In 1905 Henry Adams wrote, The Education of Henry Adams. This eventually won a Pulitzer Prize and an excerpt titled, "A Law of Acceleration" was printed in the Best American Essays of the Century. This essay captures the idea of progress through time and what the future may hold as seen by the past. I struggled through this read a little bit. It is heavier than previous texts and organized in a strange way. The first time I read through all I really was able to catch was Adam's purpose in writing it, to convince that motion continues and America accelerates in growth. After some research I discovered Henry Adams is the descendant of 2 United States presidents and that contributes to creating a broad audience for his work. He is looking to motivate the educated "New American".
Adams applies rhetorical strategies to support his argument. Extended metaphor is the most prominent technique. The Law of acceleration states, "The acceleration of an object as produced by a net force is directly proportional to the magnitude of the net force." In simple terms, the more force applied the greater the acceleration. This idea is applied to Adams' observation of coal-output growth, and the growth of his nation overall. By using an extended metaphor is keeps a consistent thread for the entire piece and allows the reader to piece all Adam's ideas.
Adams establishes ethos by being who he is. Like how the Language of Composition explained that a king has built in ethos, Adam's does as well with his familial connections. But Adams also appeals to ethos when he explains his ideas in scientific fact. Many believe that science and fact are equal, so by taking a scientific approach, his thoughts appear to be fact.
Sunday, April 26, 2015
Sunday, April 19, 2015
TOW 26- Why We Need Geography (Written/Argument)
To what extent do you agree with the main argument?
In Gil Grosvenor's "Why We Need Geography", he argues geography is an essential component of most issues and jobs. He believes the subject should infiltrate more schools and deserves , at least, "one tenth the amount of money history has." Providing many excellent points, Grosvenor's assertions are hard to disagree with, and geoliteracy should be emphasized in schooling as well as in international issues.
As a student of public schooling, I'm embarrassed by my own limited knowledge in geography. In my history class, my lack of knowledge of locations has impeded on successful understanding of some important events (where was the land bridge again?). While this is on a small scale, Grosvenor is able to connect geoliteracy with skillfullness in a multitude of jobs. It helps bankers decide the best loans to give, helps workers in real estate understand the patterns of the industry, and even farmers grow the best crops. While some students see geographical knowledge as a waste of time, given that Google is always there to direct you, the fact is that where things are has a huge effect on what they are. Especially in world wide problems.
When discussing geography in current events, Grosvenor focuses on the Obama administration's "what should we do in Afghanistan" poll. He sees it as good in concept, but because of the nation geographical illiteracy, ineffective. The nation was split half way in opposing decisions because many do not fully comprehend the issue. Grosvenor argues that because the majority of Americans do not know about where Afghanistan is, and what exists there, they are unable to properly make a decision. Grosvenor believes the foundation of most misunderstanding is the lack of geographical knowledge. Despite his expertise, this is difficult to prove. Perhaps the way to find out is to do what he says, and better equip today's students with geographical understanding.
In Gil Grosvenor's "Why We Need Geography", he argues geography is an essential component of most issues and jobs. He believes the subject should infiltrate more schools and deserves , at least, "one tenth the amount of money history has." Providing many excellent points, Grosvenor's assertions are hard to disagree with, and geoliteracy should be emphasized in schooling as well as in international issues.
As a student of public schooling, I'm embarrassed by my own limited knowledge in geography. In my history class, my lack of knowledge of locations has impeded on successful understanding of some important events (where was the land bridge again?). While this is on a small scale, Grosvenor is able to connect geoliteracy with skillfullness in a multitude of jobs. It helps bankers decide the best loans to give, helps workers in real estate understand the patterns of the industry, and even farmers grow the best crops. While some students see geographical knowledge as a waste of time, given that Google is always there to direct you, the fact is that where things are has a huge effect on what they are. Especially in world wide problems.
When discussing geography in current events, Grosvenor focuses on the Obama administration's "what should we do in Afghanistan" poll. He sees it as good in concept, but because of the nation geographical illiteracy, ineffective. The nation was split half way in opposing decisions because many do not fully comprehend the issue. Grosvenor argues that because the majority of Americans do not know about where Afghanistan is, and what exists there, they are unable to properly make a decision. Grosvenor believes the foundation of most misunderstanding is the lack of geographical knowledge. Despite his expertise, this is difficult to prove. Perhaps the way to find out is to do what he says, and better equip today's students with geographical understanding.
Sunday, April 12, 2015
Tow 25- Getting Started (Visual)
In order to effectively convey a basic premise of her ambitions, Clinton uses a specific arrangement and repetition of examples of people "getting ready to..." and
The arrangement of the video is effective for achieving its purpose. The audience does not even see Clinton until the final moments. Instead, a variety of families are explaining what they are embarking on, families of different ages and ethnicities. Before viewing the candidate, viewers are likely to identify with somebody in the video. By forming this connection with the audience, the announcement is well perceived by many.
Not only are the people in the video diverse in what they look like, but what they are saying are shaping the stances Clinton hopes to deliver. When you leave the video, you know Clinton is in support of: gay marriage, successful businesses, support of senior citizens, strong education and aiding the job industry. And she didn't say a thing about it.
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