TOW #12: Written - "Thanksgiving Affords Nation Rare Opportunity To Eat Large Amounts Of Food While Watching Football by The Onion

http://www.theonion.com/articles/thanksgiving-affords-nation-rare-opportunity-to-ea,37553/
Though Thanksgiving was remembered as a day where one reflects about what he is thankful for, the mentality of Thanksgiving has changed throughout the years. No longer is it a holiday meant for reflection, thanksgiving, and love, but it is now celebrated for its endless amounts of food and long hours of football on television. In the article from The Onion, it uses false quotations and a light tone to criticize Americans for their clouded outlook on the holiday in order to remind readers the true essence of Thanksgiving.

In the article from The Onion, it uses false citations to reveal common mentalities that people have today about Thanksgiving. With false quotations stating "I’m excited to finally be able to sit back with family and friends over some delicious food and watch football for the entire afternoon,” and  “I mean, when else can you curl up in your living room with second or third helpings of food and watch a 12:30 p.m. game, a 4:30 p.m. game, and then an 8:30 p.m. game” (para 1.), The Onion exemplifies the distorted image that many have about this important holiday. The false quotations support the need to change the outlook on the holiday.

The Onion also uses a light tone in its article to reflect the casualness and lighthearted view about Thanksgiving. The light tone, which is seen when the article reports that "millions of Americans the rare chance to eat incredibly large amounts of food while watching football games" and that "the populace will already be excitedly thinking ahead to New Year’s Day, which will afford them an equally rare opportunity to shovel food into their mouths, watch a half-dozen college football games, and eventually pass out on the couch" (para. 1), the light tone criticizes the casualness that people have about Thanksgiving. The history of Thanksgiving is forgotten and many take for granted the hardships many have faced to shape America into what it is today.

With the meaning of Thanksgiving lost, we must realize our faults in the outlook of Thanksgiving. I believe that the article was effective in reflecting the lost respect for the holiday and the wrong perspective many have about holidays in general. Holidays are to be a time of love, thanksgiving, and joy, rather than a day centered on food and television.

TOW #11: Written - "Gender Equality is Your Issue Too" by Emma Watson

http://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2014/9/emma-watson-gender-equality-is-your-issue-too

Emma Watson's brilliant speech on equality for women had changed the perspective about feminism. Pinpointing her audience and by using personal anecdotes and thoughts, Watson is able to connect with her audience and call for action. With the application of effective rhetoric, Watson was able to achieve her purpose, which is seen with many famous figures and others taking the pledge of "HeforShe."

From the very beginning, Emma Watson establishes her main audience: men. Mentioning that feminism may seem to be man-hating and a fight of women vs. men, Watson states, "Men - I would like to take this opportunity to extend your formal invitation. Gender equality is your issue too." (para 19). With the whole campaign centered around calling for action from the opposite gender, Watson clearly identifies and addresses her audience. She has a clear understanding of who she desires action from and pinpoints men to initiate change. Even mentioning that she is "reaching out" because "we need everyone to be involved" (para. 2), this specifically shows Watson's understanding of her target audience.

Another successful usage of rhetoric is Emma Watson's use of personal anecdotes and thoughts, which establishes both her credibility and illustrates her own belief on feminism. Repetitive statements such as "When at 14...When at 15...When at 18" (para. 7-9), Watson establishes ethos for she, herself, has experienced and seen gender inequality. In addition, Watson explains her own decision of becoming a feminist and why she believes in gender equality. Mentioning that she thinks "as a woman I am paid the same as my male counterparts...that I should be able to make decisions about my body...that women be involved on my behalf in the policies and decision-making of my country" (para. 10), she reasons why she is a feminist. Not a man-hater, she illustrates her own beliefs on feminism and debunk the common misconceptions about feminism; she states that all she desires is equality.

With many famous celebrities joining the campaign, Watson has raised awareness about feminism and effectively called people to take the pledge of "HeforShe." Reflecting the effectiveness of her usage of rhetoric, Watson has successfully persuaded others to commit to the fight for gender equality.

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Men—I would like to take this opportunity to extend your formal invitation. Gender equality is your issue too. - See more at: http://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2014/9/emma-watson-gender-equality-is-your-issue-too#sthash.kNcZndpN.dpuf

Men—I would like to take this opportunity to extend your formal invitation. Gender equality is your issue too. - See more at: http://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2014/9/emma-watson-gender-equality-is-your-issue-too#sthash.kNcZndpN.dpuf

Men—I would like to take this opportunity to extend your formal invitation. Gender equality is your issue too. - See more at: http://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2014/9/emma-watson-gender-equality-is-your-issue-too#sthash.kNcZndpN.dpuf

TOW #10: Visual - "The Most Important Thing: Syrian Refugees" taken by UNHCR/B.Sokol

http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home

On the website of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), there is an album labeled "The Most Important Thing: Syrian Refugees." A 24 year old Syrian refugee, Alia has her photo taken while sitting in a wheel chair. With chaos wrecking havoc in Syria, Alia represents one of thousands of people who have been affected. In the photo, the use of black and white and arrangement creates pathos and illuminates the hysteria in Syria while attempting to raise awareness of the issue. 

