TOW #13- Visual Text

   Some countries more than others are still facing inequality among genders.  A current widespread issue being discussed are the women living under Sharia Law, restricted from doing everyday tasks like driving.  In the following UN Women advertisement, strong composition of the visual and relevancy to the modern world contribute to spread awareness of women's oppression that is occurring all around the world.
     A combination of the close-up camera shot and the placement of text come together to create an extremely powerful advertisement.  The effect of the zoomed-in perspective generates a more intimate feeling from the image, in which an appeal to pathos is made.  The viewer can almost sense all of the hurt in the lady's eyes.  If the camera was zoomed-out, revealing the rest of the woman, it would not have as strong of a personal impact.  Another way that the composition of the visual is effective is through the placement of the search box.  Choosing to position this over the woman's mouth sends a larger message that she, along with so many other women in the world, are being robbed of their own voice.  The search bar, representing the dominating majority in society, is literally refraining her from speaking freely which is a basic right that all people deserve.  If this element were to be placed at the bottom of the page instead, not only would the interest level of the advertisement decline, but it would also leave out the main message; it is what is connecting the two opposing sides.
     In addition to the placement of the graphic enhancing the image is also the general choice in using a search box.  By deciding to use a Google search bar to cover her mouth instead of just a list of words, the author is immediately connecting this piece to the modern world, increasing its relevancy to current world issues.  These automatic search suggestions that appear when typing are symbolic of the same automatic assumptions that society continues to make about women's treatment.  In result, these are the same prejudices that are facing women with everyday oppression in some parts of the world.  Since Google and the Internet are so commonly used, the search bar is very recognizable to the viewer, drawing their attention to the ad.  Also leaving a powerful impression is what is left outside of the text box: "women need to be seen as equal".  Intentionally, this phrase was left out of the box because it is not one that is typically representative of what many people think.  By providing this, the UN makes it clear that they are arguing for global women's equality.
     Although women have come a long way from the past, and there are an abundance of organizations still fighting for what they believe is truly equal, the sad reality is that in many parts of the world there are women facing what many would consider to be a nightmare. Through this UN Women advertisement campaigning for an end to the worldwide oppression of women, a strong use of composition and connection to modern technology in today's world create an effective argument. In hopes, advertisements and exposure to such societal imbalance will eventually lead to the final leap for women's equality.

TOW #12- Non Fiction Text 2

     As a child, Eudora Welty went through books fast: faster than the library return policy allowed her to, and faster than she was able to comprehend them.  There are two different ways to "read".  One can simply peruse the text and move on to the next, or form a connection with the book and truly read.  In Welty's narrative essay, "A Sweet Devouring", she makes allusions to literature and uses symbolism of books' physical appearances in order to share how she learned that reading is not a race, and books are not meant to be rushed through. 

    Looking back at her childhood, book-loving self, Welty now realizes that there is an explanation for her speedy reading.  By making constant allusions to the texts she read, she is able to illustrate the amount of "false reading" she was doing.  Memories of Welty's willingness to "read everything just alike" came swarming back when she recalls how she read "Tales from Maria Edgeworth and went right ahead, without feeling the bump" (1).  The bump, in this case, is the larger effect or the deeper meaning that was completely missed because she was not aware that she was reading completely wrong.  Through her allusions, she is able to exemplify specific times in which she made this same mistake from her youth.  These references are essential in elaborating on her issue of going through books to quickly, and without them her narrative would fall flat.  

     Eudora Welty also mentions her likelihood to have judged a book by its cover when she was a kid.   Through the symbolism that she creates between the books' physical appearances and her reaction to them, Welty expresses her shallow viewing of the books prior to her realization that there is more to them then just how they look.  She found disappointment in Tales from Maria Edgeworth, but not because of what the author wrote but instead because "the illustrator fell down on the characters" (2). The contrast between her lack of concern with the actual words and instead with the illustrations symbolize that Welty was not at all reading to comprehend the story.  While she was so caught up in the appearance of the book, she missed the point of the text.  

      Reflecting on her past, Eudora Welty may classify this misunderstanding as a valuable lesson for herself, one that everybody could grow from hearing.  It is through her rapid reading that she realized "the printed page is not absolutely everything", but instead a single component of the reading pastime.  By including allusions to different pieces of literature from her past and creating symbolism of the physical appearance of books, Welty is able to share her story of realization in "A Sweet Devouring" when she learned that there is more to reading than just the literal meaning.  It is through this that one may become aware that in order to read, one must devour the text. 

