The Right to Bear Arms?

     The conflict over gun regulation has intensified and waned within American politics throughout American history.  The issue has led to countless news stories and debates between increasingly polarized sides, yet decisive action is yet to be taken.  An essential reason for this conflict is the debate over how to interpret the Second Amendment.  Those against gun restrictions use the Second Amendment as evidence of “the right to bear arms,” although it is becoming harder to ignore the tragic results of lax or nonexistent gun laws allowing guns to fall into the wrong hands.  This cartoon, created by political cartoonist Chan Lowe for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, delves into this controversy.  It can be inferred from the image that James Madison, “The Father of the Constitution”, could not have anticipated modern weaponry at the time he penned the Second Amendment, and allowing people access to these kinds of semi-automatic weapons is not what he intended.  The setting of this cartoon seems to be directed particularly at an audience of conservative Americans who see no need for stricter gun regulation.  The image’s focal point, the gun, shatters the peaceful colonial scene and acts as a metaphor to how out of place guns can be in today’s society.  The colors help to reinforce this idea, as the stark blackness of the gun contrasts with the colonial scene’s pastel hues.  By putting into context the problems with largely unregulated gun control in the US, I think Lowe successfully accomplishes his purpose.

Is Data the New Oil?

An infographic that accompanied the New York Times article “A Vault for Taking Charge of Your Online Life”, by Natasha Singer.  Click here to read the article.

As this article aptly points out, “…data is ‘the new oil’ or, at least, the fuel that powers the Internet economy,” (Singer 3).  Given the substantial “online footprint” that many people leave behind while perusing the Web, this is not a surprise.  However, people are becoming increasingly wary of the ease through which companies can access data about them, and are looking for ways to erase or regulate their online data.  This article’s purpose is analyzing the company “Reputation.com”, which emerged to act as a vault for people’s personal online data.  By presenting this issue with potential solutions, author Natasha Singer, New York Times Sunday Business Section reporter since 2005 and graduate of Brown University, is able to relate to and ensure her audience’s rapt attention as she explains the pros and cons of Reputation.com.  As this is a universal issue, Singer seems to be broadly targeting anyone who regularly uses the Internet and cares about their online footprint, specifically young adults and adults.  She immediately connects to the audience through pathos by arousing people’s natural fears of vulnerability as she says people “are walking around naked” on the Internet.  The images produced by this metaphor really help to further Singer’s claims about the necessity of sites like Reputation.com.  In addition, they allow the audience to clearly visualize a somewhat complex concept.  Singer’s classification is very effective in breaking down and helping the audience to further understand the article.  Thus, I think that overall she accomplished her purpose well.

Is Handwriting Worth Preserving?

Photo taken from Julia Turner's Slate article, "The End of Pens: Is handwriting worth saving?"

     Society’s digital age seems to usher in faster and better ways of communication, as well as the end of “the handwriting” era.  In her intriguing article, Julia Turner, Slate’s Deputy Editor and regular on Slate’s Culture Gabfest Podcast, addresses this new phenomenon.  She frames her points in the context of a book review of The Missing Ink (Philip Hensher), which traces handwriting across the centuries.  Turner explains how handwriting has evolved as cultures attempt to make writing speedier and more legible.  However, handwriting today is often replaced with typing on technological devices, which raises the question: is handwriting even something worth preserving?  Turner’s assertions become all the more credible because she wrote some of her article by hand (scanned, of course, into the typed computer article).  This imagery reinforces some of her main points by allowing her to show and not just tell, and really puts into context how messy handwriting looks compared to typed words.  Turner’s decision to arrange the points in the article in a cause and effect fashion aids the audience’s understanding, and also makes it harder for her points to be disputed because they are so logical and occur in such a natural way.  The audience seems to be a teenage and older American public interested in aspects of culture and their evolution.  Overall, the article’s arrangement and imagery both contribute to the success of Turner’s purpose, which was to convince her audience that Hensher’s book is both applicable and interesting.

