, 2011, a day which is associated with words like terror, horror, and tragedy. However, the people shown in the picture look carefree as the black smoke rises behind them.
Photographer: Thomas Hoepker is a German photographer and member of Magnum photos. He has been a photojournalist for Stern magazine, director of photography for American Geo, and has also worked as a cameraman for German documentaries. He documented much of the World Trade Center destruction.
Context: The context of this picture is the event of 9/11, which was considered a tragedy by all who witnessed or heard of it.
Exigence: While many other pictures of destruction and sadness were put in Hoepker's book for Magnum of 9/11, this photograph was not until years later. This started controversy that it did not present the event in the correct light, that these Americans did not learn a lesson that 9/11 was a tragedy, and that people moved on too quickly.
Purpose: I believe that the purpose of this picture was to present 9/11 in a different way, because mostly all the images that we see of it are of pain and suffering. I think it is to show irony, because the people in the picture are not suffering or considering how terrible the attacks were. I think that the photographer did accomplish this, because most people have never seen a lighter side of this event.
Audience: At first Hoepker did not want to have the public see this photo and did not put it in his book of photographs from 9/11, it was not until years later that he allowed the public to see it.
Rhetorical Elements: This photograph is very ironic, because you would not expect people to be carefree after experiencing the terrorist attacks. It also appeals to pathos and ethos, because people associate so much emotion to 9/11 and it makes one question how could these people have been happy and relaxed. The image almost seems unreal.
Summary: This photograph shows a group of New Yorkers casually sitting in the sun and talking in a park in Brooklyn. In the background is water and New York City, with a cloud of black smoke rising above it from the twin towers. The picture was taken on September 11, 2011, a day which is associated with words like terror, horror, and tragedy. However, the people shown in the picture look carefree as the black smoke rises behind them.
Photographer: Thomas Hoepker is a German photographer and member of Magnum photos. He has been a photojournalist for Stern magazine, director of photography for American Geo, and has also worked as a cameraman for German documentaries. He documented much of the World Trade Center destruction.
Context: The context of this picture is the event of 9/11, which was considered a tragedy by all who witnessed or heard of it.
Exigence: While many other pictures of destruction and sadness were put in Hoepker's book for Magnum of 9/11, this photograph was not until years later. This started controversy that it did not present the event in the correct light, that these Americans did not learn a lesson that 9/11 was a tragedy, and that people moved on too quickly.
Purpose: I believe that the purpose of this picture was to present 9/11 in a different way, because mostly all the images that we see of it are of pain and suffering. I think it is to show irony, because the people in the picture are not suffering or considering how terrible the attacks were. I think that the photographer did accomplish this, because most people have never seen a lighter side of this event.
Audience: At first Hoepker did not want to have the public see this photo and did not put it in his book of photographs from 9/11, it was not until years later that he allowed the public to see it.
Rhetorical Elements: This photograph is very ironic, because you would not expect people to be carefree after experiencing the terrorist attacks. It also appeals to pathos and ethos, because people associate so much emotion to 9/11 and it makes one question how could these people have been happy and relaxed. The image almost seems unreal.
Argument Prompt
Jess Kleman and Danielle Baglivo
"There is a certain distancing that history gives us from certain kinds of artifacts. If you had called me and said these books and said these are from Nazi Germany, I would have a very different response."
Consider the quotation above, then write an essay that defends, challenges, or qualifies this assertion. Support your argument with appropriate evidence from your reading, observation, or experience.
"There is a certain distancing that history gives us from certain kinds of artifacts. If you had called me and said these books and said these are from Nazi Germany, I would have a very different response."
Consider the quotation above, then write an essay that defends, challenges, or qualifies this assertion. Support your argument with appropriate evidence from your reading, observation, or experience.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Unit 1- Essential Question Reflection
Speakers and writers use Rhetorical devices to communicate their ideas. While there are many different techniques and devices they use, their main purpose is to get an audience's attention and to give them an understand of what point they are trying to get across. Often, speeches and text are meant to be persuasive, in which case a Rhetor may use appeals to ethos, pathos, and logos to get an audience to agree with their opinion. They can also convince an audience by their tone, arrangement, and the words they use depending on the context. Different Rhetorical devices are required for various subjects and context. A Rhetor will use them according to what idea they need to communicate to others.