TOW #11- IRB First Half

   The Christmas season is a time for all to rejoice and surround each other with the warm feeling of the holidays. However, for soldiers in combat, this tradition is merely just a fantasy.  In the notorious memories from World War II, people tend to only give attention to the tragedies, the evil, or the dictators.  But in the book 11 Days In December by Stanley Weintraub, a closer look is taken at the individual lives of American soldiers who were across the Atlantic on the Christmas of 1944.  Throughout his book, Weintraub includes a strong sense of realism and a third person point of view to expose the reader to the circumstances that these WWII soldiers faced during a Christmas season away from home.
     The Battle of the Bulge, an offensive attack launched by Germany, was a major turning point and important event in depleting the German force in the war.  Before going in depth on the personal levels of the soldiers, Weintraub provides a very a realistic overview of the war in its weeks approaching Christmas.  One of the techniques that he uses in order to set an authentic scene for the reader is the inclusion of quotes from men involved in the war, such as when "Colonel William Sylvan, who had come in to warn Hodges, said in puzzlement, 'some of our tanks are a mile down the road firing in this direction'" (Weintraub 5).  The use of this dialogue not only encapsulates the setting, but it also creates a feeling of realism as that is a true quote pertaining to a true event.  For this book especially, it is important for the information to be exact so that the book has historical accuracy.  With his realistic overview, Weintraub is able to draw attention towards the reality of WWII and make his story more valid through the accuracy of his summarization.
     Weintraub also utilizes a strategic device in his point of view, from which he writes in the third person.  Since he is all-knowing about the historical events surrounding the story, his omniscient perspective is very well suited for the Christmas story at the Bulge.  Through this, Weintraub is able to give a full synopsis of the war up until December of 1944, and cover all of the major points without any limitations.  As he was introducing a town near the Ardennes called Spa, he explains it "was bypassed" but then continues to tell of "another Belgian town [where] the expected Germans in halftracks with 88-mm guns had not yet appeared" (Weintraub 7).  From a third person viewpoint, Weintraub is knowledgable of the actions occurring in all of the towns during the war, which increases his credibility and adds more background to the story.  If he were telling the story, for example, as one of the American soldiers, the reader would therefore not know of what else was occurring outside of the occupied town.
     In the Christmas twist on the true war story of WWII, 11 Days of December demonstrates precise historical accuracy through Weintraub's sense of realism, and is able to provide a lot of information through a third person point of view.  By using both of these devices, Weintraub is able to show his audience that while Christmas is a time to come together and celebrate, it was a matter of survival for the soldiers of 1944.
   

TOW #10- Nonfiction Text 1

     With Thanksgiving just around the corner, November could not be a better time to give thanks.  Whether it means expressing gratitude towards your friends, family, or even the stranger that stops the elevator doors from closing in on you, being thankful not only lifts the spirits of others, but also your own.  In the opinion article from The New York Times, "Choose to Be Grateful.  It Will Make You Happier", Arthur C. Brooks appeals to logos by providing examples of specific studies and includes a personal anecdote in order to argue his assertion that being grateful leaves the positive impact of making a person happier.
     In order to prove the great cure to chronic grumpiness is an unexpected dose of appreciation, Brooks appeals to logos with the support of different scientific studies based off of gratitude.  Results showed that happiness follows right behind being thankful when "researchers in one 2003 study randomly assigned one group of study participants to keep a short weekly list of the things they were grateful for, while other groups listed hassles or neutral events".  When the 10 weeks of research were over, the first group reported significant "greater life satisfaction" than the others.  By providing real life experiments that exemplify his argument, Brooks is able to appeal to the logical thinkers in his audience, and show that there is scientific truth that gratitude can stimulate joy within a person.
     After making his argument, Brooks includes a personal anecdote that illustrates the theory in use.  He explains that in the past, he "published a book about charitable giving" and allowed his audience to give him feedback in the form of radio and email.  However, one night, he received an email from somebody with differing beliefs than his.  The email read, "you are a fraud" and "in brutal detail, [gave] a case against every chapter of my [Brooks's] book".  While a response like this would typically bring somebody a feeling of ingratitude, Brooks had a feeling of appreciation that somebody had at least read his book.  He included this feeling in his email back to the reader, and "felt great writing it".  This personal experience supports Brooks's argument in a different way from the research examples.  Rather than only appealing to logos, this broadens his audience by appealing to pathos on the more intimate level with the author.  By using a story from his past, he is able to give an everyday example of thankfulness and happiness coming hand-in-hand.
     When people are thankful, they not only create an optimistic atmosphere for others around them, but they also create one in themselves.  In "Choose to Be Grateful.  It Will Make You Happier", Arthur C. Brooks makes an appeal to logos with various examples of scientific studies and includes a personal anecdote of his own experience in the happiness that is caused from being grateful.  So be grateful this Thanksgiving: not only may it become a good habit, but there may be something else to come out of it.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/22/opinion/sunday/choose-to-be-grateful-it-will-make-you-happier.html?ribbon-ad-idx=8&src=trending&module=Ribbon&version=origin&region=Header&action=click&contentCollection=Trending&pgtype=article