What Should Children Read?

The New York Times article "What Should Children Read?", by Sara Mosle, in Wordle format.  Click on the picture to zoom in.

     Teacher, author, and New York Times contributor Sara Mosle presents an interesting and relevant controversy in her New York Times opinion piece as she questions what children should be reading.  To the chagrin of many people who see the value of fictional works and poetry, contemporary English curricula are shifting in focus towards nonfiction reading (much like our 11^th grade AP English curriculum) as part of the Common Core State Standards.  These national standards have been adopted by the majority of states.  Mosle uses the opinions of qualified educators to support both sides of the controversy (ethos), incorporating their opinions through quotes.  She also effectively uses anecdotes to support some of the arguments, illustrating why the change might be necessary.  All of the arguments then culminate in one conclusion that Mosle further supports: the idea that students need not more, but better nonfiction, which can be found in the form of “narrative nonfiction”.  By providing examples of sources that contain narrative nonfiction, and even providing direct links to some sources in her article, Mosle effectively reaches out to her audience.  The audience seems mostly to be American parents and/or educators who are interested in the evolution of English curricula.  I think the piece could be even more effective if the article was directed towards students, who will be directly impacted by this new curriculum.  Even so, I think the piece does fulfill its purpose of conveying some of the controversy surrounding the development of a core English curriculum.

Euthanasia [noun] \youth•in•asia\

The book Me Talk Pretty One Day is a compilation of essays written by David Sedaris.  Collectively, the essays provide an intriguing overview of Sedaris’ life.  However, the essays can be read as stand-alone pieces and still make sense.  Thus, the focus of this analysis is the individual essay “Youth in Asia” from Me Talk Pretty One Day.

     If David Sedaris’ writing had to be described in only one word, that word would undoubtedly be: humorous.  Sedaris’ dry, witty and sarcastic tone provides much entertainment and is an effective way of appealing to the reader.  Sedaris is an American humorist, author, and comedian, and is also known for his frequent contributions to the NPR radio talk show “This American Life”.  That said, the essay “Youth in Asia” focuses on one particular aspect of American life: pets, and their role in the family.  Throughout the essay, Sedaris plows through the complete list of pets owned by his family, supplying funny and often outrageous anecdotes about each pet.  Despite the individual differences between the pets, many of their lives ended in the same fashion: being put to sleep (euthanasia).  Through this word, Sedaris reveals his command of the English language to the audience, as he creates a motif of two Asian boys playing (the “youth in Asia”) to provide visual entertainment in accompaniment with the deaths of several of his pets.  This surprising combination of humor and metaphor work fabulously to engage Sedaris’ audience, which appears to be Americans who are old enough to connect with and appreciate Sedaris’ wit, yet young enough so as not to be offended by some of his language and comparisons.  I think that the interplay of metaphor and humor does accomplish Sedaris’ purpose of providing entertainment and humorous adaptations of everyday problems for the enjoyment of his audience.

All in: The Relationship Between David Petraeus and Paula Broadwell

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (January 2012): Interview with Paula Broadwell to promote her book All in: The Education of General David Petraeus.  Click on the link to watch the interview (first video on page) between Stewart and Broadwell.

     This interview between Jon Stewart and Paula Broadwell was part of Broadwell’s endeavor to promote her book about David Petraeus.  Humor was an evident tactic used to relate with and please the audience throughout the interview, and to help Stewart and Broadwell present themselves in a positive manner.  Stewart asked Broadwell about her interviewing process, and she explained the project’s switch from dissertation to book, and how many of her interviews with Petraeus were conducted during runs.  The interview then focused on Petraeus and how his personality and strength command respect.  Based on audience response during the video clip, the rhetorical style resonated well with the audience. The Daily Show is known to target young to middle-aged adults, who regard the show as a source of news and entertainment.  By alluding to Broadwell’s established background throughout the interview, Broadwell’s reputation as an author was effectively credited (ethos).  Yet, while her comments and insights into her research about Petraeus’ life made her seem like an intelligent and established person, Broadwell’s flirty demeanor and revealing outfit detracted from this respectable image.  Thus, I think the idea of paradox unintentionally entered the interview, something especially interesting in the wake of the Petraeus-Broadwell affair.  When placed within the context of the affair, the interview suddenly takes on an additional meaning as evidence foreshadowing the affair.  Thus, I feel that the interview accomplished several purposes, including the intentional attempt to highlight Broadwell’s book, and the unintentional hints at Broadwell’s affair with Petraeus.