Unit 1- Assignment Question Reflection
So far, I think that the entire process for the Tim O'Brien and Picasso essay were the most helpful to me. I chose this because it was much like assignments I would do in previous language arts courses, but took it to the next level. I have been used to finding examples to support a thesis about text, but I have never had to analyze an image as well. I thought it was very interesting how Guernica tied into How to Tell a True War Story. I also have never had to rhetorically analyze anything like we did in this assignment, however I think that it is an important skill that will help me on SAT's and in college. I am motivated to try to better myself at writing essays such as this one.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Independent Reading #1
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
By Rebecca Skloot
By Rebecca Skloot
Biography: Rebecca Skloot is the daughter of Floyd Skloot, who is famous
for writing poems, novels, and essays. She has a BS in biological
sciences and MFA in creative writing. Skloot
is an award winning science writer who has appeared in The New York Times
Magazine, The Oprah Magazine, Discover, and many other publications.
Summary: The first section of this book is about Henrietta's background living in Maryland in the early 1900's. When she was about 30, she went to the John Hopkins Hospital, where doctors discovered that she had an very aggressive form of cervical cancer. Without her knowing, they harvested a sample of the cells to study. As she struggled to fight the cancer spreading throughout her body, her cells collected by doctors were multiplying so that research could be done. Many of those who researched her cells believed that the cure for cancer could finally be reached. Skloot then talked about Henrietta's family, who for a long time were unaware that her cell's were being used for research around the world. They had been taken advantage of by doctors for cooperation who knew they were unaware of what was going on.
Context/Exigence: This book's context is the overall facts about HeLa cells. Skloot takes neither side, but explains both advances in cell research because of Henrietta's cancer cells and the controversy of how doctors did not have her consent to take the cells. The exigence of this story is that most people are unaware of where HeLa cells which save lives today came from, and how they really were not legally allowed to possessed by doctors.
Purpose: Skloot's purpose is not to argue either the doctor's or Henrietta's side, but to state the facts of what happened and how HeLa cells were obtained.
Audience: This book was written for advanced readers who have some understanding of medical terms and law.
Rhetorical Elements: This first section mostly appeals to logos, because it is only the first part of the book presenting the background and facts. It does get a little emotional, because it makes the reader respond to the facts by picking either side. However, Skloot focuses on what happened and who was affected by Henrietta Lacks for this first section.
I think that Skloot accomplished her purpose to educate readers on the HeLa cells because prior to the book I had no idea what they were, and I now feel like I have a much better understanding of them and could explain what the book described to someone else who had no background knowledge.
AOW #4 Video
Summary: This video was about the threat that earth has of being hit by an asteroid from outer-space. While the media makes it seem likely that apocalyptic asteroids, the chance that our earth will experience any severe asteroid hit is very small. Scientists have studied the movement of many large and small asteroids and do not believe that any are on their way towards earth in the next century. Even if their were, there are ways which its path towards our planet can be diverted. However, there is a chance that some could be hiding behind the sun in which case we would have only about a month's notice and no defense plan.
Author: This video was based off of an article written by Tad Friend for The New Yorker magazine. He has been a staff writer at The New Yorker since 1998. Before working for this magazine, Friend was a contributing editor at many other publications, including Esquire. He also wrote a memoir called
Summary: This video was about the threat that earth has of being hit by an asteroid from outer-space. While the media makes it seem likely that apocalyptic asteroids, the chance that our earth will experience any severe asteroid hit is very small. Scientists have studied the movement of many large and small asteroids and do not believe that any are on their way towards earth in the next century. Even if their were, there are ways which its path towards our planet can be diverted. However, there is a chance that some could be hiding behind the sun in which case we would have only about a month's notice and no defense plan.
