Thursday, October 22, 2015
Rubin's Essay Summary
In Advertisement R Us, Melissa Rubin goes into depth about advertisements and the meanings behind them. Advertisements are a way of companies to sell a product, and their purpose is to appear to their audience in a positive and riveting way, so they can make money off of it. Advertisements, like everything, change over time. Rubin explains that this specific Coca-Cola ad was shaped into directing to a consumer-based, post war era. Americans at the time were relieved to be done with war, they celebrated with their "community" with a nice refreshing glass of Coke- or at least that is what this ad is getting at. Rubin goes into detail that this specific advertisement shows the racist and sexist aspects apparent, but it wasn't clear to people at this time, because it is what people were used to. Melissa explains that American society at this time doesn't focus on the non- diversity, but rather the floating coke machine along with the Coca-Cola Sprite boy, appearing angelic-like, appealing to audiences of this mid-twentieth century. With these simple parts added in, it adds even more dimension to just how cheesy and gullible some people were in this time. But, obviously, this advertisement, along with many since, have worked in getting people to purchase Coca-Cola.
Advertisements R Us Qs 1-4
1. Melissa Rubin offers a great deal of insight about this Coca-Cola ad and ads in this era in general. She digs to the truth behind this ad. At first glance, we all see a joyful group of people on a beautiful day drinking America's favorite drink. Looking further into this advertisement, Rubin points out that the crowd is mostly white men in uniforms, and only in the background are the women. This shows the sexist/racist aspects of this 1950's Coca-Cola ad. She uses the evidence from the ad itself and aspects from the picture to support her analysis of this non-equal era of time in America.
2. Rubin incorporates historical context by talking about WWII and the impact it had on America. She talks about the industrialization and urbanization as a cause of the war, and how it is shown in this ad by the factories and buildings in the background. This information contributes to her analysis that this era has used advertisement as a way to show that America's journey should result in a refreshing drink of Coca-Cola.
3. We can learn so much about a culture from analyzing their advertisements. We can learn what their society is focusing on at the time, and what they enjoy and dislike about their culture. We can depict their moral and even religious values in one image. Questions that have to do with war and love can be answered by analyzing something. "A picture can speak a thousand words."
4. An example of an ad that I see everywhere now a days, on billboards-and in real life- is an iPhone. Every person you pass has some sort of smart phone in this era, and the generation growing up is so used to the idea of having a portable computer with all the questions to the world in your fingertips. The company Apple has used this to get consumers to purchase their new and upcoming products, in hopes that the success will live on. Ads like iPhone ads reflect that people now a days are so used to these devices that it is almost impossible to live without, and that our value is decreased without our iPhone. This compares greatly with the ad from the 50's, partly because back then, you wouldn't even imagine the form of technology we have today. Life isn't as simplistic as it was in 1950 in America. We have grown as a country and that is reflected through our form of advertisement.
2. Rubin incorporates historical context by talking about WWII and the impact it had on America. She talks about the industrialization and urbanization as a cause of the war, and how it is shown in this ad by the factories and buildings in the background. This information contributes to her analysis that this era has used advertisement as a way to show that America's journey should result in a refreshing drink of Coca-Cola.
3. We can learn so much about a culture from analyzing their advertisements. We can learn what their society is focusing on at the time, and what they enjoy and dislike about their culture. We can depict their moral and even religious values in one image. Questions that have to do with war and love can be answered by analyzing something. "A picture can speak a thousand words."
4. An example of an ad that I see everywhere now a days, on billboards-and in real life- is an iPhone. Every person you pass has some sort of smart phone in this era, and the generation growing up is so used to the idea of having a portable computer with all the questions to the world in your fingertips. The company Apple has used this to get consumers to purchase their new and upcoming products, in hopes that the success will live on. Ads like iPhone ads reflect that people now a days are so used to these devices that it is almost impossible to live without, and that our value is decreased without our iPhone. This compares greatly with the ad from the 50's, partly because back then, you wouldn't even imagine the form of technology we have today. Life isn't as simplistic as it was in 1950 in America. We have grown as a country and that is reflected through our form of advertisement.
group lab 10.20.15
1. We all agreed that Heather's main point was that Mad Men was a ideal representation of American Society, using the revered 60's as the setting to further represent the ideal. We think that Mad Men is a stark contrast to the stillbirth that is the American dream currently. We reached consensus that this point was defined early and later elaborated on throughout the body paragraphs.
2. We can now see after reading chapter nine that she tailored her thesis to better relate to the American audience by giving brief anecdotes of an American dream that is no longer apparent. She carefully defined her main point and then analyzed the components of Mad Men that supported her agenda. During an analysis considering the audience is important and since the main readers are an American audience her narrative was polished to better relate to its readers and evoke an emotional reaction from them. Analyzing the larger context is also vital, she did this by noting the various characters that represent forms of femininity in the world and connecting their overall success in life back to this in an effort to articulate that independence is an important trait to women in the modern world.