Listening With Your Eyes

The below analysis was based on the last chapter of Blink, Conclusion: Listening with your Eyes: The Lessons of Blink (pages 245-54).

     Blink’s last chapter is a culmination of all the lessons Malcolm Gladwell presented to the reader in the preceding chapters. He uses the story of Abbie Conant, and other female musicians who earned spots in some of the world’s most prestigious orchestras, to show how the powers of the human brain’s rapid cognition can be utilized to their max.  Until recently, at orchestra auditions, most women musicians were judged (“thin sliced”, in psychological terms) negatively based on their gender, not their ability.  However, when extraneous information, like gender and appearance, was edited from these auditions and thus first impressions, men and women were judged equally.  Through this anecdotal example, Gladwell proves to the reader that when the amount of information present in first impressions is reduced, different outcomes can occur.  In addition to anecdotes, Gladwell also used the antimetabole to enhance his writing.  He explained, “Celibidache… [had] definite ideas about how music ought to be played—and who ought to play music,” (246).  Gladwell’s arrangement technique of anecdotes, evidence, and reason, coupled with the presence of the antimetabole, helped him to show the audience his grasp on various issues.  Gladwell stressed the applicability of Blink’s lessons to his audience, which appeared to be a young generation of Americans who could apply what they learned from Blink to their daily lives.  Though at times Gladwell’s conclusions seemed to be a stretch, I believe that overall he effectively accomplished his purpose of conveying the value of first impressions to the reader.

Geoengineering: Changing the Landscape of Design

    In her op-ed published in the New York Times, Naomi Klein (author of “The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism”) brings environmental issues to the forefront of people’s minds as she discusses geoengineering and its implications.  As our planet’s ecological conditions continue to deteriorate, many people are turning towards the tantalizing, easy fix to this problem presented by “rogue” scientists: geoengineering.  Geoengineering, essentially manipulating the environment to combat global warming, might be effective in reducing some of global warming’s effects; however, it brings with it a slew of issues that could adversely harm the environment and interfere with natural cycles and patterns.  Klein establishes herself well through evidence and real life examples and scenarios.  Yet she also uses many causal relationships to examine the multiple potential effects of geoengineering procedures through many differing lenses, such as environmental, political, diplomatic, and historical.  The variance in perspective gives power to her piece, a power that I think is intensified through Klein’s elegiac style.  She concludes a list of geoengineering’s possible ramifications by saying, “In the age of geoengineering, we might find ourselves confronting the end of miracles, too,” (2).  All of the consequences listed, and the negative words in which they are described give the article a negative, mournful air.  However, I feel this effectively reaches out to an audience of Americans Klein felt are “muted” towards geoengineering and its effects.  Overall, I think Klein established the gravity of our current environmental situation, thus fulfilling her purpose.

Monet's Water Lilies

The image shown above is one of the eight Claude Monet Water Lily images on display at the Musée de l’Orangerie in Paris.  Built solely to house eight of Monet’s water lilies, the Musée de l’Orangerie has eight of the water lilies on display, all of which depict a pond with water lilies in the different seasons (two per season; the above image shows the water lilies in the Spring).  Click here for a virtual tour of the Musée de l’Orangerie (click "Visite Virtuelle" to start the tour).