TOW #9- Visual Text

   Dreaming is one of life's biggest mysteries.  There is no explanation to the absurd dreams that people experience, nor the strange way that time seems to pass during them.  In Salvador Dali's "The Persistence of Memory", he uses juxtaposition of place and a distinct surrealist style in order to represent that the passing of time within a dream is enigmatic.
    Known for frequent use of the desert in his paintings, Dali has a reason for his seemingly random setting.  Through the juxtaposition of place and the objects within, he is able to create a dream-like feeling for his artwork.  One of the things that is most intriguing about this piece is his placement of both clocks and tabletop-like shapes in such a place that they would normally never be seen.  In a dream, the logical reasoning of things such as placement and setting almost never makes sense. Through Dali's strategic choice in background, he is able to replicate the mysterious feeling that is often felt while dreaming.
     Perhaps the most widely-known object that Salvador Dali has ever painted are the four melting clocks depicted in "The Persistence of Memory".  In order to display the obscurity of time during a dream, he places a very distinct surrealist style on the clocks.  Through this decision, he is making a direct analogy to his purpose: the distortion of the clocks symbolizes the distortion of time.  Dali also shows this in the melting of the sleeping face on the ground.  By using this style in both the clocks and the figure that is experiencing the dream, he is able to effectively tie the two together to communicate the impenetrable passing of time within a dream.
     For many, "The Persistence of Memory" may actually cause a lot of confusion, which is why it is most effective.  Salvador Dali is able to place the viewers into the dreamlike realm of this piece.  Through juxtaposition between place and objects, and his surrealist style, Dali is able to show that the passing of time within a dream is both puzzling and impossible to keep track of.

IRB Intro #2

      My current independent reading book, 11 Days In December by Stanley Weintraub, is an unheard of Christmas story.  Based on the final winter of World War II, this story takes a look into the individual lives of the soldiers fighting in the Battle of the Bulge.  Despite their struggle to survive through the cold and weary holiday season spent far from home, these men never surrender to the opposing German side.  Stanley Weintraub reveals not only how the WWII heroes withstood harsh conditions, but he also shows the side that many don't see: how they withstood Christmas in the midst of a deadly battle.  I was interested in reading this book because I have a new found love of American history, and really enjoy watching movies based off of its events in the past.  The genre is also very different from what I would usually pick, so I found it both refreshing and helpful in gaining experience with a variety of texts.  Plus, it is a Christmas story which I found most appropriate for the upcoming month!

TOW #8- IRB second half

    For a teenager living in 21st century America, daily hardships may include homework, busy schedules, or parental misunderstandings.  For the three lost boys of Sudan, who are also the authors of They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky, these struggles would be looked at as luxuries.  In their collaborative novel composed of their three separate journeys to freedom, Benson Deng, Alepho Deng, and Benjamin Ajak, display perseverance during the Sudanese Civil War with a series of descriptive anecdotes and a hopeful mood that is created throughout the book.  By utilizing these devices, the boys are able to show their audience what a daily hardship looks like to the children of Sudan.
     They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky consists of alternating descriptive anecdotes from the time between the boys' separation and their reunion.  Although these stories may be cruel, upsetting, and unworldly seeming, the boys experienced every single one of them.  Benson explains that when he and the lost boys he was traveling with left Natinga, their search for water was even more desperate than usual.  He remembers, "our mouths and throats [were] so dry it hurt to breathe", and being so thirsty that "we  collapsed on the ground" (245).  By describing how deprived they were of something simple like water, Benson is able to show the audience of people who have never experienced similar feelings how much the lost boys had to overcome.  In a world where most people have access to unlimited water at their convenience, it is shocking to hear that these boys were so thirsty that they "imagined the smell of water" (245).  With including their struggle to find such a basic need such as water, the boys are able to show the different meanings of the word "hardship" from their point of view and kids who aren't living through a civil war.
     Despite all of the life threatening encounters that the boys face during their journey to freedom, they all remain hopeful.  Through their determination, not only are they able to survive, but they also set a hopeful mood across the text to show their perseverance.  When Benson had to hide inside of a thorn bush to avoid being captured, he tried not to think about pain that he was feeling.  Instead, he explains how "Inside me, the feelings of how happy I would be to reach the camp allowed me to forget the pain of each step" (244).  He then flipped his perspective on the scars he would have from the thorn bush, stating, "I hoped that any scars would forever be a sign of my successful escape" (244).  By looking at his situation in a positive way, Benson is not only able to show his endurance but he also shows the audience that hope was really the only thing he had left to rely on.  Even when it seemed nearly impossible to find, Benson used every bit of optimism left inside of him.
     Through all three of these lost boys, a story of determination despite all odds is told.  In They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky, the boys are able to put their descriptive anecdotes and hopeful mood to good use in order to educate their audience on the overlooked situation of the Sudanese Civil War.  In the end, Benson, Alepho, and Benjamin were no longer "lost boys", but boys who have found well deserved peace and freedom in their now forever home of San Diego, California.

