Documentary Post 2

127 hours, the documentary I watched, displays a man's journey through the canyons in Utah. While being stuck between a boulder and the side of the canyon for 127 hours, Aron Ralston had to amputate his own arm in order to free himself and survive. Ralston's cell phone had no service and he had no way of communicating with any other human beings because he was in the middle of the canyons, miles away from anyone else.
His lack of communication methods, such as a cell phone, shows how vital technology and communication is to society. In times of panic, communication is necessary. But how does someone communicate when they are all alone? Modes of communication, although arguably have been detrimental to history and society, play a major role in our everyday life. In a society that is so dependent on technology, it is unimaginable to be without any form of communication. As displayed in 127 hours, lack of communication can mean life or death. Modern modes of communication greatly affect the rhetorical devices individuals have at their disposal. With diverse modes of communication, individuals are able to express themselves in many ways rather than face-to-face.

127 Hours: Documentary

I watched 127 hours, which is a documentary about Aron Ralston, a man who was trapped in a canyon in Utah. He was by himself climbing the canyons and was trapped by a falling boulder which suspended him underground. The film shows his 127 hours without food or water, where Aron had to drink his own urine in order to survive. In order to release himself from the canyon, Ralston had to cut his arm off with a pocket knife. The film shows the cutting of his arm in gruesome detail which shows the audience how horrifying his experience was. The documentary was very vivd in detail which added to the suspense of the audience, and created a sense of pathos. The audience felt the same fear and adrenaline that Alston had felt during his time in the canyons. When Ralston yelled for help, and kept screaming for someone to save him, the audience really got a sense of how alone and stranded he was. Overall, I thought the documentary had very disturbing yet impactful details while appealing to pathos which engaged the audience in a very suspenseful way.

TOW #29: TOW Reflection

REFLECTION:

When we were first assigned TOW's, I chose unsophisticated topics to write about weekly. I think that over time, my writing changed and I began to read about more political or controversial issues, which influenced the way I wrote my essays, specifically the argument essay and analysis essay. I think I could still improve on reading nonfiction IRB's because in the argument essay, it would have improved my argument if I could have used a specific book to defend my claim. 

In the beginning, it was easy for me to do a TOW every week. About halfway through the year, in February, I stopped doing them. I think that the TOW's would have been more beneficial had they been graded on a weekly basis. But on the other hand, AP English is a college-level course and it should be expected that students will follow the curriculum without being constantly reminded to do the assignments. The fact that the TOW's weren't graded and rarely checked greatly influenced by lack of motivation to do them. But as I said before, this is a college-level class and I should've looked passed being graded on my TOWs and focused more on how the TOWs would improve my writing. 

I think the purpose of the assignment was to help our analysis and argument essays improve, given that we were told to rhetorically analyze a piece of writing. Not only did the analysis help us think about rhetorical devices, but the articles themselves helped us gain knowledge of different events and people. Overall I think I benefitted from the TOWs, but I do think that checking them on a weekly basis and giving students a grade for the assignment would ensure that students do them when they are expected to. 

TOW #26 IRB

Running With Scissors (IRB):

I recently started reading Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs. The book is a memoir written through his perspective when he was a child. Augusten has a mother who is mentally unstable, so he lives with his mothers psychiatrist. The psychiatrists family is disorganized and often times deeply disturbing, which is why I find this book to be so interesting. The author uses point of view, tone, voice, and imagery to add to his memoir. I found the imagery to be the most developed rhetorical device because, when reading the story, I can visualize everything that is going on in Augusten's life. For example, the imagery he used to describe his mother made it obvious to the reader how crazy she actually was. Augusten states, "My mother began to go crazy. Not in a 'Let's paint the kitchen red!' sort of way. But crazy in a 'gas oven, toothpaste sandwich, I am God' sort of way." I found his detail and description allowed the reader to understand his situation to a better extent, given that the situation he's in is completely abnormal. He also uses tone to show his perspective, which I also found to be really useful. It's obvious to the reader how he feels about the situation he is in, and it's obvious how he feels about the characters in the book. One of the most important relationships in the book is between himself and his mother, and I think his tone as well as imagery shows the reader the instability of their relationship. 

