Anna Quindlen is a mother, a United States citizen and author of the Newsweek article, “One Day, Now Broken in Two”. In this piece she analyzes the effects of the September 11th terrorist attacks on the minds, hearts and attitudes of the American people. She uses strong appeals to pathos, rhetorically wrenching the readers towards an ultimate sadness upon completion. While she suggests that many Americans have used “simple” and “mundane” activities to mask the “terror of the new reality” she offers no solution to this “happy trance”.
At both the beginning, and the end of the article Quindlen strongly appeals to the readers emotions. She shares the unfortunate fact that her son was born on September 11 as the opening sentence. The sentence is short and concise, and fails to mention the year of her son’s birth and the presence of a father. Her choice to leave out these details causes the reader to sympathetically envision a single mother, giving birth on the day of the terrorist attacks, even though it becomes obvious later in the paper her son was a teenagers during the attacks. In the second to last paragraph she describes the horrible events that her family was forced to endure on the day prior to 9-11. That evening while putting her daughter to bed she promises her, “Don’t worry, honey. We’ll never again have a day as bad as this one.” The story encourages a strong emotional response from the reader, and ultimately ends the article with a sad tone.
Quindlen asks and answers a series of questions, all uniformly placed at the beginning of several paragraphs, that implore readers to look closely at Americans as a whole. She asks three times throughout the article, “Who are we now?” She offers two responses, “We are people whose powers of imagination have been challenged by the revelations of the careful planning, the hidden leaders, the machinations from within a country of rubble and caves and desperate want, the willingness to slam headlong into one great technological achievement while piloting another as a way of despising modernity.” This statement, as well as the following answer, implies that we as a nation are eternally suffering victims. “We are people of two minds now, the one that looks forward and the one that unwillingly and unexpectedly flashes back.”
While this article invokes strong emotions, and serves as an excellent reminder to the pain inside every American as a result of 9-11, it offers no solution towards mending those wounds. Quindlen’s rhetoric is upsetting and casts a shadow over the hearts of many optimistic Americans who have dealt with the pain and now hold on respectable and honorary memories of that fateful day. The general message she conveys about an underlying sadness in Americans soul may be observed as true, but the fact is merely depressing when no solution is offered along with it.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Thank You Mr. Robinson
Who is Jackie Robinson? Is he the first black major league baseball player? If the answer was no, would this essay “Free Minds and Hearts at Work” matter? The truth is Jackie Robinson was the first black major league ball player, but that is not why his essay matters. The essay matters because of its context. When writing this essay, Jackie Robinson was able to use his first hand experiences of prejudice and racism in baseball to offer hope that America could progress further than sports, as long as ideas were forward thinking.
Jackie’s aim focused on the fact that all humans are indeed imperfect, but as humans it is important to strive to be perfect. Robinson is able to make logical approach to racism, by comparing it as if it were America’s handicap. Baseball was not perfect when Robinson came into the league, but it did get better. “Free Minds and Hearts at Work” circles around the idea that what happens today can only make the future look brighter.
It is not too far off to look at this piece parallel to what is happening today. As Barak Obama moves closer to his chance at the presidency, one can only think that the vision of Robison was the groundwork for this to happen.
“Thank You Mr. Robinson”. I saw those words on a billboard not too long ago; actually it was about a year ago. Major League Baseball was commemorating something bigger than baseball; last season was the 60th anniversary of Jackie Robinson’s first season in the major leagues. Those words, “Thank You Mr. Robinson”, were not about baseball, much in the same sense that a man who made his career as a professional ball player is not remembered for playing baseball.
Jackie’s aim focused on the fact that all humans are indeed imperfect, but as humans it is important to strive to be perfect. Robinson is able to make logical approach to racism, by comparing it as if it were America’s handicap. Baseball was not perfect when Robinson came into the league, but it did get better. “Free Minds and Hearts at Work” circles around the idea that what happens today can only make the future look brighter.
It is not too far off to look at this piece parallel to what is happening today. As Barak Obama moves closer to his chance at the presidency, one can only think that the vision of Robison was the groundwork for this to happen.