TOW #7-Non fiction text 2

     No spaghetti straps.  No short skirts.  No midriff shirts.  A typical school dress code may be seen as a way to maintain order, but what many don't consider is the message it is sending to female youth.  In Laura Bates's opinion article, "How School Dress Codes Shame Girls and Perpetuate Rape Culture", she includes personal experiences from other girls, and appeals to pathos through the feminine tone that she establishes to reveal the negative effects that dress codes are having on young women.  While the school may think it is playing a positive role by creating a "distraction free environment", girls are being taught that they are the distraction.
     Throughout her article, Bates includes different statements from girls with a similar viewpoint on their schools' dress code.  Their experiences with challenging the dress code or being criticized for what they wear result in the discrepancy that Bates is aiming to reveal.  One girl shares, "at my school our dress code dictates everything about a girls outfit" but "there's no dress code for men".  By including the reality of one girl's school dress code, Bates not only establishes a general idea of all dress codes, but she is also leading into the problem it creates with gender inequality. Another girl shares a more personal experience- "I've been asked whether I'm ashamed of myself because I rolled up my skirt".  By associating the dress code with a word such as 'shame', girls are becoming easily succumbed to feeling bad about themselves for wearing what they normally wear or what is comfortable to them.  This negative impact on young women supports Bates's argument that the dress code is damaging to female confidence and sends off the message that their bodies are something to feel sorry for.
     Bates also calls attention to the issue that school dress codes impose on sexism.  Through her feministic tone, she is able to appeal to the emotions of the women in the audience.  Some of the girls that she interviewed for her article shared that they had been verbally harassed in a sexual way by boys at school.  She then explains that often half the problem is not the clothing, but just "a lack of any attempt to discipline boys for harassing behavior, which drives home the message that it is the victim's responsibility to prevent".  In Bates's opinion, the dress code is a way of putting the blame on girls in these situations.  By comparing the effects on both genders, she is attempting to reach out to the female audience and make them aware of the injustice they are facing.  The pride that she holds in  her femininity causes women to think twice the next time somebody places the blame on their clothing choices.


      http://time.com/3892965/everydaysexism-school-dress-codes-rape-culture/

TOW #6- Visual Text

     In this advertisement for Perrier sparkling water, the visuals are the only thing necessary.  With its creative alterations, the company is able to make the beverage look like the "coolest" thing in the room.  Not only is this done through the contrast of hot and cold, but also ethos that is established through the atmosphere of the advertisement.  Through these elements of the visual text, the bottle is the item of glorification and also the only component that was left untouched.
     Overall, this Perrier ad is a work of art.  There is a significant amount of graphic and computer design that contributed to the making of this image.  It also enhanced the eye-catching effect of the advertisement.  By making the objects in the picture appear as if they are melting, it takes the image up a level.  While creating this ad, they could have left the clothes and the disco balls as they were, and just added some sweat on the girl to communicate that she is hot.  Instead, they exaggerated the temperature of the room by making things that can't actually melt, melt.  By representing the excessive amount of heat that this girl is experiencing, they are only making the beverage appear to be cooler.  Contrasting with the unrealistic heat is the single bottle of Perrier, and the only object that is not melting.  Between the choice of a hot and cold drink, it is assumed that most people desire cold, and this image is establishing that Perrier sparkling water is the coolest and most desirable item in the room.  As a result of the advertisement, the company hopes that after viewing this ad, people will choose Perrier the next time they need to be refreshed.
     Not only does the artistic value of the advertisement support the beverage, but so does the environment around it.  The party atmosphere is typically looked at to be an expensive and attractive lifestyle to many.  By using this setting, as opposed to somebody's average kitchen table, the Perrier company is able to establish a credibility about their drink.  Now the beverage has an upscale reputation which might attract people looking for this lifestyle.  This strategy is also used on the model in the picture, not only because of the fact that she is good-looking, but also in her sparkling, (now liquid) gold dress.  The color choice makes her look extravagant, and since she's reaching for a Perrier, the drink must be extravagant as well.
   This advertisement caught my eye because it reminded me immediately of some of Salvador Dali's artworks, such as The Persistence of Memory.  Dali had a very surrealist feel to his pieces, and I felt that this ad captured that as well, through the effect of the melting objects.  Perrier was able to not only to make the sparkling water appear to be the only thing cold in a 150 degree room, but also made it look like the fanciest guest at the party.   Through the contrast of temperature and appeal to ethos through a party atmosphere, Perrier appears to be a desirable and refreshing drink for any person, place, or occasion.