TOW #25: SC Mom, Shoots Family, Killing Her 2 Kids

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/14/suzanna-simpson-shoots-family_n_3275773.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular

Suzanna Simpson, mother of two children, allegedly killed her 5 and 7 year old, while severely injuring her husband. Suzanna had tried to commit suicide but couldn't bring herself to do it. She instead went on a rampage killing her children and injuring her husband. Afterwards, she told authorities, she tried to kill herself but "couldn't bring [herself] to do it." The author of the article portrays Suzanna as being crazy and mentally unstable, which I think plays a role in how the audience views her. The author begins with her mental instability and then leads into the crime she committed. I think the author does this so that people understand that she wasn't a stable person, but also that her actions are not justifiable or any excuse. The authors use of diction about the mother of the two dead children allows the audience to see what a monster the woman is, but also see how ill she was.

TOW #24: Woman Dies After Assault Rifle Goes Off

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/17/anastasia-adair-dead-dies-assault-rifle_n_3293336.html

With gun control being a big issue in society, the use of firearms and rifles is controversial. Anastasia Adair, a Colorado woman, died after holding a rifle and accidentally shooting herself in the head. While handing the gun over to her husband, Anastasia accidentally shot herself in the head, and when she fell to the floor, the gun went off again. The author, Andres Juaregui, composed his article including many quotes from the woman's husband. Much of the quotes advocate for the importance of never handling guns when intoxicated, and always being extremely preventative and careful. Andres is able to address his argument by using the quotes without simply stating that guns are extremely dangerous and should always be handled properly. The authors diction is very simple as well, in order to appeal to all audiences and in order to make sure all audiences understand his message regarding gun control in American society. Cases like Anastasia only fuel the government to make stricter and stricter laws about gun control and its continued use in society.

TOW #23: The Dzhokhar Tsarnaev Empathy Problem

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2013/05/the-dzhokhar-tsarnaev-empathy-problem.html

In the wake of the Boston Marathon bombings, there is a lot of controversy over our legal-system, and how the government should handle the recent attacks. In the article, the author talks about how many people are saying that they feel bad for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, and that they are empathetic toward him. The author of the article, unlike any other articles I've read regarding the Boston bombings, writes from a psychological standpoint which majorly effects the audience.

The audience is able to think about the psychological part of the crime, and stray away from the hard evidence supported against the brothers responsible. The author talks about how looks are a very important role in peoples feelings. In a study, many people stated that Tsarnaev looks like a good, friendly, kind man, all because he is attractive, whereas in other criminal cases, people despise those being tried in the court of law because of their unattractiveness. I think that the author has a very interesting standpoint, and is able to support his or her claim by going into the psychology behind the attack and straying away from the attack itself.

TOW #22: Political Cartoon

http://www.newyorker.com/politics/cartoons#slide=5

The New Yorker published a political cartoon with two men in an ambulance. The one man says to the man who is holding a man on a stretcher: "This guy's organ-donor card specifies 'for any deserving conservative.'" The black-and-white cartoon is aiming toward the democratic party showing how republicans are self-centered and almost selfish. The illustrator of the cartoon doesn't reveal the face of the person who is lying on the stretcher. I think the cartoonist does this in order to keep his or her argument central, and not have the audience focus on the race or age of the person who is hurt. The cartoon is very simple, but the caption makes the audience think a lot about the situation. By saying that the organ-donor car specifies for "any deserving conservative" the cartoonist is able to directly attack the conservative party, but while adding the word "deserving" the cartoonist allows the democratic party to feel as though they are being attacked by these people as well. Overall, the cartoonist's diction plays a major role in the effectiveness of the cartoon.

