TOW #7 (Cylce 5) - Keeping Ebola at Bay (Written)

            The New York Time’s article, Keeping Ebola at Bay, written by Brynn Anderson, effectively places the blame for the spreading of the epidemic and supports its argument for change with an appeal to ethos through factual evidence, repetition, and slicing diction.

            Keeping Ebola at Bay is an editorial that informs the audience of what is happening with the disease and what Anderson believes needs to be done in order to prevent more death. Specifically, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention has faulted so frequently that they may be the reason Ebola has became such a nauseating thought for the average citizen.

            Anderson presents overwhelming evidence at the beginning of his piece in order to establish his credibility before stating an opinion. He chronologically presents the cases that have occurred already in the United States and how they have been handled. He then states how it is connected to a mistake made by the CDC, but does not fully present his argument. This helps his readers have an idea of where Anderson wants from them without being fully aware of it.

            Repetition is also used to sway Anderson’s audience to his side. In the middle of his editorial, each paragraph begins with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s acronym followed by what they did wrong and should’ve happened. This organizational technique is effective as it supports the author’s purpose with a clear means of supporting his claim.

            Anderson also molds his diction in order to create his image of the C.D.C as the problem. He describes their advice as “inadequate” and a thought process as “an incredible lapse in judgment”.  The connotation brought to the C.D.C is subtle yet slicing and helps him support his claim.

            Through use of these rhetorical strategies Anderson makes a very interesting and thought provoking argument as to who was to blame for the way Ebola has affected the nation. He gives good reason for the C.D.C to revisit some of their previous decisions and effectively achieves his purpose.

TOW #6 (Cycle 5)- Written (On Being A Cripple)

On Being A Cripple is written by a woman with Multiple Sclerosis named Nancy Mairs. The essay is designed to explain why she accepts her disease and achieves this through the interesting structure of her piece and her use of anecdotes to establish ethos.

Mairs begins writing by explaining while she calls herself cripple rather than a term like handicapped or disabled. This choice opens up her idea of what it means to be crippled. She is inviting the reader into a world that potentially lacks political correctness and grabs their attention with a view that counters the norm.

Mairs continues to explain how lucky she is. She feels that despite having MS bestowed upon her she has family and laughter and work that helps make her life happy. This anecdotal aspect fo her essay brings the reader into her life. She doesn't just say she is happy, but gives proof as to what is good in her life. This establishes ethos as it is easier to trust someone when what they say is supported and is placed well structurally in the piece as it develops her persona as a writer as someone amicable and open.

Following her happiness Mairs flawlessly introduces the one true hardship she fears, that everyone is faking around her. She doesn't want to be pitied and feels a need to please those around her to make up for the fact that she depends on them. This comes after the reader may support her as she has been strong in her efforts in life. By waiting to introduce her fear, Mairs establishes a connection with her audience before asking them to identify with her. She also makes it easier for the reader to connect with her by explaining how she cannot connect with the women in magazine. No cripples are in the magazines. However, many women feel distant from the image they are meant to fulfil and relate to Mairs.

The essay is concluded with Mairs' view on being a cripple. Before truly fleshing out what she initially started with, she is able to connect to her audience and likely have a better reaction to what she thinks.

TOW #5 (Cycle 2) - Visual (Same Sex marriage in Iowa)

This political from 2009 was created by Nick Anderson for the Houston Chronicle. He has won a Pulitzer prize for his cartoons and has appeared in over 100 different newspapers and journals. The Houston Chronicle is the largest newspaper in Texas and is not notably liberal or conservative.

The cartoon is an allusion, to the famous art piece, American Gothic. Interesting piece of trivia, While it is being depicted as a couple above, this does not parallel what is actually happening in the scene. The original piece depicts Grant Wood's, the artist, sister and their dentist.