TOW #5- Non-fiction Text 1

     David Brook's theory of the baby boomer generation states his belief that people are the product of the generation they are raised in.  Not only are these effects associated with the way one is brought up but also include outside factors such as events in the time period.  In Brook's opinion article, Children of the '70s, major events such as the Vietnam War, the Hippie Movement, and various crime waves are used to support his generalization that this group of people have been shaped, from these happenings, to be a more experienced generation.  Brook uses strategies in his writing such as a comparison between the past and the present and specific facts to appeal to logos.
     Starting off his article, Brook introduces the Upper West Side of Manhattan in its current state; you are able to walk around with "such ease and safety that you could get the impression it was always this way".  He then compares this to the Upper West Side that he remembers from his youth, home to "one of the most dangerous blocks in the city".  Through his comparison, he is able to show the reader both views of the New York City area in order to explain the impact that today's '70s children have made.  This generation of people grew up with things like "crime and divorce" impacting their everyday life which is why Brook believes they represent the opposite image as adults.  He argues that in today's world, the used-to-be children of the '70s are maintaining peace and safety amongst themselves because of the violent experiences they've witnessed in the past.
     Not only does he use personal comparisons of different memories of the area, but he also appeals to logos through his multiple inclusions of statistics and rates.  For example, "by 1990, 5,641 felonies were committed in New York City's 24th Precinct, according to Podhoretz. Last year, only 987 were".  With this statement, Brook is combining his appeal to logos and his comparative strategy to convey the message of change that he has seen resulted from this group of people.  Since the crime rates have gone down so drastically since the '70s children have grown up, Brook draws the conclusion that it is due to the factors of their childhood.
    I think that David Brook has made a very interesting point through his article by tracing the roots of change all the way back to the original time period that caused it.  His idea opened my eyes to look at the bigger, overall picture when I am people analyzing, and also brought me to question what my generation is going to look like in about 30 years.  By looking at the way we are growing up and the things that are effecting us now, I can almost make the prediction that it will be the same things changing the ways we live in the future.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/18/opinion/18brooks.html?_r=0

   

TOW #4- IRB

     They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky is the retelling of three Sudanese boys' experiences during  Sudan's Civil War, and the miraculous journeys they went through in order to stay safe from the central government.  When the Dinka tribe gets word of nearby villages being attacked by government troops, the families are torn apart in the turmoil.  With no direction to turn, Benjamin finds himself traveling with a large group of boys his same age, eventually finding his cousins including Benson.  Out of desperation, the boys left their village on a trek to Ethiopia, leaving their families behind and never looking back.  So far, Benson, Alepho, and Benjamin have successfully been able to show the hardships of the Sudanese people and the "Lost Boys" through the unique transitions of their different  perspectives of the situation, and the shocking reality of their many anecdotes.
     Separated in the midst of the chaos, the story alternates between each of the boys and their point of view during the war.  Although each of the boys are experiencing many of the same feelings- confusion, desperation, grief, and distraught- it is very effective to see each individual perspective.  With each boy traveling on a different route and persevering through different obstacles, the effect of an rotating viewpoint allows the reader to have a more open outlook on the Sudanese Civil War and its impact on innocent, everyday civilians.  It also gives the audience an advantage, for example, to know that Benson had just crossed the Nile River, a long way from home, while Alepho and his family are still in the village and "went looking for him" because "nobody had seen Benson" (95).  Being able to see the overall effect of chaos and trouble that was brought amongst these people has a greater impact on the reader emotionally, allowing them to have a better sense of the situation.
     The whole book, being basically one big collection of anecdotes, had an immediate impact on me as an outsider to the war because I could not wrap my head around the fact it was true.  The life that is described in Sudan by these boys who were around the same age as me is so contrastingly different that it causes me to question the reality of the stories.  I think that we, being human, can become so involved in our own lives that it is sometimes hard to remember the diversity of other people's experiences.  To read that they witnessed "'a skulls tree where you can see all types of bones from a lot of people'" (80), and were so hungry as to "pick[ed] up the bones of some fish that had already been eaten by a fisherman" (70) really acts as an eye-opener to me, which I think is the reason the boys shared their stories through the book.  They are not only able to show me what it was once like to live in their part of the world, but they also made me think about how I live through our very different experiences.