4. This essay fits the criteria for an analysis paper because it considers the audience, articulates its purpose, considers the larger context, and considers design. Being. that a narrative about the treatment of women throughout the years by the media will be mostly read by feminists, the author quite clearly adjusted his writing to strike upon many feminist talking points. Some of these include objectification of women, increasing independence and education of women, and the gender role of being required to be youthful. His point is articulated rather clearly at both the beginning and end, with some implication of it in the middle. The author also points at trends in the larger context, noting on how ads began to use more stats and science based persuasion techniques as time went on and women became further educated. Finally, the author goes into great analysis on the various design elements used within the respective ads.
2. We can now see after reading chapter nine that she tailored her thesis to better relate to the American audience by giving brief anecdotes of an American dream that is no longer apparent. She carefully defined her main point and then analyzed the components of Mad Men that supported her agenda. During an analysis considering the audience is important and since the main readers are an American audience her narrative was polished to better relate to its readers and evoke an emotional reaction from them. Analyzing the larger context is also vital, she did this by noting the various characters that represent forms of femininity in the world and connecting their overall success in life back to this in an effort to articulate that independence is an important trait to women in the modern world.
4. This essay fits the criteria for an analysis paper because it considers the audience, articulates its purpose, considers the larger context, and considers design. Being. that a narrative about the treatment of women throughout the years by the media will be mostly read by feminists, the author quite clearly adjusted his writing to strike upon many feminist talking points. Some of these include objectification of women, increasing independence and education of women, and the gender role of being required to be youthful. His point is articulated rather clearly at both the beginning and end, with some implication of it in the middle. The author also points at trends in the larger context, noting on how ads began to use more stats and science based persuasion techniques as time went on and women became further educated. Finally, the author goes into great analysis on the various design elements used within the respective ads.
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
Mad Men: Stillbirth of the American Dream. Q#1-4
1. Heather Havrilesky's insight about Mad Men is a look into America's fortunate and not-so-fortunate history, focusing on the American Dream that started in the 50's. Havrilesky reflects on the show's realistic sense of this era for Americans, focusing on the idea of cold hard cash rather than important aspects of life like family and friends. Americans have been taught to be materialistic and in constant need of improvement, resulting in"... two wars, a stubborn recession, and a string of calamities..." Heather's insight is a true reflection on what has happened to America with this postmodern movement.
2. Havrileski establishes her authority by proof in this passage that she has done her research, and cites her sources appropriately. She includes detailed aspects of the show, and establishes it clearly and thoroughly. She has learned a lot from this show, being that she wasn't around in that era, and this is a widely popular show- her information was well perceived and brought to her audience' attention in a very informative way.
3. Havrileski appeals to her reader's emotions by adding her personal view on the subject matter. Mad Men had enough significance for her to write about, and with that she was able to give the audience a good description on the negative aspects of life of the American Dream. In line 14, Heather states that the show itself is a "marketable uber-brand", and how it has shown that we as humans focus on the pitch-perfect aspects of that era rather in a glossy form than remembering "our hazy memories of that era completely." The author also appropriately adds a telling from the creator of the show, Matthew Weiner, giving detail that he himself believes that the 50's birth of advertising gave our nation a fake feel, and that at that point, we lost our souls.
4. Havrileski's depiction of Mad Men is accurate. From what I have personally seen of the show, she was able to give great detail about in an interesting and informative way. I can imagine that those who have not seen this show now have a great understanding of its premise; the truth about the American Dream.
2. Havrileski establishes her authority by proof in this passage that she has done her research, and cites her sources appropriately. She includes detailed aspects of the show, and establishes it clearly and thoroughly. She has learned a lot from this show, being that she wasn't around in that era, and this is a widely popular show- her information was well perceived and brought to her audience' attention in a very informative way.
3. Havrileski appeals to her reader's emotions by adding her personal view on the subject matter. Mad Men had enough significance for her to write about, and with that she was able to give the audience a good description on the negative aspects of life of the American Dream. In line 14, Heather states that the show itself is a "marketable uber-brand", and how it has shown that we as humans focus on the pitch-perfect aspects of that era rather in a glossy form than remembering "our hazy memories of that era completely." The author also appropriately adds a telling from the creator of the show, Matthew Weiner, giving detail that he himself believes that the 50's birth of advertising gave our nation a fake feel, and that at that point, we lost our souls.
4. Havrileski's depiction of Mad Men is accurate. From what I have personally seen of the show, she was able to give great detail about in an interesting and informative way. I can imagine that those who have not seen this show now have a great understanding of its premise; the truth about the American Dream.
