TOW #20: IRB - "Hole In My Life" by Jack Gantos

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 Jack Gantos is a true example of the power of learning from one's previous mistakes. In his memoir, Hole In My Life, Gantos writes about his life before, in, and after prison. With his use of colloquialism, humor, and personal experiences, Gantos teaches the reader the importance of optimism, perseverance, and recovering from what one believes to be rock-bottom. Hole In My Life is not simply a memoir, but the writing of one's life experiences about mistakes, redemption, and courage.

Gantos's use of humor and colloquialism is a perfect combination for teaching the reader about perseverance and redemption; these two devices, used together, allow Gantos to share his life story in a way that is entertaining and enlightening. By using colloquialism, Gantos successfully reaches to his audience; his tone, which is created from colloquialism, is informal and his use of humor displays Gantos in an honest light. Presenting himself in an informal way to the audience, Gantos is able to connect with the reader on a more personal level and educate the reader about the importance of optimism, redemption, and perseverance in a way that is neither boring nor too commanding. The presentation of Gantos, by himself, is more casual and relate-able to the audience. Therefore, it is easier for the author to relay his dark and heavy memories in prison. The memoir itself, with its humor and colloquialism, is an example of finding the good and being optimistic in times of depression and defeat. His true meaning is captured when Gantos writes, "I made a lot of mistakes, and went to jail, but I wasn't on the road to ruin like everyone said. While I was locked up, I pulled myself together and made some good decisions" (8). His humor and colloquialism is straight-forward and shows Gantos's ability to redeem himself and persevere.

In addition, Gantos's usage of personal experiences allows Gantos to have credibility in the message he is trying to share to the reader. From the very beginning, Jack Gantos begins by describing his mug shot in prison. By immediately delving into his personal experiences, whether it be describing the time of being kicked out of the Bacon family's house or the decisions he makes to enter the drug selling business with Tim Scanlon, the personal story of Jack Gantos is an example of the significance of learning from one's mistakes and redeeming oneself. The honest personal thoughts of Gantos, such as when he believed that he had nothing in common with the four prisoners who visited his high school, along with his personal experiences allows Gantos to achieve both ethos and pathos to help achieve his purpose.

From the first half of his memoir, Jack Gantos already starts educating the reader about the importance of optimism, perseverance, and redemption. By using humor, colloquialism, and personal experiences, Gantos displays his true nature; along with his hopes and dreams, he acknowledges and recognizes his mistakes and flaws. Through humor, colloquialism, and personal experiences Gantos successfully achieves his purpose and, through his writing, shows bravery and courage by the sharing of his personal struggles.

TOW #19: Written - "Pearl Harbor Address to the Union" by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/fdrpearlharbor.htm

 After the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor in Oahu, Hawaii by Japan, the United States was in a state of chaos. With a World War II raging on in many different countries in Europe, the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor made the war more personal for the people of America. Delivering an address to the country the day after the attack on December 8, 1941, former president Franklin D. Roosevelt brings comfort and arouses a fighting spirit that America is known for. By utilizing repetition and uniting diction and phrases to rally the American people as the U.S. prepares to go to war.

Roosevelt uses repetition to stress the wrong misdoings of Japan and to personalize the war to America. By repeating the phrase "last night, Japanese forces attacked", the president provides background information about the war occurring in the world around the nation. After repeating this phrase three times and listing various countries and islands that were devastated by the war, the phrase "and this morning, the Japanese attacked Midway Island" follows. The repetition allows the build up of tension and emotion to the final mention of the attack on Midway Island, which is an American territory. Repetition emphasizes the attacks of Japan and allows Roosevelt to deliver the final punch-line of the Japanese eventually attacking the home-front. In addition, Roosevelt's usage of repetition in "yesterday", seen four times throughout his entire speech, reminds the audience of the fresh wounds Japan has caused. The emphasis on time, in his repeated use of "yesterday", guides the audience to remember Pearl Harbor and the feelings of anger, sadness, and patriotism that accompanied the attack.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt utilizes uniting diction and phrases to unite the people in a time where war is quickly approaching in order to rally a fighting spirit; this, in turn, allows the U.S. to officially enter World War II. Throughout Roosevelt's short address, phrases such as "the people of the United States," "our nation," and "our whole nation" are used. The diction of "our", which is the perspective of first person, brings forth emotions of unity and oneness. By stressing America and the American people being one, the president emphasizes that the whole country is affected; therefore, since the president reflects and shares the opinions of the people (as Roosevelt states), that action must be taken. Such uniting diction and phrases rallies support for the country entering into World War II and arouses a fighting spirit, nationalism, and patriotism. By using Pearl Harbor as a vehicle, the United States will eventually enter the war.