TOW #3- Non-fiction text

      Professor of the Social Studies of Science and Technology, Sherry Turkle, takes a strong position on the effects of technology on today's conversations.  In her recent opinion article in The New York Times, Stop Googling. Let's Talk, Turkle focuses on how the age-old face-to-face conversation is being replaced by text messages and the distraction of the cell phone.  With careful analyzation of the human race, she draws the conclusion that our capability of holding a conversation is worsening as a result of everyday technology.  Through "studying the psychology of online connectivity for more than 30 years", she includes a number of different resources in her article, ranging from children to college students.  In one of the mentioned studies, a team at the University of Michigan "found a 40 percent decline in empathy among college students, with most of the decline taking place after 2000".   By including this research in her text, Turkle appeals to logos by providing scientific proof to her audience.  This shows that there is more than just daily observations and scenarios supporting her claim.  

     Sherry Turkle also utilizes satire in her writing, not only targeting the "digital generation" but also including herself in the accusation.  Throughout her article, she constantly uses the words "we" and "our".  For example, she states that "we've gotten used to being connected all the time, but we have found ways around conversation".  This point of view in which she is satirizing not only forces the reader to admit to themselves that they value time on their phone more than genuine discussion with somebody, but it also establishes a sense of credibility about herself.  It makes the reader feel less criticized, but still has the effect that it needs in order to make the audience find fault with themselves.  Turkle also does this in an effort to show the reader how almost everybody can be impacted by these side effects of text messaging and apps; she doesn't try to put herself on some type of pedestal.  

     Through the use of these rhetorical strategies, Turkle is successfully able to make her audience aware of the consequences of relying too much on technology for communication.  However, at the end of her article, she makes clear that "we are not looking for simple solutions" but instead, "we are looking for beginnings".  She then goes on to give suggestions on how to possibly begin improving face-to-face conversation, and how sometimes we just need to be put ourselves in an uncomfortable situation; starting a conversation can be risky.  But her point is that without that risk factor, it's becoming more difficult for us to find ourselves.  

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/27/opinion/sunday/stop-googling-lets-talk.html?ref=opinion&_r=0  

TOW #2- Non-fiction Text

    Gerald Early's expository essay on the viewpoints of beauty pageants challenges the standard image of the ideal American woman, with the help of the Barbie doll.  In his account, Life with Daughters: Watching the Miss America Pageant found in The Best American Essays of the Century, Early describes his experiences in watching the annual Miss America pageant with his wife and daughters; he also describes the effects it has not only on his own family, but the nation as a whole.  The first Miss America pageant took place in Atlantic City, 1921, with the main intention of crowning the most attractive woman.  At that time, no blacks were allowed to enter the competition.  

    Written in 1990, Gerald Early takes a unique approach in Life with Daughters, explaining his opinon on beauty standards from the perspective of a black father with a family.  Early shares his opinion to a nation where we strive to behold the "perfect", American image.  There are times in the essay where he reflects on small anecdotes from his childhood in the 1960s, a time where the rights between blacks and whites were still struggling to become equal.  He remembers clearly a family photo that was taken from his little sister's confirmation, and the white colored doll she was holding in her hand.  Early explains that she was "proud of the moment and wanted to share it with her favorite toy" (Early 535).  Back then, white dolls were the only option for little girls to play with.  Also, at this time it had not yet been made possible for a black woman to win a Miss America contest.  This created a false portrayal to the nation that the ideal beauty were to be white.  Early later connects this memory to the current day, and how his two daughters often "play Barbies" (Early 546).  His wife is not fond of the girls owning white Barbie dolls due to the stereotypical idea of white being the only color used to represent beauty.  In the end of his essay, Early retells what happened when he joined his daughters to play Barbie and they showed him the white "child" of a Barbie and Ken doll, who both happened to be black.  Early's daughter explains her reasoning with "'we're not racial. That's old-fashioned'" (Early 547).  By 1990, two black woman had won in the Miss America Beauty Pageant, and general beauty standards had finally shifted.  By sharing these experiences, Gerald Early is not only establishing an appeal to ethos and his personal credibility on the situation regarding race and beauty, but he is also conveying his message through the use of an extended metaphor.  Using two stories pertaining to dolls, both from different time periods, Early is able to connect it with the Miss America pageant and convey the overall message that beauty standards were once, and still may be, controlled by racial discrimination.  

