TOW #11: Running With Scissors (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. 

Rhetorical Devices:
Point of view
Tone
Voice
Imagery

TOW #10: Florida Teen Gets A Year in Jail for Impersonating A Health Worker

Florida Teen Gets A Year in Jail for Impersonating A Health Worker

An 18-year-old boy, living in Florida, has been charged with four accounts of impersonation. He is sentenced to one year in jail, one year on house arrest, and eight years of probation. Matthew Scheidt, the perpetrator, apparently gave a patient in the hospital CPR when the patient was suffering from a drug overdose. Aside from the hospital, Matthew Scheidt was also charged with impersonating a police officer, a year after his conviction of impersonating a doctor. The article focuses mostly on the testimony and interrogation of Matthew Scheidt, and doesn't mention the opposing side. I think that this was effective because it allows the reader to make their own decision as to whether or not Scheidt deserves his sentence. The authors diction and tone also allowed readers to understand the story behind Scheidt's convictions. Also, similar to Alice Walkers "Everyday Use" that we read in class, the author effectively described sequence of events. The author mentioned his impersonation of a police officer from a previous year after mentioning that he was being charged with impersonation of a health worker. I thought this was effective because it further provides evidence to support the sentence Scheidt was given.

Rhetorical Devices:

Diction

Tone

Sequence 

TOW #9: Pepsi One Direction Commercial

Pepsi One Direction Commercial
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdFHlMobwzQ

I saw this commercial two days ago on television. Obviously the main focus is for the audience to buy Pepsi, but it does so in a way that I thought was very interesting. In the past, Pepsi used Britney Spears as a spokesperson to appeal to the younger generation. Although Britney Spears accomplished the goal of appealing to the younger generation, in this commercial, One Direction appeals to the younger generation, while also using Drew Brees to appeal to sports fans, specifically men. I think that the use of appeals in this commercial was the most important rhetorical device used because it applied to multiple groups of people instead of just one group of people.
Another device used was marketing/popularity. Pepsi made it seem as though everyone wanted to drink their product, which conveys to the audience that it's the best drink to choose. The commercial conveys that One Direction and Drew Brees drink Pepsi, which means that the audience should as well.


Rhetorical Devices:
Appeals

TOW #8: How Do You Kill 11 Million People?: Why the Truth Matters More Than You Think (IRB)

How Do You Kill 11 Million People?: Why the Truth Matters More Than You Think

     I just started reading "How Do You Kill 11 Million People?" by Andy Andrews, and it is so intriguing already. Although it's really short, it covers so much information and makes you think about the course of history. World War II and the holocaust is something kids learn about every year in school. Students have always learned this from the perspective of a history textbook, not necessarily the psychology perspective. The book is full of parallel structure, juxtaposition, and, most importantly, I think he uses appeals and the argument of both sides to completely convey his message to his readers. What I found so interesting about this book is that it goes much deeper than the holocaust. It talks about how there are over 100 million registered voters, but less than half actually vote in an election. Andy Andrews includes his perspective on the future of America and why backing away from the terms "democrat" and "republican" is essential in stepping forward as a country. 

      The use of parallel structure is effective because he repeats himself often, but not in a way that gets bothersome. His words stay in your head, and I think, as a writer, that is something that is very important. His messaged stayed with me, and I'm sure it stayed with others who read this book as well. His use of juxtaposition/comparison also allows readers to see two completely different viewpoints, but then find a common ground for both of them. Overall, I think Andy Andrews used rhetoric flawlessly. 

Rhetorical Devices:

Juxtaposition

Comparison

Appeals

Parallel Structure

TOW #7: Male Politicians Shouldn't Make Abortion Decisions

Male Politicians Shouldn't Make Abortion Decisions

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/10/24/obama-on-mourdock-male-politicians-shouldnt-make-abortion-decisions/?hpt=hp_t2

The author of this article, Kevin Liptak, is a reporter for CNN who is most known for writing about politics. This article was about President Obama's interview with Jay Leno, stating that he does not believe men should make decisions regarding abortion. He references Richard Mourdock, who recently made comments regarding rape and abortion. Mourdock, being a republican and Christian, believes that pregnancy is intended by God, therefore aborting a child is strictly immoral and sacrilegious. I think Obama makes a clear and logical point saying that abortion and rape are actions that should be handled by woman, because the actions are done to them. I think he is very reasonable and intelligent stating that these are decisions a woman should make for herself. The rhetorical devices used in the article are what made it appeal to me, and probably to all women all over the country. The author showed both opposing arguments, but explained why Obama's argument was valid and reasonable. Liptak's diction made the article sound factual, sophisticated, and made me view the author as a reliable and credible source of information. His use of ethos allowed me to understand his perspective and change my previous perspective, which  I think is a very powerful device to use. Overall, I think the article was full of rhetoric, very convincing, and showed both view points in a clear way.

Rhetorical Devices:
Ethos
Argument
Diction

TOW #6: Visual Text- Dove Real Beauty Commercial

Dove Real Beauty Commercial
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYhCn0jf46U

This commercial encapsulates Dove's entire campaign/motto in only a minute and fifteen seconds. From a rhetorical standpoint, the commercial is full of juxtaposition and appeals. The commercial, created by Dove which is a personal care brand, is targeting women, but specifically, women who have ever felt insecure about themselves. Given that insecurities and self-esteem struggles are extremely common among women of all ages, this commercial targets women as a whole. The commercial appeals to its audience by juxtaposing real vs. fake, and "beautiful" vs. "ugly." The video shows the transformation of a woman into a supermodel using tons of makeup and photo-shop, which shows how skewed our perception of beauty is. Doves main purpose is to show women all around the world that being beautiful does not require looking like those on a magazine, because, in fact, those women on the magazines are so edited and transformed that it's not even real anymore. In my opinion, I think that the use of juxtaposition and appeals makes the commercial all the more empowering and influential. The creators of the advertisement definitely did a good job targeting a specific audience, and making that specific audience buy-in to their brad.


Rhetorical Devices:
Juxtaposition
Audience
Appeals

TOW #5: Aung San Suu Kyi and the power of unity (Text)

Aung San Suu Kyi and the Power of Unity:

Aung San Suu Kyi is a politician who is known for her "worldwide leadership and commitment to human rights in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma." Aung San Suu Kyi was arrested and sentenced to nearly 20 years under house arrest by the Burmese military rulers. Like Gandhi, and Martin Luther King, Aung San Suu Kyi led a nonviolent movement in Burma against the government. The Burmese government is known as being one of the most oppressive, dictatorial  governments of the 21st century. Myanmar has been militarily ruled, therefore the people are, in most cases, living in poverty and oppression. Just recently, Myanmar has become a non-military government, and the country has elected their first civillian as leader of their government. 

The article was written by Jack Healey, who is the director of the Human Rights Action Center, and Dan Adler who is a producer and new media entrepreneur. Both men use pathos to make you feel how horrible life was in Myanmar, and more importantly, to make you understand what a difficult life Aung San Suu Kyi had. The author uses pathos to allow the audience to fully understand everything that Aung San Suu Kyi, and the people of burma, went through. Pathos allows the audience to have an emotional connection to the story, and often think, "what if?" which allows them to put the text into their own perspective.