Through Roosevelt's usage of repetition and uniting diction and phrases, the president is able to show the wrongdoings of Japan, unite the nation, comfort the country, and help convince the people that action must be done. Roosevelt's effectiveness is seen when the United States enters the war with the Allies. In a time of chaos and outrage, the president successfully addresses the attack on Pearl Harbor and emphasizes, yet again, that America is a nation that will not tolerate for injustice.

TOW #18: Written - "Bop" by Langston Hughes

Every time a policeman's club hits the head of a colored man, it makes the sound bop. Written in1949, Bop reflects the true essence of inequality and the social hierarchy created by color. In Langston Hughes short essay, he utilizes symbolism and onomatopoeia to show the separation between colored and whites and also to describe the mistreatment of African Americans. By using such devices, Hughes is able to augment the distorted view of segregation.

From the very beginning, Hughes shows the division between "white boys" and "colored boys" by the interpretation of music. Hughes shows the contrast between the ability to understand the meaning of Dizzy Gillespie's record playing Bop. Hughes then elaborates that the interpretation of the record is much greater than the difference "between Re and Be" when singing the lyrics, for "Be-Bop is the real thing like the colored boys play" (190). The record is a symbol of the inequality at the time. As the record is able to be sung and interpreted different ways, the different lyrics of Bop reflects the treatment of different races. Hughes explains that "folks who ain't suffered much cannot play Bop, neither appreciate it. They think Bop is nonsense" (191), meaning that a true understanding of the evils of segregation cannot be understood unless experienced. This goes hand-in-hand with the idea the record being sung different ways. The "white folks" who find "it so hard to imitate" are unable to do so for they do not comprehend the depressing history of the song (191). The record, Bop, acts as a symbol throughout the short essay to reflect the segregation and inequality at the time.

Hughes also utilizes onomatopoeia to illustrate the mistreatment of African Americans. By using words such as "Mop! Mop...Be-Bop!....Mop!" (191), Hughes is able to achieve his purpose through pathos. The sounds in the short essay are meant to imitate the sound a club would make when beating someone on the head. Hughes explicitly states that "from the police beating Negroes' heads...that old club says, 'Bop!" (191), showing that the title of the record and the meaning of the lyrics derives from hatred and racism. The onomatopoeia word, Bop, is repeated about 25 times throughout the three-page essay. Hughes stress on onomatopoeia illustrates the repeated actions of violence and inequality.

By utilizing symbolism and onomatopoeia, Langston Hughes is able to show the segregation and inequality between whites and African Americans. The record, Bop, not only holds a depressing history of racism, but also is a story many African Americans are able to reflect to, as seen when Hughes writes that "them young colored kids who started it, they know what Bop is" (192). Through Hughes's writing, he is able to show racism and inequality while illustrating the fighting spirit of Civil Rights Activists in the fight for equality regardless of color.

IRB Intro #3: Hole In My Life by Jack Gantos

www.goodreads.com

In the past, my two IRB books have been based on research and teachings. Released in the earlier time periods, I decided to read a more modern book. Immediately, the summary on the back of this book, Hole in My Life, shows that this book is very different in comparison to The Prince and Civilization and Its Discontents. I am excited to read this memoir for it sounds thrilling, exhilarating, fast-paced, and entertaining. In addition, I thought that an analysis for this type of genre would be a good change.