    

TOW #1- Visual Text

The following visual text is a political cartoon from the first women’s rights convention, Seneca Falls, in 1848.  This movement was a big step in creating equality between men and women of the time, one of the most relevant fights was the freedom to vote.  The first thing that I realized while viewing this image is that the woman is raveled up in ribbon.  The ribbon binds her legs, arms, torso, and mouth so she is unable to move or speak.  This depiction of the woman is shown as a metaphor, in order to show viewers all of the ways that she is being constrained just for being female.  She feels trapped both physically from all of the laws and customs that suppress her, but she also feels as though she is mute; while she may be capable of talking, it is of no use when nobody is listening.  The interesting part of the ribbon is that it consists of words like “VOTELESS, LIMITATIONS, PREJUDICE and CUSTOM”.  Words like this are meant to evoke emotion inside the viewer, who may not understand what it is like to feel unequal, to show the weakness that many of these women felt while trying to fight for the upper-hand.  

The body language that the woman is portraying also appeals to pathos, and is used to explain what the women were fighting against at the Seneca Falls Convention.  She is leaning forwards, towards the man, with hunched shoulders.  Universally, a tall stance with shoulders back usually represents confidence and independence, which is something that these women did not yet have.  Another component of this visual text that expresses women’s oppression is the placement of the man over the woman.  He is standing on a stage, making himself appear taller than the woman.  This creates a sense of superiority over the woman, displaying the custom of the time that men had authority over female figures.

Overall, this cartoon is a clear representation of what the women of the 1840’s were trying to stop: women’s inequality. The image is simple, yet conveys the message that is needed in order to express the feeling of a woman’s fight.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/420734790165008912/ 

IRB Intro #1

For my first independent reading book of the school year, I chose They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky, a nonfiction narrative piece written by “the three Lost Boys from Sudan”; Benson Deng, Alephonsion Deng, and Benjamin Ajak. With the help and encouragement of their American “caretaker”, Judy A. Bernstein, these boys are able to transform their life story into text and explain what it is like to be a teenage boy in Sudan during a civil war.  From 1983 to 2005, Sudan was a country of chaos over regional disagreement of natural resources.  Being one of many results from the war, this story focuses on the thousands of young Sudanese boys who fled from being captured or killed by the violence in their country.  These refugees, now known as the Lost Boys from Sudan, share their personal stories of escape which were once the same words written in their diaries.  

I chose to read They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky because it seemed to be very different from the genre of reading that I usually enjoy reading.  Typically, I choose fiction over nonfiction.  For no particular reason, I do not tend to choose novels that involve a historical background- I just never really tried them out.  Since this nonfiction book involves a lot of Sudanese history and culture, it is more challenging for me to adjust, compared to past books I have read.  I am excited to continue reading because I feel that it may be a new genre of interest to me.  This exposure of text variety will also prepare me for the AP Exam in May.  Another thing that I hope to learn from reading about the Lost Boys from Sudan is how different their lives are from mine.  Just from reading the first few chapters so far, it is easy for me to see that Sudanese culture is nothing like the American way of life.  While my mom cooks me dinner that comes from the grocery store, these boys are hunting elephants in order for their village to eat.  I have always found myself interested in the diversity of people, and I have realized that this book will expose me to even more.  Through reading these boys’ stories of their journeys from Sudan, I hope to become more aware of the different people, cultures, and environments that are in this world.

Putting Daddy On by Tom Wolfe

     When Parker finds out that his son, Ben, has dropped out of college and moved to the dreaded Lower East Side of New York City, he asks Tom Wolfe to accompany him on the rescue to save his son.  Set in the 1960s, Putting Daddy On is an essay about the generational uprising that was spreading through the population of young beatniks.  From Parker's perspective of being a successful "forty-six-year-old agency executive" (Wolfe 281), hope for his "flipnik"(Wolfe 280) son is running out fast.  The relationship between a parent and a child is one of great complications.  A father has certain expectations of his son, and when they are not fulfilled it can result in the feeling of failure.  When Ben fails to finish school and become a businessman like his father, this feeling settles within Parker.   

     Wolfe uses the rhetorical device, repetition, throughout his writing in order to emphasize the disintegrating relationship between a friend and his son, and support his argument that at some point, all parents have to let go.  He describes Parker to be "a casualty of the Information Crisis" (Wolfe 280), which is why "he understands everybody's motives" (Wolfe 281).  For example, "he understands why pot-smoking is sort of a religion.  He understands Oneness, lofts, visions, the Lower East Side" (Wolfe 281).  The repetition of this phrase throughout the piece draws attention to Parker's main internal problem; he understands, but he cannot let go.  He cannot let go of the expectations that he once had for Ben.  After he finds his son living in a "craggy space" (Wolfe 284) with a group of flipniks, he finally forms his own opinion that "'the whole thing was repulsive'" (Wolfe 287), allowing himself to let go. 