Author: This video was based off of an article written by Tad Friend for The New Yorker magazine. He has been a staff writer at The New Yorker since 1998. Before working for this magazine, Friend was a contributing editor at many other publications, including Esquire. He also wrote a memoir called
Cheerful Money: Me, My Family, and the Last Days of Wasp Splendor. The New Yorker is currently published 47 times a year, and has won many awards, including three 2010 National Magazine Awards for Public Interest, Reviews & Criticism, and Photo Portfolio.
Context/Exigence: The context of this video is addressing the fear people have towards asteroids hitting our planet. It has been popularized by movies such as Armageddon and Deep Impact. With events such as the apocalypse in 2012 coming up, it would help to ease people's thoughts of our world ending from an asteroid hit.
Purpose: The purpose of this video was to explain to people what asteroids are and how they move in space. It was also to explain what we are doing on earth to help prevent these massive rocks from hitting us so that people do not have to worry about it ever happening. I think that the author accomplished his purpose because I have much less of a fear that an asteroid will kill us all.
Audience: The audience is whoever has read The New Yorker or has an interest in asteroids and space.
Rhetorical Elements: Friend uses a large amount of logos in this video about asteroids. He explains what scientists know about asteroids and factual reasons of why the chance earth will be hit by one is not likely. He also shows the ways that humans can prevent them from hitting the planet in a few ways.
http://www.newyorker.com/video
Sunday, September 25, 2011
AOW #3: Banksy Painting
Summary: This painting was done in an urban area of England. It shows a little girl with a heart-shaped balloon that she's letting go of. On the right side of her is "there is always hope" written.
Author: Banksy, a famous graffiti artist in England, drew this picture. This is only one of the many paintings by Banksy all over the world. Even though he is famous worldwide, nobody has actually ever seen him. Even though he keeps his identity hidden, his art has been sold and books have been published with his work. Banksy is considered one of the most unique and talented artists of our decade.
Context/Exigence: The context of this painting is hope and believing in something beautiful and innocent which most of the time is not. The exigence is that many people in this area may not have hope, so Banksy painted this to bring some light to them.
Purpose: The purpose of this painting was to send the message that there always is hope, and was purposely placed in a poor looking area to send this message to people. It also shows how graffiti can be beautiful instead of trashy and covered up. All of Bansky's graffiti is artistic and has a message to it.
Audience: The audience is anyone who lives in this bad, urban area of England that is on the streets.
Rhetorical Elements: This painting appeals to pathos, because one's hope and belief is usually related to emotion. It also emotional because of the little girl, your eyes are drawn to her because she looks lonely but innocent, letting go of her beloved balloon.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
AOW #2: Code Blue
This week I read the article Code Blue. This story was about an oceanographer named Sylvia Earle who has a new and unique idea; make ocean sites national parks. One particular site she has in mind, The Sargasso Sea, is two-million square miles and in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. This area is unlike any other in the sea because massive mats sargassum, a waterborne golden-brown seaweed. Earle claims this is "the golden rainforest of the sea" because light reaches below the mats on millions of coral eggs. She is trying to make this area marine protected in order to keep it beautiful and safe.
This article was from TIME magazine and written by Bryan Walsh. TIME magazine has won countless top awards for magazine excellence. Bryan Walsh first worked for TIME Tokyo and Hong Kong before moving to New York. He writes about environment, energy, and alarming diseases for the magazine.
The exigence for this article is that previous to Sylvia Earle's idea, no one had thought of making any part of the ocean a national park. It is a very unique idea that could change our environment. The purpose of this article is to try to make the public aware of this new idea, and help with this positive cause. If more people know about it, more will then support it. Walsh wrote this article to apply to one's ethos, pathos, and logos. It is logical because we already have national parks on land, so we should have them in the ocean too. It is emotional because the site is beautiful and supports living creatures, and it is also credible because Sylvia Earle is an oceanographer who has been studying the area for years. Walsh did accomplish his purpose, because I strongly agree that the site should become a national park.
http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2020806_2020805_2020796,00.html
This article was from TIME magazine and written by Bryan Walsh. TIME magazine has won countless top awards for magazine excellence. Bryan Walsh first worked for TIME Tokyo and Hong Kong before moving to New York. He writes about environment, energy, and alarming diseases for the magazine.