“Thank You Mr. Robinson”. I saw those words on a billboard not too long ago; actually it was about a year ago. Major League Baseball was commemorating something bigger than baseball; last season was the 60th anniversary of Jackie Robinson’s first season in the major leagues. Those words, “Thank You Mr. Robinson”, were not about baseball, much in the same sense that a man who made his career as a professional ball player is not remembered for playing baseball.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
All Grades Final
From the beginning of his article Kurt Wiesenfeld gave me the impression in his article "Making the Grade" that he was out to do one thing: complain and moan over students begging for a higher grade after they had been posted for the semester. However once you have read the entire article, he really can make you see and feel exactly where he is coming from. The way he organized his article and his use of pathos and logos really make you think as a reader that is a somewhat frightening thing going on.
The author did a very good job organizing his article. From the opening statement, he makes the reader feel as if this is nothing more than a professor hating his life over what he does for a living. He continues this on for over eight paragraphs complaining over how student after student contacts him, wanting a higher grade, describing it as a new form of consumerism, if you dn't like the grade then you should return it. There all of a sudden, he completely changes the attitude from which he is coming from. Wiesenfeld shoves so many examples of pathos into two paragraphs it seems almost over-whelming. He mentions that most of the students in his class are either majoring in engineering or science and begins to pull examples from real life to show what happens when those are not educated enough or who failed to have the knowledge for what they are doing. Wiesenfeld mentioned how a person was killed in Atlanta when a light poll at the Olympic Stadium collapsed. The language he used that appealed to parent's emotions by asking is the foundation of your child's dormitory sound, and so on. He stated this all comes from students wanting something from nothing, or in this case an C for a F. It kind of makes the reader go, oh wow, I never thought something so little could possibly affect so much.
These three things really came into play in the writing of this article. Wiesenfeld adds so much emotion towards the end of his writing that you really cannot feel anythis else but afraid of what people are trying to do and how some may be succeeding in doing this. It makes the person feel as if they should just continue on working hard, but how could someone else's actions affect you?
The author did a very good job organizing his article. From the opening statement, he makes the reader feel as if this is nothing more than a professor hating his life over what he does for a living. He continues this on for over eight paragraphs complaining over how student after student contacts him, wanting a higher grade, describing it as a new form of consumerism, if you dn't like the grade then you should return it. There all of a sudden, he completely changes the attitude from which he is coming from. Wiesenfeld shoves so many examples of pathos into two paragraphs it seems almost over-whelming. He mentions that most of the students in his class are either majoring in engineering or science and begins to pull examples from real life to show what happens when those are not educated enough or who failed to have the knowledge for what they are doing. Wiesenfeld mentioned how a person was killed in Atlanta when a light poll at the Olympic Stadium collapsed. The language he used that appealed to parent's emotions by asking is the foundation of your child's dormitory sound, and so on. He stated this all comes from students wanting something from nothing, or in this case an C for a F. It kind of makes the reader go, oh wow, I never thought something so little could possibly affect so much.
These three things really came into play in the writing of this article. Wiesenfeld adds so much emotion towards the end of his writing that you really cannot feel anythis else but afraid of what people are trying to do and how some may be succeeding in doing this. It makes the person feel as if they should just continue on working hard, but how could someone else's actions affect you?
Plastic America Does Bleed
Anna Quindlen definitely uses logos as the basis for her memoir and interpretive stance of the new American way of life in "One day, Now Broken in Two". She takes every possible shot at the heart of the reader, especially when she describes the ways in which the day is now two-fold for her and for everyone else. In her case, her son's birthday and the anniversary of a terrifying attack. Another day of peaceful American life and another day where the survivors "induce the happy trance: life goes on".
Another way in which she appeals to the reader's emotions is not to necessarily induce sadness this time, but rather to stir up some hostile sentiment. In my opinion, she tears down the reader by characterizing the life of an American person as almost senseless both before and after the day of September 11, 2001 asking "did we even like ourselves?" Could we even pause our absolute lives long enough to appreciate our families and friends on a regular basis after something so significantly shocking and horrendous? She makes it sound as if on that day an American's "oversized sneakers and KFC" life was reduced to something even more unbearable and superficial. It was interrupted with the reality that everything cannot be plastic and perfect. This dinner-on-the-table-by-five and walk-the-dog-every-morning characteristic that she suggests is not necessarily the life all Americans live. To suggest that the readers do not already have hardships and heartaches is ignorant and haughty.