     Tom Wolfe tells the story from his point of view by observing the situation but never speaking.  I found this technique very effective in making a point because not including his own dialogue makes a statement.  Immediately, I realized that this omission was intended.  This unique first person point of view is another rhetorical strategy that Wolfe uses to add emphasis to the state of confusion Parker is in.  Tom Wolfe purposely refrains from the inclusion of his own dialogue to focus on the issue between Parker and his son.  He realizes before they even visit Ben that Parker will have to let go on his own, without any outside pressure.  

"I saw it from the outside" (Wolfe 287)
http://www.beatnikshoes.com/en/the-beat-generation-the-beatniks/

The White Album by Joan Didion

       For Joan Didion, the 1960s was a decade of realization.  In her essay The White Album, she reminisces on some of her most unforgettable occurrences.  Through her collection of memories from the time period, she explains how she came to see that life is just a series of random events.  Whether it be attending a recording session for The Doors or discussing political rights with young members of the Black Panthers, Didion is certain that none of it was meant to have meaning.
      Being a literary journalist, Joan Didion only sees herself documenting and reporting the truth.  In her 1968 psychiatric report, results read that she has a "fundamentally pessimistic, fatalistic, and depressive view of the world around her" (Didion 423).  The difference between Didion and a narrative story writer is that she does not write to convey a message; she allows the story she is reporting to do that for her.  Throughout The White Album, Didion shares her most notable moments through the rhetoric of small anecdotes she has from the 60s.  She uses these incidents to argue that there is no such thing as destiny.  Using her memory of John Kennedy's death and how she happened to be silk dress shopping, Didion explains her thought that "all connections were equally meaningful, and equally senseless" (Didion 444).  While most authors link events together to display meaning, she breaks them apart with the brutal honesty that there is no connection.  Instead of looking too far into things, she remains on the surface of meaning, taking things the way they come.
     Written for people who experienced the 60s the same way, differently, or others from a different generation, the point of The White Album is applicable to anybody at any time period.  Her message that we lie to ourselves to make sense of things is relevant constantly; 1960s or 2015.
      Reading through her personal anecdotes caused mixed emotions for me while reading.  She recounts, in detail, so many of these seemingly-significant events from a breakthrough era in her life only to then question whether any of it actually means something.  It wasn't until after reading that I had realized none of it mattered; "it was another story without a narrative" (Didion 445).  Joan Didion successfully expressed her message not only through her experiences, but by making the reader feel a sense of disappointment after realizing there is no point.
    

Surface Meaning vs. Deeper Meaning
http://www.a-1discountwaterinc.com/testimonials.html

The Search for Marvin Gardens by John McPhee

         A card reading 'Go to Jail' turns into a vision of "the windowless interior of the basement of city hall" (McPhee 364).  In The Search for Marvin Gardens, John McPhee is able to turn a narrative story into a descriptive vision just by the transition of a paragraph.  While retelling his experience at the Monopoly singles championship, McPhee also shares what he really imagines as he plays the game.  Monopoly, the board game of property buying and developing, is brought to life by his writing.  Through his descriptions, he shows how the popular pastime actually represents something much more significant than a set of cards and dice.  Invented in the 1930s, Monopoly is originally based off of different blocks in Atlantic City, surrounding railroads, and nearby companies.  However, in McPhee's opinion the area was not as glorified as many players may think.  

        Through McPhee's strong use of the rhetorical device, imagery, he is able to convey the message that the once-overdeveloped setting of Monopoly is not as wealthy as it seems.  By describing scenes of "boarded-up window[s]" (McPhee 366), "unemployment lines" (McPhee 366), and "deep and complex decay" (McPhee 365), the author is able visualize the negative effect of urbanization on Atlantic City.

        Alternating between paragraphs, John McPhee switches from his present self to his imagination where he wanders the 1930's Atlantic City streets in search for Marvin Gardens.  Trying to reach Marvin Gardens on the game board means that McPhee is also trying to find it in his imagination.  As he explains how he is quickly losing the championship game, he comes to the conclusion that his "only hope is Marvin Gardens" (McPhee 371).  When he reaches the boardwalk he comes across Charles Darrow, inventor of Monopoly, and asks, "Mr. Darrow, please, where is Marvin Gardens?" (McPhee 371).  His desperation to find Marvin Gardens finally sends him there; to "the one color-block Monopoly property that is not in Atlantic City" (McPhee 371).  By being secluded from the rest of the city, Marvin Gardens is considered a metaphor for purity.  It is the one place on the game board that has been left uncorrupted by Atlantic City's damaging development.  

       Through his imagery and overall metaphoric tone, I found McPhee to be very successful in his efforts to express what Monopoly means to him.  He reveals that Monopoly is not just a board game, but a symbol for Atlantic City's past. 

The Untouched Marvin Gardens
http://www.oocities.org/monopoly_tycoon2003/