Monday, October 19, 2015
Narrative Story
Laura Combs
English 101
Begert
October 14, 2015
Narrative Story
This is a story of a pretty dramatic event that happened in the middle of my junior year in highschool. To an adult, this may not be a huge deal, to a 16 year old, though, this was basically hell.
It all started with a project assigned in my Creative Writing class; a thirty page minimum fictional story. I remember when it was first assigned, and I thought this would be quite easy. Thirty pages of something completely made up? Piece of cake. Not to mention, we had about a month to complete it. But...it started to get more difficult. It wasn’t easy for me to think of a story. Days went by, and I still didn’t have a clue on what to write about. Finally, I had an idea for a story. It was going to be about a woman who worked at a big corporation in New York City. She had a boyfriend who lived in Detroit, who loved her very much, but had a history of drug problems. I wanted the characters to have a special history together, so I made it so they had been dating for 5+ years. So, it sounds like I have this story pretty much set, right? Well… not exactly.
I’m in the classroom, working on a laptop. Around me are students focusing with their eyes glued to their papers, and a few odd ones throwing erasers at each other. I can hear people whispering but I try to focus on my paper. The small amount of focus I had for this project was distracted by the fact that Mona Lisa's eyes were reading over my shoulder from the wall behind me. I hear students clicking their pens, tapping on keyboards, and scooting their chairs. I hear the girl next to me breathing, she had recently gotten over a cold and was quite sniffly. Two weeks had gone by, two left to go, and I have about 5 pages done on my paper. I have a pretty good backstory, however I was having trouble creating conflict and a good climax. How is it that I only had 5 pages out of 30 when other students were almost done? I’m usually creative and thoughtful about my projects, but this is too vague for me. The stress starts to consume me, but not enough to brainstorm any good ideas. (This was when I was 16, so I didn’t have a good work ethic, nor an idea to jot down ideas before typing it straight onto the computer.) I’m still in my seat, staring at a computer screen, and I don’t know where to go from here with my story. I start to notice scents. I smell a musty carpet and the crackers next to me. I smell the mint from my gum. And thankfully, the person that threw up was in the room over from mine, where I couldn't smell but heard about later. Phew!
Week three:
Here I am, back in the classroom. I have about 15 pages done. I have a pretty good story so far, I just need to thicken the plot. Some of these students are already done! I may only have a week left to do this, but I’m more than halfway finished now. I got this...right? The only problem is… I have major writer's block. But... I'm staying calm. I take a break from doing-well...nothing, and start to notice the other students. I’ve been focusing so much on this project that I haven’t even seen my peers. They look like me, but different. The girl that sits beside me has long, straight brown hair, and the girl next to her has a blue streak in hers along with a nose ring. I like the diversity, however I do notice that there isn’t a single person in the class without brown hair. The dialogue going around is very minimal, if you ignored the small whispers and little snorts. Most of what I heard was in my head. The other students are acting a lot like me. I could tell we were all nervous for only having a week left to do this project, but relieved that we had class time to do it. That resulted in fidgety students, getting up often to go to the bathroom, crouching next to my teacher's desk to ask a question, or just chatting with a friend. There were a few oddballs doing things like taking pictures of a gummy bear on the ceiling though…
Here I am, back in the classroom. I have about 15 pages done. I have a pretty good story so far, I just need to thicken the plot. Some of these students are already done! I may only have a week left to do this, but I’m more than halfway finished now. I got this...right? The only problem is… I have major writer's block. But... I'm staying calm. I take a break from doing-well...nothing, and start to notice the other students. I’ve been focusing so much on this project that I haven’t even seen my peers. They look like me, but different. The girl that sits beside me has long, straight brown hair, and the girl next to her has a blue streak in hers along with a nose ring. I like the diversity, however I do notice that there isn’t a single person in the class without brown hair. The dialogue going around is very minimal, if you ignored the small whispers and little snorts. Most of what I heard was in my head. The other students are acting a lot like me. I could tell we were all nervous for only having a week left to do this project, but relieved that we had class time to do it. That resulted in fidgety students, getting up often to go to the bathroom, crouching next to my teacher's desk to ask a question, or just chatting with a friend. There were a few oddballs doing things like taking pictures of a gummy bear on the ceiling though…
The last day to finish this project has come. (more like the last few hours I have to finish this project.) I have to turn this in first thing in the morning. The battery on the computer is low, but I’m only a few pages away from having this done, I just have no idea how to end it. I need there to be a dramatic ending but I can’t think of anything except pizza right now. I bring myself together and whip up a way to keep my audience involved in this paper I’ve been working on for a month. I’m sitting at home on my laptop, it’s about 2 A.M. I’m exhausted and just want this to be over. I get up to take a bathroom break and come back to see a blank screen. No. No. No. I run over to the keyboard and hit as many buttons as I can. I grab the charger to plug it in… I’m actually freaking out. When was the last time I saved it? Why didn’t I plug this in earlier. Stress fills my mind just thinking of all of the unfortunate possibilities. I open up the document and thank the lord, it’s fine. So many emotions have overcome me in these past 30 something seconds! All that matters is that this is almost over. I bring myself together and I finally come up with an ending, and as soon as I enter the last word, I jump up and literally scream out of joy.