The exigence for this article is that previous to Sylvia Earle's idea, no one had thought of making any part of the ocean a national park. It is a very unique idea that could change our environment. The purpose of this article is to try to make the public aware of this new idea, and help with this positive cause. If more people know about it, more will then support it. Walsh wrote this article to apply to one's ethos, pathos, and logos. It is logical because we already have national parks on land, so we should have them in the ocean too. It is emotional because the site is beautiful and supports living creatures, and it is also credible because Sylvia Earle is an oceanographer who has been studying the area for years. Walsh did accomplish his purpose, because I strongly agree that the site should become a national park.
http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2020806_2020805_2020796,00.html
IRB Book
Title: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Author: Rebecca Skloot
Section 1: pgs. 1-82
Section 2: pgs. 83-165
Section 3: pgs. 166-248
Section 4: pgs. 248-328
Why you chose this book: I chose this book because my mom recommended it to me. After reading a summary of it I was interested that it was about a woman who played such a big role in medical advancements yet many people have no idea who she is. I am interested to find out who Henrietta Lacks really was.
Monday, September 12, 2011
AOW #1: Lady Gaga
This week I read an article from Vogue magazine entitled: Lady Gaga: Our Lady of Pop. The article was an interview with the pop star written by Jonathan Van Meter, after experiencing a concert on her Monster Ball Tour. He describes how she curses, calls her fans "little monsters," and dresses in elaborate outfits. When he interviews Lady Gaga, she bluntly introduced the man she was with as her boyfriend and describes how she was bullied when she was a child. She was extremely open with her life and opinions but at the same time considered herself an artist and a talented performer.
Vogue magazine published this article on February 10, 2011. The magazine has been published since 1892, when it was founded. Jonathan Van Meter is an editor of Vogue and is a regular contributor of The New York Times magazine. He has also written for Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, and Esquire. Not only is this article in a magazine read by millions across the country, but the author is extremely experienced and writes for other credible magazines and newspapers as well.
The exigence of this article is to present Lady Gaga, one of the fastest rising stars (and most intriguing) of our generation. The purpose of Van Meter writing this piece was to show readers how unique Lady Gaga is. She is straight forward and open with her fans about her life and her most personal thoughts, yet she is a musical genius who plays multiple instruments, writes all her own songs, and decides how she wants to perform them herself. Prior to the pop star, the typical celebrity was very concerned with their privacy and were not nearly as musically talented. The author uses rhetorical devices such as irony, allusion, and hyperboles in this article. Van Meter did accomplish his purpose considering anyone who reads this article would be fascinated with Lady Gaga's uniqueness, open personality, and true talent.
Vogue magazine published this article on February 10, 2011. The magazine has been published since 1892, when it was founded. Jonathan Van Meter is an editor of Vogue and is a regular contributor of The New York Times magazine. He has also written for Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, and Esquire. Not only is this article in a magazine read by millions across the country, but the author is extremely experienced and writes for other credible magazines and newspapers as well.
The exigence of this article is to present Lady Gaga, one of the fastest rising stars (and most intriguing) of our generation. The purpose of Van Meter writing this piece was to show readers how unique Lady Gaga is. She is straight forward and open with her fans about her life and her most personal thoughts, yet she is a musical genius who plays multiple instruments, writes all her own songs, and decides how she wants to perform them herself. Prior to the pop star, the typical celebrity was very concerned with their privacy and were not nearly as musically talented. The author uses rhetorical devices such as irony, allusion, and hyperboles in this article. Van Meter did accomplish his purpose considering anyone who reads this article would be fascinated with Lady Gaga's uniqueness, open personality, and true talent.
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