In the later years of his life, renowned impressionist artist Claude Monet created hundreds of paintings featuring water lilies from his garden in Giverny.  The above image presents water lilies during springtime, and it is fascinating how springtime dictated many of the painting’s elements.  Spring is a transition season from cold to warm, and these changes are expressed metaphorically by the painting’s changing hues, from darker blues to lighter lavenders.  It appears as if rays of light are pouring onto the pinker sections of the water, a deliberate choice that uses pathos to appeal to the audience’s typical associations with springtime as a time of light and growth.  The painting appeals to natural human emotional connections between light colors and feelings of peace and tranquility, which likely  resonates with a wide audience of people around the world.  In particular, the painting’s positive depiction of the pond seems like an endeavor to impress upon the audience the value of natural beauty.  Monet effectively uses his audience’s cultural memory, which helps lead the audience to the painting’s purpose.  Monet’s purpose was to have his water lilies cohesively act as a motif of water, and remarked, “The motif's essential is the mirror of water whose aspect is constantly being modified.”  This is immediately clear to the viewer: the focal point of water, with the water lilies and tree simply as the painting’s border, highlights water’s importance to the image as well as its diversity, and the pastel colors used create feelings associated with springtime.

Potentially, A Piece to the Puzzle

   Despite the medical breakthroughs of our time, the cause(s) of autism are still unknown and there is no cure for the condition.  However, autism researchers have just received permission from the US Federal and Drug Administration to begin a research study testing the effectiveness of a child’s own stem cells from their own umbilical cord blood as a treatment for the disorder.  This is an informational, very objective article that author Mary Brophy Marcus, reporter for The Philadelphia Inquirer, appeared to be directing towards the general American population interested in medicine and diseases (like autism). Marcus does a good job using logos to appeal to the audience and enable them to follow the flow of the facts presented in the article.  She also does a commendable job qualifying herself through the quotes and opinions of respected physicians who will and will not be directly involved with the study, which shows an effective use of ethos in establishing her credibility.  However, Marcus hardly varies her syntax, consistently structuring sentences, “___ said, ‘quote,’” (subject verb quote). By backing up and establishing herself as a reliable source, I think the article’s basic purpose of explaining the study to the reader is accomplished.  However, I feel that the article might have made a larger impression on the reader had Marcus used more varied devices to reach out to the audience.

Head to Head: Obama vs. Romney in the First Presidential Debate

Here is a shot of each candidate’s facial expressions at a point in the debate when Romney was speaking.  This juxtaposition is highly indicative of how the audience perceived each candidate, regardless of what they said.  To watch the debate in full (or just a portion of it), click here.

   This past Wednesday marked the first Presidential debate between President Barack Obama and former Governor Mitt Romney.  Held in Denver, Colorado, and moderated by Jim Lehrer of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), this debate focused on domestic issues, specifically the economy, healthcare, the role of government, and governing.  Each candidate’s purpose was to convince undecided American voters to vote for them, and it is fascinating how diction, tone, facial expressions, and body language influenced the audience’s perception of the candidates.  Both candidates effectively used ethos, pathos, logos, and anecdotes to appeal to the average American.  However, throughout the debate, President Obama did not make eye contact with Romney and often wore an expression of boredom and superiority.  Though he effectively substantiated his plans for America, he distanced himself from the audience through his explanatory tone.  Overall, I do not think his purpose was fulfilled because his negative body language undermined many of his statements.  In addition, Obama did not challenge Romney, while Romney consistently questioned Obama’s claims.  Romney effectively appealed to and engaged with the audience through his ardent tone of voice.  Although he grimaced painfully most of the time Obama was speaking, and was unable to give specifics about his own policies, he seemed passionate and confident about his plans.  I feel that this positively influenced the audience in his favor, and that Romney was able to accomplish his purpose.  It will be interesting to note how the rhetorical strategies of each candidate may change in upcoming debates.

The Truth About College

The Article "NYU Professor: Are Student Loans Immoral?", by Andrew Ross, in Wordle format.  Click here to read the article, and click on the picture to zoom in.