The fact that this paper that has been giving me anxiety for weeks is finally over gave me such a good feeling. Knowing that it was just pages of exhaustion, confusion, and boredom gave me such relief. At the end of the day, this wasn’t just a project. This was a story, this was a life lesson, and this was a pretty... interesting memory. Life does funny things to you, and when you least expect it, something that you may think was terrible can turn out to be such a pleasant thing. Looking back, this project taught me to be a better writer. It taught me how to manage my time better. It gave me a story to tell in college! And in all honesty...it made me value the little things. Projects like this are something that everyone goes through, and just being able to share my story is kind of a gift. My mother used to tell me that every day is a gift, and the chance to learn from yourself is one of the biggest gifts of all. This story matters to me because it is a reflection of myself, something that I can share with others. It also taught me that hard work really does pay off. If this hadn’t happened, I wouldn’t have as much respect for the writers that do this every day, and I wouldn’t have known that I could do it too.
Thursday, October 15, 2015
Analysis- P.141
Website
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Appearance
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Format
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Detail
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Information
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kayak.com
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The appearance of the front screen isn’t very interesting until you scroll down and see pictures of cities around the world.
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Easy checking In & Out area, and it shows prices right there for you to see, which is very useful for fast booking.
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It’s nice that it shows other options for travel like cars and packages.
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Reading reviews, it seems like this site is good, however it is overly-commercialized and somewhat overrated. I may have had less commercials just to make it less cheesy and more realistic.
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airbnb.com
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Right away, the home page on this website gives you a warm welcome. Videos of real people come up, creating a relatable effect.
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Format is easy and accessible, but very limited amount of buttons.
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Not many details, but for this new age, it may be better accessible. After all, who wants a ton of things to click on, overwhelming you with information?
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Reading reviews on airbnb.com, it seems like many people would recommend this site. It's easily accessible, feels homey, and have good stories from using this site.
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Analysis P.138
Decisions
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How it affected my life
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Info on what I chose
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What does this say about my interests?
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What does this say about my priorities?
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What show did I decide to watch?
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Minimally, but should I see what happens to Rory Gilmore, or re-watch the Office for the 4th time?
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I chose to watch The Office, because I have seen it before, so I know it would be good.
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This shows that an interest of mine is relaxing and having some time to myself after a long day.
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Everyone has a “guilty pleasure”, but when i’m not studying or at school, my priority is to be happy.
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Getting another pet
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The Cat, Feliz, is very shy and so I never see her, so it doesn’t affect my life very much.
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My mom chose to get the Cat...I wasn’t too happy about it.
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This proves that my interest still isn’t in cats, considering she runs away from me all the time!
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I’ve always loved Animals, but if I ever take that professionally, my priority won’t be for caring for cats.
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What field of study do I want?
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I’m still deciding between Veterinarian, Pre-school teacher, and Therapist. These are all very different, so the effect it will have on my life will be huge, depending what I choose.
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I’m still undecided, but there are positive points to all of these choices.
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This shows that my interests are caring for others; humans or animals. These career choices also make a positive impact on the world.
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This says that my priorities are to do well in school so I can succeed in my future career.
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Tuesday, October 13, 2015
Taking stock of your writing
1. What was your main point?
My main point of this literacy narrative was to tell a story of a project I had in a class. The point I was trying to make was that though the assignment itself was difficult, I learned a valuable lesson by not procrastinating in the future. I did get the assignment in on time, however I should have worked harder, because instead of taking my time with my story to create a better ending, I worked fast and not efficiently, just so I could get it in on time.
2. Who was your audience?
My Audience was focused on teenagers my age, or someone still in school. Because this story had a lot to do with school projects, people in that age can relate well to this. I tailored my writing to them by using "new terminology" in a few places, and writing in a way that they would fine engaging, by adding a few dramatic situations. My purpose was not to make it seem like they're reading a phone book!
3. What feedback or reactions did you get at various times while composing this paper, and how was this helpful?Some feedback I got from this paper was to make it less "choppy", and to make it flow better. I took that to use and was able to recreate my story more into a literacy narrative. My grammar and spelling was mostly correct, but just a few words here and there were noticed by some others, having me fix those errors. It's very important to have someone else look over your papers, that way you can get another's point of view on what can be altered.