The overall aim of this article is to cause the reader to understand that, in her opinion, the only way to move forward and see around something such as the tragedy of 9-11 is to separate it in her own mind, suggesting that the reader do the same. "That morning cracked our world cleanly in two, that day that made two days, September 11 and 9-11." She insinuates that in order for the reader to ride out the weather they must put these two days into different parts of their brain, at an attempt to ignore that this event ever occurred to the people of America on the good days. Overall, her Epideictic article procures the idea that it was bad before, but then it got worse, so lets sing a happy song and try to appreciate the good things while they last. This isn't necessarily a negative way of thinking, I just feel that it is a bit artificial. There could be other ways of dealing with this discomfort than ignoring the bad feelings that are aroused, that even myself being not in any way personally effected by this holiday feels on the day of September 11th.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Robinson's Hope
**Warning: this is the first post so don't judge me too harshly! I'm not sure if i am doing this contextual analysis correctly!
Jackie Robinson was the first black baseball player in Major League history.He began playing for the Dodgers in 1947 and wrote this article in 1954. He accomplishes this in a time that was not at all friendly to black Americans. Robinson writes this article to inform us about prejudice, and show us the a little bit of how he sees humanity. Jackie Robinson was the child of single parent home. His mother raised him with his other siblings in a predominately white community in Georgia. His family went through many struggles there. Although he overcame them with the help of his mother and through athletics, and was able to break barriers, and succeed in baseball.
There were many efforts made to integrate blacks into “white” society, but progress like that made in the 1940’s to integrate troops was taken away during the Korean War. The sports world and the Armed Forces were not the only arenas fighting for justice during the early 50’s but also the education world. Brown vs. the Board of Education was just ruled by the Supreme Court to be unconstitutional to segregate blacks from whites in public schools. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 had yet to be signed into office, and therefore blacks were living without many of the basic rights we all have now.
What struck me about this article is that Robinson was shown little hope early on in life. The social and political issues around him were not those that harbored faith in a system or in people. Blacks were fighting for rights and losing them, but Robinson’s attitude is positive. He talks about how when the national anthem was being played he felt included, like he was a part of something. He talks of prejudices that he went though that his children will not have to bear witness to, however they will still have their own set of problems to deal with. What I found most poignant in this article is how Robinson describes these horrible injustices as, “human imperfections”. His idea is that slowly these imperfections would disappear, and is that not exactly what is happening? I won’t claim that America is free of prejudice against blacks. I do believe that he was right that given time we will change. We enacted the Civil Rights Act, we allow blacks and whites to fight side by side, and we are integrated in our schools systems. These changes are not always fully implemented, we could possibly elect a black President, but it will not be without controversy or snide remarks from some.
Robinson's aim I believe is to inspire us. He does this by using some of the things we talk about in class, and in our readings. Pathos is what really struck me as valid in this essay. Robinson is reacting to what is happening on around him which is social injustice, and small victories like he himself has experienced. He is using pathos by appealing to the emotional side of the readers. I feel like I trust him and his point is validated which is using ethos because he is an African-American from meager beginnings who succeeds and becomes basically the first black man to play in the Major League. Robinson also includes the logos with his sympathetic language, which convinces us to see his point. It shows us what is happening and what has changed. But most importantly it moves us.
-AJ
Jackie Robinson was the first black baseball player in Major League history.He began playing for the Dodgers in 1947 and wrote this article in 1954. He accomplishes this in a time that was not at all friendly to black Americans. Robinson writes this article to inform us about prejudice, and show us the a little bit of how he sees humanity. Jackie Robinson was the child of single parent home. His mother raised him with his other siblings in a predominately white community in Georgia. His family went through many struggles there. Although he overcame them with the help of his mother and through athletics, and was able to break barriers, and succeed in baseball.
There were many efforts made to integrate blacks into “white” society, but progress like that made in the 1940’s to integrate troops was taken away during the Korean War. The sports world and the Armed Forces were not the only arenas fighting for justice during the early 50’s but also the education world. Brown vs. the Board of Education was just ruled by the Supreme Court to be unconstitutional to segregate blacks from whites in public schools. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 had yet to be signed into office, and therefore blacks were living without many of the basic rights we all have now.
What struck me about this article is that Robinson was shown little hope early on in life. The social and political issues around him were not those that harbored faith in a system or in people. Blacks were fighting for rights and losing them, but Robinson’s attitude is positive. He talks about how when the national anthem was being played he felt included, like he was a part of something. He talks of prejudices that he went though that his children will not have to bear witness to, however they will still have their own set of problems to deal with. What I found most poignant in this article is how Robinson describes these horrible injustices as, “human imperfections”. His idea is that slowly these imperfections would disappear, and is that not exactly what is happening? I won’t claim that America is free of prejudice against blacks. I do believe that he was right that given time we will change. We enacted the Civil Rights Act, we allow blacks and whites to fight side by side, and we are integrated in our schools systems. These changes are not always fully implemented, we could possibly elect a black President, but it will not be without controversy or snide remarks from some.