TOW #21: When Celebrities Share Secrets, Good Things Happen

http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/16/opinion/wexler-celebrities-share/index.html?iid=article_sidebar

This week, Laura Wexler, writer for CNN, wrote about Angelina Jolie's double mastectomy. The news was astonishing to many women because usually women in the later stages of breast cancer undergo a double mastectomy, not women who are just trying to be proactive. Angelina Jolie had a recent scare while receiving her yearly mammogram, and decided to get a double mastectomy. Being one of the most famous sex-symbols in todays society, the media was all over the story. Jolie stated that being preventative is important and shouldn't be glamorized in Hollywood, since breast cancer takes the lives of thousands of women each year.
The author of the article, Laura Wexler, supported Jolie's "coming out of the closet" by remembering previous celebrities who have done the same. She alludes to Billie Jean King, and other women who openly admitted to getting an abortion. Wexler explains how this sense of openness between celebrities and their fans allows their fans to become proactive themselves and follow in the footsteps of their idols. Wexler's use of supporting details to defend her claim that celebrities who share secrets cause their fans to do positive things, effectively supported her argument.

TOW #20 The Economist- Darkness Before Dawn

Darkness Before Dawn

The article "Darkness Before Dawn," written in the Economist, is about Joseph Roth, an author who died at age 44 in a Paris café. The author of the article notes how Roth's work, which was published back during World War II, is now being translated to English. The author praises Roth's work and persuades the audience to read Roth's novels.
The author of the article uses persuasion to appeal to the audience. He does this by using vivid detail to describe Roth's works, such as: "dueling scars, shabby uniforms, and borrowed finery"to describe Nazi Germany during World War II. The author of the article uses detail to try and persuade the audience to read Roths books on World War II, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The books are an important part of European culture, and are now available in English. The author also uses pathos to appeal to the audiences emotions. He describes how Roth died at a young age in a café, but would have eventually been killed by Nazi Germany anyway. Roth depicts this in his books, which is why the author thinks it's so important for people to read the books.

TOW #18: Notes From My Travels (IRB)

Notes From My Travels
Angelina Jolie Biography

To start the new semester, I started reading Angelina Jolie's biography: Notes From My Travels. The book starts off with her mission trip to Africa from February 22- March 1, 2001. She states in the opening sentence that she: "[took the trip] to learn about and assist refugees under the care of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Sierra Leone and Tanzania" (Jolie 1). Angelina Jolie, being in the spotlight for the majority of her life, writes with a sense of sympathy and equality; a side of her that is probably not shown on the television or tabloids. She utilizes ethos to show the audience that she is a caring, loving, well-rounded human being, not just a celebrity. For example she states: "I honestly want to help. I don't believe I am different from other people. I think we all want justice and equality. We all want a chance for a life with meaning. All of us would like to believe that if we were in a bad situation someone would help us" (Jolie 1). Her use of ethos not only shows the reader she is a normal person, it also allows the reader to put themselves in the position of the refugees in Africa.
By stating that "we believe that if we were in a bad situation someone would help us," it allows the audience to think about a time that they've needed help and received help, which pulls at their emotions. She uses short sentences to add drama and suspense to her memoir, which also utilizes ethos and causes the reader to feel for her and the refugees. She states: "[she] is thinking about those people [she] has been reading so much about and how they are separated from the families they love. They have no home. They are watching the people they love die. They are dying themselves. And they have no choice," (Jolie 2) which sets up the rest of the story, and allows the audience to know that this isn't a vacation for her and that it's going to be a life-changing and potentially dangerous mission. Her use of ethos is what captivates the audience and leaves them in suspense.