4. What did you find interesting about the process you went through in writing this paper, and what did you learn from it?
2. Who was your audience?
My Audience was focused on teenagers my age, or someone still in school. Because this story had a lot to do with school projects, people in that age can relate well to this. I tailored my writing to them by using "new terminology" in a few places, and writing in a way that they would fine engaging, by adding a few dramatic situations. My purpose was not to make it seem like they're reading a phone book!
3. What feedback or reactions did you get at various times while composing this paper, and how was this helpful?Some feedback I got from this paper was to make it less "choppy", and to make it flow better. I took that to use and was able to recreate my story more into a literacy narrative. My grammar and spelling was mostly correct, but just a few words here and there were noticed by some others, having me fix those errors. It's very important to have someone else look over your papers, that way you can get another's point of view on what can be altered.
4. What did you find interesting about the process you went through in writing this paper, and what did you learn from it?
I found it interesting how at the beginning of writing a paper, you can feel confident and sure that you did well. You may even re-read it and notice no errors, however when giving it to someone else to look over, they can point out some things to you that you may have never noticed. By doing this, once you're done with all of your drafts, your paper can turn out even better than imagined. It is surprisingly useful how another person's suggestions can add so much to your paper.
Thursday, October 8, 2015
Literary Narrative Lab
1. One good visual description was in "Lydia's story" when Brideau mentioned, "The whole street looked like a river, and water poured in. (P.129, paragraph 6)
2. "She described it as 'rushing like the Colorado river'" (P. 129, paragraph 6)
3. A sense that stood out to me was in Lydia's story, "we found the inside uncomfortably cold from the air conditioner" (P. 128, paragraph 2)
4. Possible Essay Topics:
-30 pg. Story in creative writing class
-learning the Japanese alphabet when I was 6
-Coming up with a rap song on the tennis team.
5. Purpose: I want to tell the story of my 30 page fictional story I was required to write in my creative writing class in my junior year of high school. I want to tell others my experience of turning it in the last minute, barely getting it in time, and how, instead, I should've been more proficient with my time.
6. Audience: My Audience will be geared towards teenagers/ young adults because this short story that I wrote has a selective audience. It is a story that only has few relatable moments, that's why it is fictional.
7. Stance: I want to take on a serious yet creative stance on this subject. I want the story of how i got to write this short novel to be taken seriously but also taken into consideration that it was an important piece that I should've been more serious about.
8. Media/ Design: I won't have any visual or digital designs for this story, rather a story focused on the intent of listening and appreciating the simplistic mindset of developing thoughts and putting them onto paper.
9. What do you see?
I am in the classroom, and I am working on a laptop. Around me are students focusing with their eyes glued to their papers, and other students throwing erasers at each other. I can sense people whispering but I am focused on my paper. However, I do see Mona Lisa's eyes reading over my shoulder from the wall behind me...
10. What do you hear?
I hear students clicking their pens, tapping on keyboards, and scooting their chairs. I hear my breathing and the girl next to mine, who has recently gotten over a cold and is quite sniffly.
11. What do you smell?
I smell plastic. I smell a dusty carpet. I smell the mint from my gum. And thankfully, the person that threw up was in the room over fro mine, where i couldn't smell but heard about later. Phew!
12. How do you feel?
I feel content, but I only have about a week to write this paper but I'm not even halfway and I have writer's block! But... I'm staying calm.
13. What do you taste?
I taste the my minty gum, filling my senses and clearing my head.
14. The other students...they look like me, but in a different way. I remember the one girl that sad beside me having long, straight brown hair, and the girl next to her having a blue streak in her hair along with a nose ring. I liked the diversity, however I don't think there was a single person in that class without brown hair.
15. The dialogue going around was very minimal, if you ignored the small whispers and little snorts. Most of the dialogue i recall was the one in my head.
16. The actions of the other students were very similar to mine. Nervous for only having a week left to do this project, but relieved that we had class time to do it. That resulted in fidgety students, getting up very often to go to the bathroom, or crouching next to my teacher's desk to ask a question. There were a few oddballs doing things like taking pictures of a gummy bear on the ceiling though...
17. This whole situation was significant for me because this was a 30 page MINIMUM assignment due before the end of the semester for a grade in that class. My teacher would NOT take no for an answer for an excuse as to why your paper wasn't done. This was the longest story I had ever written and it was difficult to put myself in the place of an author that does this on an every day basis. I learned a lot of self-discipline from this project, especially because my initial focus wasn't taking it seriously. But in the end, with it barely getting in on time, I learned from my mistakes, and learned how to better deal with my time.