Robinson's aim I believe is to inspire us. He does this by using some of the things we talk about in class, and in our readings. Pathos is what really struck me as valid in this essay. Robinson is reacting to what is happening on around him which is social injustice, and small victories like he himself has experienced. He is using pathos by appealing to the emotional side of the readers. I feel like I trust him and his point is validated which is using ethos because he is an African-American from meager beginnings who succeeds and becomes basically the first black man to play in the Major League. Robinson also includes the logos with his sympathetic language, which convinces us to see his point. It shows us what is happening and what has changed. But most importantly it moves us.
-AJ
Monday, September 8, 2008
Good Blogging Practices
The primary use for our blog is to foster and collect discussion on class-related topics. Please remember that this blog space is public. In other words, while I want you to feel comfortable to initiate and facilitate great discussions here, this blog is a public performance space where we still need to be committed to some good practices. So I’d like to pose the following “good practices” to guide us:
1. Title your posts to give your readers context. Titles for blog posts should reflect what you have thought or written or are trying to argue (rather than merely restate the name of the article or assignment you are responding to).
2. Aim for substance and quality in your posts. I’m not interested in seeing how much space you can fill; I am interested in seeing you genuinely communicate your thoughts, ideas, arguments, and responses to your readers. If you’re responding to an article we read, explain what issues are raised for you, why those issues are interesting or important, how they align with or challenge what you’re learning in class so far.
3. Aim for clarity and specificity in your posts and comments. This may include providing details to remind each other of what article or assignment you are addressing. You may also need to clearly state your main points up front as a way of helping your readers to follow your thought process. Finally, if you're commenting on one portion of someone else’s post, it might help to copy/paste that portion for others to see.
4. Remember what it feels like to have your words taken out of context.
5. Follow good civil/civic discussion practices. I realize we will spend the semester discovering what these are, but for now please remember that the aim of our discussions is to exchange ideas and help others understand why we think the way we do by explaining those ideas. In one sense, this is like diplomacy. Flaming, aggression, hate speech, inside jokes, or similar tactics cause others to feel marginalized or excluded will not only not be tolerated by me, they will also shut down conversation and make this blog a complete waste of time.
6. Follow good attribution practices (i.e., if you refer to something we haven’t read, please provide us with either the full citation so we can find it ourselves, or with a hyperlink allowing us to access the document).
7. Remember that technology is fallible. You may want to compose your post in Microsoft Word so that it is saved, before pasting it into the blog.
-Dr. Graban
1. Title your posts to give your readers context. Titles for blog posts should reflect what you have thought or written or are trying to argue (rather than merely restate the name of the article or assignment you are responding to).
2. Aim for substance and quality in your posts. I’m not interested in seeing how much space you can fill; I am interested in seeing you genuinely communicate your thoughts, ideas, arguments, and responses to your readers. If you’re responding to an article we read, explain what issues are raised for you, why those issues are interesting or important, how they align with or challenge what you’re learning in class so far.
3. Aim for clarity and specificity in your posts and comments. This may include providing details to remind each other of what article or assignment you are addressing. You may also need to clearly state your main points up front as a way of helping your readers to follow your thought process. Finally, if you're commenting on one portion of someone else’s post, it might help to copy/paste that portion for others to see.
4. Remember what it feels like to have your words taken out of context.
5. Follow good civil/civic discussion practices. I realize we will spend the semester discovering what these are, but for now please remember that the aim of our discussions is to exchange ideas and help others understand why we think the way we do by explaining those ideas. In one sense, this is like diplomacy. Flaming, aggression, hate speech, inside jokes, or similar tactics cause others to feel marginalized or excluded will not only not be tolerated by me, they will also shut down conversation and make this blog a complete waste of time.
6. Follow good attribution practices (i.e., if you refer to something we haven’t read, please provide us with either the full citation so we can find it ourselves, or with a hyperlink allowing us to access the document).
7. Remember that technology is fallible. You may want to compose your post in Microsoft Word so that it is saved, before pasting it into the blog.
-Dr. Graban
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
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