     It can seem like high school is primarily about getting into college, especially to eleventh grade students.  But what happens when you’re actually there?  Written by Andrew Ross, New York University (NYU) Professor of Social and Cultural Analysis, this Newsweek article delves into one of the most frightening consequences of a higher education: debt.  Student loans push many young adults into massive debt upon their college graduation.  Ross had been ignoring this “silent elephant” in his classroom until last year, when helped to launch the “Occupy Student Debt Campaign”, which among other things brought this issue to the public’s attention.  Through anecdotes of students whose dreams for their future had been ruined because of debt, such as a girl whose father had been laid off and thus considered dropping out of school, and a first generation American who had not taken out loans from a properly accredited institution, the article effectively informs the public of this problem.  Ross also included statistics, such as the alarming truth that African Americans are the most indebted of any racial group, which appealed to the audience’s ethos and pathos.  The article seemed targeted towards a younger demographic of Americans who have been, are, or will be faced with college and potential debt in the near future.  This article successfully placed the problem of debt into context for those unfamiliar with it, but I believe it will require more than just one person speaking up to make a difference.

Blink: Now Look Again

Blink, by Malcolm Gladwell.  Section analyzed: pages 56-61, "The psychologists Claude Steele…makes our decisions for us.”

Malcolm Gladwell is known for his psychological novels that examine human behavior, and his work as a reporter for the Washington Post and as a staff writer for The New Yorker Magazine exposed him to a variety of these behaviors.  His novel Blink focuses on cognitive behaviors, specifically the brain’s split-second decisions and how an individual perceives them.  This section explores the unconscious part of the brain’s ability to recognize details long before the conscious mind, and draws the conclusion that our conscious and unconscious decisions are much more susceptible to outside influences than was previously thought.  Gladwell uses evidence in a wide range of forms to substantiate his claims.  In addition to the rhetorical elements of varied narrative style, cause and effect, and definition, the process of exemplification has a profound effect on Gladwell’s points being conveyed well to the reader.  Though I sometimes feel his arguments are a stretch and almost too good to be true, they are well supported and effectively appeal to a wide audience.  However, Gladwell’s audience seems especially to be American citizens.  The majority of Gladwell’s examples are American studies that tie directly to American behaviors and values.  Gladwell’s purpose thus takes on a new meaning, becoming a way for specifically Americans to be able to use the brain’s ability to take in its surroundings to change how they live their lives.  Thus, I think his purpose is accomplished, and am excited to discover how his rhetorical strategies may change as the book progresses.

Anti-American Protests Flare, 11 years after 9/11

The New York Times article "Anti-American Protests Flare Beyond the Mideast" in Wordle format (click for close-up)

On September 11^th, 2012, triggered by an American video that insulted Islam, anti-American protests began in Cairo’s Tahrir Square.  The protests and destruction quickly spread, and within 4 days, over 65 American embassies around the world had been either penetrated by protestors or threatened with violence.  In his article, Rick Gladstone (a journalist for The New York Times who specializes in Middle Eastern/North African affairs) informs the American public of the chaos occurring from North Africa to South Asia and Indonesia.  Gladstone’s third person perspective and sentence structure effectively establish his expertise concerning Middle Eastern affairs and his pro-American viewpoint.  His sentence structure shows how he presents his beliefs in a way that would resonate with an American audience, as he emphasized the destruction.  Many of Gladstone’s word choices in the text—violent, deadly protests, breached security, penetrated US Embassies, tacit acknowledgements—convey the immensity and chaos of the protests, and effectively uses ethos to appeal to Americans with heightened feelings of patriotism immediately following the anniversary of 9/11.  The article frames the destruction in a way that victimizes the USA, without ever going into detail about the questionable video that acted as a catalyst for the violence.  In this way, I feel that Gladstone accomplished his purpose of informing America of anti-American violence in the Middle East.  However, it seems Gladstone allowed his pro-American views to influence his writing, making the story presented by the article seem incomplete to the reader.