2. "She described it as 'rushing like the Colorado river'" (P. 129, paragraph 6)
3. A sense that stood out to me was in Lydia's story, "we found the inside uncomfortably cold from the air conditioner" (P. 128, paragraph 2)
4. Possible Essay Topics:
-30 pg. Story in creative writing class
-learning the Japanese alphabet when I was 6
-Coming up with a rap song on the tennis team.
5. Purpose: I want to tell the story of my 30 page fictional story I was required to write in my creative writing class in my junior year of high school. I want to tell others my experience of turning it in the last minute, barely getting it in time, and how, instead, I should've been more proficient with my time.
6. Audience: My Audience will be geared towards teenagers/ young adults because this short story that I wrote has a selective audience. It is a story that only has few relatable moments, that's why it is fictional.
7. Stance: I want to take on a serious yet creative stance on this subject. I want the story of how i got to write this short novel to be taken seriously but also taken into consideration that it was an important piece that I should've been more serious about.
8. Media/ Design: I won't have any visual or digital designs for this story, rather a story focused on the intent of listening and appreciating the simplistic mindset of developing thoughts and putting them onto paper.
9. What do you see?
I am in the classroom, and I am working on a laptop. Around me are students focusing with their eyes glued to their papers, and other students throwing erasers at each other. I can sense people whispering but I am focused on my paper. However, I do see Mona Lisa's eyes reading over my shoulder from the wall behind me...
10. What do you hear?
I hear students clicking their pens, tapping on keyboards, and scooting their chairs. I hear my breathing and the girl next to mine, who has recently gotten over a cold and is quite sniffly.
11. What do you smell?
I smell plastic. I smell a dusty carpet. I smell the mint from my gum. And thankfully, the person that threw up was in the room over fro mine, where i couldn't smell but heard about later. Phew!
12. How do you feel?
I feel content, but I only have about a week to write this paper but I'm not even halfway and I have writer's block! But... I'm staying calm.
13. What do you taste?
I taste the my minty gum, filling my senses and clearing my head.
14. The other students...they look like me, but in a different way. I remember the one girl that sad beside me having long, straight brown hair, and the girl next to her having a blue streak in her hair along with a nose ring. I liked the diversity, however I don't think there was a single person in that class without brown hair.
15. The dialogue going around was very minimal, if you ignored the small whispers and little snorts. Most of the dialogue i recall was the one in my head.
16. The actions of the other students were very similar to mine. Nervous for only having a week left to do this project, but relieved that we had class time to do it. That resulted in fidgety students, getting up very often to go to the bathroom, or crouching next to my teacher's desk to ask a question. There were a few oddballs doing things like taking pictures of a gummy bear on the ceiling though...
17. This whole situation was significant for me because this was a 30 page MINIMUM assignment due before the end of the semester for a grade in that class. My teacher would NOT take no for an answer for an excuse as to why your paper wasn't done. This was the longest story I had ever written and it was difficult to put myself in the place of an author that does this on an every day basis. I learned a lot of self-discipline from this project, especially because my initial focus wasn't taking it seriously. But in the end, with it barely getting in on time, I learned from my mistakes, and learned how to better deal with my time.
Literacy: A Lineage
"It would be impossible to discuss my path to literacy without talking about my literary guardian, the person who inspired and encouraged my love for reading and writing; my father."
Right away, Melanie Luken introduces her father in this moving piece about her passion for literacy. This gives the reader a well informed idea of the background of her story, and how her father was a huge part of her childhood and in shaping her to be the woman that she is today.
Luken later adds an important aspect to her story, the poem that was shared between her father and her on their Sunday bike-rides;
"It was as if an earthquake rent
The Hearth-stones of a continent...".
This poem was cleverly inserted because it gives dimension to her love for writing, and how simple things such as poems with her father were a big part of her life.
In the third paragraph, Luken explains her father's history and how it is important to her in the present; "He has dabbled in almost every art... Continues to this day to work on his art and writing." She also adds a key element in the middle of this paragraph, explaining her father's journey, going from graduate school in hopes of becoming a professor, to being a stay at home dad. Although this doesn't sound like an ideal situation, Luken makes it clear that his passion was more for the arts, and he had a creative and inventive mind. This was a big part for Melanie's childhood, to aspire to her dad in to do what makes you happy.
In paragraph five, Luken makes it vividly clear that she did not have a "normal American childhood", rather "Reading vociferously" and creating stories on her own. Unlike other typical American children, her escape was going to the public library with her siblings. Adding this is important to her main point of this story, that if you grew up doing something you love, you'll have that love forever.
Melanie Luken's last paragraph is truly what "seals the deal". She writes that despite what others have inherited from their fathers, she received something so cherish able that it will last for the rest of her life. That is, she inherited his love for language and literature. In adding these few words in the passage, Melanie grabs the audience' attention in a way that cannot otherwise be perceived. This sentence comes alive and makes it relatable in a different way for each of the readers.