TOW #17: Most People Would Kill 1 Person to Save 5

Most People Would Kill 1 Person to Save 5 Others

Remy Melina: LiveScience Writer

Recently, LiveScience has conducted a study in which humans are put into a 3D world in which they had to pull a switch to determine the fate of 6 individuals. In the 3D world,  the subjects could choose to do nothing and allow the train to kill five hikers, or pull a switch to reroute the boxcar to a different track, where it would kill one hiker. 147 people volunteered to test the experiment: 14 people allowed the train to kill the 5 hikers, while 133 people chose to kill 1 hiker and save the 5 others. The experiment study encapsulates the ideals of what's morally correct/incorrect, by asking the rhetorical question: What would you do? 

The use of the question is effective because it allows the audience to think to themselves whether or not they would kill 1 person or 5 people, and which is more important. In the end, someone is dying. But what if that 1 person was going to be the next president, or scientist? What if those 5 people had nothing going for them, but you still chose to save them over the person with potential? The question is rhetorically effective because it makes the audience think about themselves while reading the article, which allows the audience to put themselves in the position of the hikers or the subjects of the experiment. Overall, the use of the one, simple question stimulates the audience's visualization and thoughts, which is very effective. 

TOW #16: Re-Write

Dove Real Beauty Commercial (TOW #6 Visual Text) Re-Write
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYhCn0jf46U

        Dove, a personal hygiene and care brand, created a commercial which advertises their company and promotes their campaign. Dove campaigns that all women, no matter what size or color, are beautiful. Dove also campaigns that women do not need to look like the women on TV or in magazines in order to feel good about themselves. The one-minute fifteen-second commercial contains juxtaposition, appeals, and ethos in order to convey their campaign slogan.
         The concept of the commercial is to show how women in the magazines are photo-shopped and manipulated to look the way that they do. The commercial juxtaposes a "real" woman, without makeup and without being airbrushed, and a "fake" woman, a woman wearing loads of makeup. Dove encapsulates the fact that women do not need to look like the "fake" woman in order to be beautiful, which supports their argument that all women are beautiful in their own way.
     The commercial utilizes the self-esteem of women all over the world in order to appeal to their audience. They take a woman with low self esteem, airbrush her, and make her look like a Barbie doll. When Dove shows the amount of time it takes to make a woman look like that, it allows the audience to realize that in reality, no one looks the way the models do in pictures... Not even the models themselves. Appealing to the audience makes the commercial effective because it does not target a certain type of women, it targets women as a whole.
    The commercial also uses ethos in order to show that their arguments and beliefs are both accurate. Dove, a company which sells beauty products, experiences first-hand the women in the beauty/fashion industry. Since they compete with other brands and other companies, they know how other brands sell their products: making women look undeniably and unbelievably beautiful, which makes women strive to look like that instead of being comfortable in their own skin. Dove builds their credibility by showing the audience that no one on TV looks the way they do without all of the makeup, which allows women to increase their level of self esteem and feel comfortable in their bodies. Overall, Dove's use of juxtaposition, appeals, and ethos makes their advertisement and their campaign effective for women all over the world.

TOW #15: School Resumes for Students Haunted by Newtown Tragedy

School Resumes for Students Haunted by Newtown Tragedy

http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/18/us/connecticut-school-shooting/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

Visual Text

The video describes the tragic events that took place at Sandy Hook Elementary School. The video tells the audience that the children who survived the shooting are not returning to school anytime soon, as their school is still a crime scene under investigation. The video uses pathos to appeal to the audience's emotions, although I don't think the video's main purpose is to make the audience emotional. The tragedy effected so many people, regardless of whether or not they lost a friend or family member. The entire country has mourned and prayed for those affected by one of the worst acts of violence our country as experienced. The news anchors tone of voice is flat and sympathetic, allowing the audience to realize how badly this event has effected our country.

I think that the video is extremely effective in displaying the events that took place because it shows that not only did this shooting effect Sandy Hook Elementary school, it effected the entire country. This is a tragic and horribly unimaginable time for those who have lost lives, and the news did a very accurate and heartfelt portrayal of the events that took place.