Anderson is presenting a piece of art associated with Iowa adjusted to fit the news he is sharing. The cartoon is almost rewriting history. The legalization of gay marriage will not automatically bring change of mind in the population. By taking a well known cultural reference, Anderson is attempting to change what many may view as "normal'.

Anderson's purpose is to present the news of legalized marriage in a way that helps to alter the audience's state of mind and perhaps forward the legalization of gay marriage in texas. He does this with his parallelism in his allusion. Because the men in the image are together in stature almost how they would be in front of an officiant on their wedding day, it bring a clear connection to marriage. The two are in the image just the man and woman in the original are, which presents the legalization of gay marriage with nothing different except the gender of the two people in union.

Texas did not legalize gay marriage until February of 2014. Anderson may be using this cartoon as a way to convince readers that it is time for Texas to catch up. He presents the news using an ellipsis, signifying an exasperated tone. Anderson is telling his readers, "C'mon, even Iowa is doing it."

TOW #4 - Visual (No More)

The No More campaign is trying to change the way society is viewing sexual assault and domestic violence.  The posters have images of famous people along with a quote of how some people respond to rape. For example, Debra Messing's poster has, "He warned her" written, saying that this response is unacceptable. When you visit the No More website (http://nomore.org/about/all-organizations/) there are over 200 organizations behine it or supporting it. However the faces of this campaign are the actors found on popular TV shows and in movies.

This campaign is intended for those who witness and defend sexual assault encounters. An interesting aspect is how the male actors are presented. The men's quotes are more focused on bringing other men into the issue. The men are trying to explain how it is everyone's problem.

From its birth, media has always been influential in making change. By having the actors of the  characters people love to watch, the viewers are more inclined to listen and this appeals to ethos. The credibility of the people on the posters is already established. By varying the quotes on the posters there is a better chance that people will be able to relate to one of the quotes. This appeals to pathos.

The word choice of "no more" is important. It recognizes that these things exist and lets the viewer recognize it as well. Also, it is simple and memorable.

In smaller print to the side of each individual poster has a fact and for many, the fact pertains to the sexual abuse of men. This campaign is clearly steered towards the education of males who don't recognize it as a problem for their gender. The specificity of the facts allows male viewers to become more connected to the message.

TOW #3- blink (IRB)

blink is one of the most fascinating books I've read to date. Malcolm Gladwell teaches the "power of thinking without thinking" in a way that has totally reconstructed the way I view my thoughts. This book is interesting not just because of how Gladwell writes, but because I feel like I received a copy owned by the Half-Blood Prince. Someone has read and marked up the pages and connected his discoveries to her own life, and it makes the information even cooler.

Gladwell's writing is formal yet informal. He is scholarly but maintains a conversational aspect with his audience. When he discusses phenomena that occur unconsciously the readers get to experience some tests that allows them to understand the studies in a different way. Gladwell is trying to help the general public understand more about their brains.

Malcolm Gladwell appeals to ethos, pathos, and logos. Not only does Gladwell support his arguments by citing researchers, but by explaining why the researchers are credible as well. It adds another level of trust for what he has to say. Also, many of the tests researchers have done are logical in their execution so it brings logic to Gladwell's conclusions. Gladwell appeals to pathos when he explains how he is even mastered by his subconscious. It would be pretty easy for a reader to feel ridiculous for not being able to control his decisions, but Gladwell prevents that on numerous occasions. To name just one, Gladwell reveals his results when he took the www.implicit.harvard.edu Race IAT and he has "automatic moderate preference for whites".  Most readers want to be able to say they believe fully in equality, but Gladwell explains sometimes it isn't your fault that you unconsciously have prejudices.

TOW 2- A Law of Acceleration (Written)

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. 

IRB Intro Post 1 (blink)

For this marking period's IRB I have chosen to read "blink" by Malcolm Gladwell. This book was recommended to me by a former AP English student and is about the brain's ability to assess something in about 2 seconds. From what I've seen so far, even in just 2 seconds, it looks like a really interesting read.