Right away, Melanie Luken introduces her father in this moving piece about her passion for literacy. This gives the reader a well informed idea of the background of her story, and how her father was a huge part of her childhood and in shaping her to be the woman that she is today.
Luken later adds an important aspect to her story, the poem that was shared between her father and her on their Sunday bike-rides;
"It was as if an earthquake rent
The Hearth-stones of a continent...".
This poem was cleverly inserted because it gives dimension to her love for writing, and how simple things such as poems with her father were a big part of her life.
In the third paragraph, Luken explains her father's history and how it is important to her in the present; "He has dabbled in almost every art... Continues to this day to work on his art and writing." She also adds a key element in the middle of this paragraph, explaining her father's journey, going from graduate school in hopes of becoming a professor, to being a stay at home dad. Although this doesn't sound like an ideal situation, Luken makes it clear that his passion was more for the arts, and he had a creative and inventive mind. This was a big part for Melanie's childhood, to aspire to her dad in to do what makes you happy.
In paragraph five, Luken makes it vividly clear that she did not have a "normal American childhood", rather "Reading vociferously" and creating stories on her own. Unlike other typical American children, her escape was going to the public library with her siblings. Adding this is important to her main point of this story, that if you grew up doing something you love, you'll have that love forever.
Melanie Luken's last paragraph is truly what "seals the deal". She writes that despite what others have inherited from their fathers, she received something so cherish able that it will last for the rest of her life. That is, she inherited his love for language and literature. In adding these few words in the passage, Melanie grabs the audience' attention in a way that cannot otherwise be perceived. This sentence comes alive and makes it relatable in a different way for each of the readers.
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
Thinking rhetorically Pt. 2
By reading my classmates' definitions of rhetoric, it really opened my eyes to see just how many purposes there are for it. For example, it's used in any language, it can appeal to audiences of different backgrounds and religion, and to fully understand rhetoric it helps to obtain as much information about it as possible, especially before making any assumptions. It did change my viewpoint of rhetoric just a little. I already had a pretty set idea of the meaning but it was definitely helpful to see what others had to say, and because I have a pretty open mind, I read what others said and gave the whole idea of rhetoric a bit more thought.
Thinking and Acting Rhetorically
Rhetoric is having an open mind, being ready to learn and ready to receive new information. In doing this, we develop our own thoughts to be used in rhetorical situations later in life. Different forms of rhetoric can be used everyday, and, formally, you can get your viewpoint across on any given topic. Rhetoric and Writing are extremely useful studies that can take you far in life. Everyone learns better from someone who is educated in speech and rhetoric rather than someone who isn't. The definition rhetoric has many meanings. Acting rhetorically is a way of using information to act on something you have learned. Speaking rhetorically is the best way to get your point across, and with proper education and studying, you can do just that. Visual, literacy, digital, and teaching can all be forms or rhetoric. Rhetoric is a "branch" of English, so really anyone has the capability to study and achieve the many uses of it. In order to get your point across to your audience, though, you must remember their mindset and how that effects their way of thinking. Everyone is different, but used in right situations and context, you can use rhetoric in numerous ways.
Friday, October 2, 2015
Rhetorical Situations- Narratives
Our group discussed the main points of this narrative of a nurse's experience with a multiple hurricane survivor. We touched on the overall tone of the story, the content, and how it related to its literary nuances.
Think about:
News broadcasts
Stories in social settings
Biographies
Social Media sites
Think beyond words: Denver Williams conveyed her message in a heartfelt, real way. She went into detail about the kid's struggles themselves, and left you feeling bitters-sweetly uplifted. With experience of her own, it made the whole story more real, and raw. It gives the audience a sense of empathy for her, which is partly what she was getting at; to come across in an understandable way.
Compare narratives 107: A news report would be more based on statistical fact, whereas an independent youtube broadcaster could express themselves and their opinion more outwardly, deviating from undisputed facts to bring a more emotional edge to the content.
Thursday, October 1, 2015
Lydia's Story
In "Lydia's Story", Jan Brideau, a nurse practitioner, met an incredible woman who was faced with a devastating storm, and in meeting this woman, learned a few things.
Brideau's main point in "Lydia's Story" was that even when faced with something terrible and destructive, hope and strength is what will get you through it. This is especially indicated in paragraph 12, "I heard strength and resolve in her voice." This lets the audience know that not only was Brideaus meeting Lydia very important, but the way Lydia spoke to her gave her the real message of strength and hope for what she had gone through.
The point of view of this story is of Brideau, who listened and understood Lydia's struggle so well that she felt she was almost there. She was so empowered by Lydia's story that even in her writing, she gave the audience a chance to feel what she felt; Sadness, fear, and heartfelt emotion.