Alia is seen with an emotionless expression with bricks and rubble surrounding her. Because the photo is black and white, this creates a sense of gloominess and depression. The gloomy mood reflects the essence of Syria. A time of chaos and violent rebellions, the lack of color shows viewers the dark nature of violence. Too much color can cause a photograph to be viewed as too busy and too vibrant. Yet, the black and white filter strips away color to create a photograph in which the rebellion and Alia are the central figures.

Another rhetorical strategy used by the photographer is arrangement. Right in the middle of the photograph is Alia. As she is the main subject of the picture, she is meant to represent one of many refugees who have been greatly affected by the war between rebels and the Syrian army. The background of the photograph also ties with the arrangement of it. With a black fabric covering much of the backdrop behind Alia, this also pinpoints Alia as the central figure of the photo. In addition, the arrangement of where the photo was taken is crucial. The rubble and broken bricks on the ground symbolize a small fraction of how the violence has wrecked a town and led many to become homeless. 

The photograph, taken by Sokol, attempts to show a small fraction of the effects of war in Syria. With Alia, who is in a wheelchair and blind, the photographer is able to display a sense of weakness and almost hopelessness. Using black and white and arrangement, UNHCR successfully raises awareness of the violence in Syria while also asking for action by using pathos.

IRB Intro #2: "The Prince" by Niccolo Machiavelli

youngadultbookreviews.com

In History class, my ninth grade teacher briefly discussed who Machiavelli is; he is a man who takes whatever means necessary for the good of his people. With a limited knowledge about a famous name in European history, I decided to read his book The Prince. I have heard this book is a classic, one that many should read. Because of my interest in history and the rulings of prince and kings, I decided this book would be a great choice for my IRB.

TOW #9: Written - "Coatesville" by John Jay Chapman

Coatesville, Pennsylvania is where it all occurred. One night, a black man was lynched and burned to death. In commemoration, John Jay Chapman delivers a speech called “Coatesville”. In his speech, he uses imagery and symbolism in order to evoke emotion and action against the inequality of African-Americans in the early 1900's.

Chapman creates a vivid visualization for his audience. Though at the time, his speech during the memorial was only heard by two others, it has a long lasting effect today. The imagery his diction paints is gory and gruesome; this reflects the nature of the Jim Crow laws and segregation. Chapman describes the event, which was white Americans torturing “a man chained to an iron bedstead, burning alive, thrust back by pitchforks when he struggled out of it…hundreds of persons watching this awful sight and making no attempt to stay the wickedness” (para. 2). The imagery is effective for Chapman’s purpose. His objective is to shed light on the disgusting and evil nature of lynching and inequality. Chapman’s imagery establishes pathos and portrays the event to seem inhumane for at the time, lynching was a normal event.

Stressing how the incident in Coatesville is a symbol for America’s mentality, Chapman uses the lynching in Coatesville to persuade the audience that America must change its ways. He specifically mentions that he “seemed to get a glimpse into the unconscious glimpse of this country” (para. 2) and realized “that this great wickedness that happened in Coatesville is not the wickedness of Coatesville nor of to-day. It is the wickedness of all America and of three hundred years” (para. 7). Chapman directly explains the relationship between Coatesville and America. The event of Coatesville symbolizes the inequality of African-Americans. The direct link and symbolism between Coatesville and the wickedness of America helps Chapman relay the importance of changing America’s wickedness and inequality.

Chapman’s speech was effective. With an urgent tone created by symbolism and the vivid imagery, Chapman guides the audience to rethink America’s mentality of segregation and inequality (which is what Chapman described as wickedness). 

TOW #8: IRB - "Civilization and Its Discontents" by Sigmund Freud (Part II)

Why was civilization needed and created? Freud analyzes what pushes the creation and development of a civilization, whether it be sexual desires, a symbiotic relationship between an individual and a community, or the need to control an evil man. Through the use of anaphora and allusions, Sigmund Freud emphasizes the true nature of man and proves his stance about the true nature of a human and civilization.

Freud believes that man is a creature neither gentle nor desiring of love. Rather, man is aggressive and defensive, which led to the need of a civilization to restrict and control such a person. Freud explains that a man's neighbor is "someone who temps them to satisfy their aggressiveness on him…to seize his possessions, to humiliate him, to cause him pain, to torture and to kill him" (69). The repeated use of "to" emphasizes the evil nature of man. Almost listing the wicked intentions of man, Freud uses anaphora to make a statement of the need for civilization and to convince the audience the true nature of man through the lens of a psychoanalyst.

Many allusions are seen throughout Freud's analysis of civilization and man, specifically biblical and religious allusions. The allusion to Christianity when Freud mentions that "'little children do not like it' when there is talk of the inborn human inclination to 'badness', to aggressiveness and destructiveness, and so to cruelty as well. God has made them in the image of His own perfection" (79). The allusion to Christianity is utilized for Freud to demonstrate how man is unwilling to acknowledge the badness and faults that he has. That man has been made in the image of a perfect God is a belief in Christianity, one that Freud uses to prove his stance that man has created this mentality to not accept the aggressiveness and evil of man.

With a successful usage of anaphora and allusion, Freud emphasizes and supports his radical ideas. In a world full of civilizations and populations of people, one begins to question the world around him and who he is. Because of this, Freud has been successful in leading people to question, to inquire, and to think in ways that are unique.