Brideau was very raw in explaining Lydia's story, giving details of experiencing a flood in your own home. She not only heard the story loud and clear from Lydia, she got to know Lydia as a human being. With words like "raged", "swept", "precarious", "strength", and "essence of new hope", the story was transformed through a developmental stage of fear to relief. These words captured the audience and in great detail, were very appealing.
The geared audience would be the general public. Brideau's tone is informative and capturing, explaining the unfortunate events of this flood. With phrases like "Enormity of double hurricanes" and "people without homes", she reflected on what Lydia did to make it through the experience, which was to stay hopeful and not give up.
Brideau's main point in "Lydia's Story" was that even when faced with something terrible and destructive, hope and strength is what will get you through it. This is especially indicated in paragraph 12, "I heard strength and resolve in her voice." This lets the audience know that not only was Brideaus meeting Lydia very important, but the way Lydia spoke to her gave her the real message of strength and hope for what she had gone through.
The point of view of this story is of Brideau, who listened and understood Lydia's struggle so well that she felt she was almost there. She was so empowered by Lydia's story that even in her writing, she gave the audience a chance to feel what she felt; Sadness, fear, and heartfelt emotion.
Brideau was very raw in explaining Lydia's story, giving details of experiencing a flood in your own home. She not only heard the story loud and clear from Lydia, she got to know Lydia as a human being. With words like "raged", "swept", "precarious", "strength", and "essence of new hope", the story was transformed through a developmental stage of fear to relief. These words captured the audience and in great detail, were very appealing.
The geared audience would be the general public. Brideau's tone is informative and capturing, explaining the unfortunate events of this flood. With phrases like "Enormity of double hurricanes" and "people without homes", she reflected on what Lydia did to make it through the experience, which was to stay hopeful and not give up.
Chapter 2 blogpost
Types of writing that I've done in the past week... I have written notes for my film class, written a letter to a family member, tweeted about an annoying sibling, texted a friend I haven't seen in a while... the list goes on. Reading this prompt really makes me realize just how much writing I do without thinking about it. A huge difference I see in three types of writing I've done this week would have to be the variation of formal techniques I used. My tweets aren't as formal as my notes for my film class, which aren't as formal as the letter I wrote to my family member. The rhetorical situation I faced for each of these writing examples was very different.
The genre and tone of my tweet was very casual and informal, directed to an audience my age; teenagers. The purpose for this tweet wasn't too practical, but that's the idea that goes along with twitter. The stance was to "inform" my followers about a fact of my life, hopefully appealing to them and being somewhat relatable. My medium and design for this tweet was an emoji character used digitally, which I believe catches the eye of my audience, creating more of an appeal.
The genre and tone of my notes for film class was again casual, but formal enough to my understandings. Notes are typically not written like an essay, but also not as messy as a text to your best friend. It lies somewhere in the middle. The audience was, well, me, the purpose being I will later use this information for my benefit in a test or essay for that class. Looking back, my stance was positive, because these notes are for my benefit. If it had a negative stance I wouldn't be interested in looking back over them. My medium and design for my notes were simple things like an arrow on the page pointing to something, and a bubble around a phrase so it can catch my eye.
The letter I wrote to my Aunt gave the purpose of appreciation for something she had done for me. The tone was cheerful and it was directed specifically to the audience of my choice, my Aunt. The stance in this letter was to show my appreciation and amusement for what she had done. The medium was in print on a fancy letter! I didn't use a design, because I wanted to make it as formal as possible.
The genre and tone of my tweet was very casual and informal, directed to an audience my age; teenagers. The purpose for this tweet wasn't too practical, but that's the idea that goes along with twitter. The stance was to "inform" my followers about a fact of my life, hopefully appealing to them and being somewhat relatable. My medium and design for this tweet was an emoji character used digitally, which I believe catches the eye of my audience, creating more of an appeal.
The genre and tone of my notes for film class was again casual, but formal enough to my understandings. Notes are typically not written like an essay, but also not as messy as a text to your best friend. It lies somewhere in the middle. The audience was, well, me, the purpose being I will later use this information for my benefit in a test or essay for that class. Looking back, my stance was positive, because these notes are for my benefit. If it had a negative stance I wouldn't be interested in looking back over them. My medium and design for my notes were simple things like an arrow on the page pointing to something, and a bubble around a phrase so it can catch my eye.
The letter I wrote to my Aunt gave the purpose of appreciation for something she had done for me. The tone was cheerful and it was directed specifically to the audience of my choice, my Aunt. The stance in this letter was to show my appreciation and amusement for what she had done. The medium was in print on a fancy letter! I didn't use a design, because I wanted to make it as formal as possible.
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