TOW #13 - Popular Tree and Electoral College

With the holiday season in full effect, one would hope that people would recognize this as a time to come together. However, with the recent and controversial results of this year's election, it seems to be pretty difficult to find peace from the many divides present in society. One of the political divides that currently exists is highlighted in a political cartoon by artist R.J. Matson that appeared in USA Today. The cartoon depicts the separation between two political parties, the democratic party and the republican party.  R.J. Matson illustrates the use of symbolism and juxtaposition of two ideas as a way to expose the reality of the 2016 election. The blue tree on the left is titled the “Popular Tree” and the red tree on the right is titled the “Electoral College”.  These two titles show the outcome of these two political parties in the election.  From the results, the popular vote was given to Hillary Clinton and the electoral college picked Donald Trump.  This idea is exposed through the use of symbolism by using the political parties representing tree’s and a title for each one.  This cartoon also illustrates juxtaposition as two ideas are being contrasted to show an over arching theme.  The democratic party has been associated with the color blue and the republican party has been associated with the color red.  These two trees are drawn next to each other to show the vast differences it had in this past election, which is something that we have seen before, but it was extremely unexpected. By contrasting these two parties, it shows the divide that is still among our nation as the holiday season approaches and as our President-elect Trump will soon be known as the official President of the United States of America. In my opinion, this cartoon did a great job of really making the argument simple and stand out as a way to grab people’s attention.  I agree with this cartoonist, but it is something we can’t change as it already happened, but it is something that in my opinion keeps me fighting for what I believe in.


http://www.usatoday.com/picture-gallery/opinion/cartoons/2012/09/18/daily-editorial-cartoons/1411813/

TOW #12 - Dispatches from the Edge: A Memoir of War, Disaster, and Survival

In the memoir, Dispatches from the Edge: A Memoir of War, Disaster, and Survival, Anderson Cooper recounts his experiences with different types of news stories in a variety of places.  Anderson Cooper is an American journalist, television personality, and author.  He is most known for his work in CNN news.  Hurricane Katrina prompted Cooper in writing this book, which was open for any type of world citizen, no matter who they were or where they came from.  In an attempt to present a new perspective on world crises and conflicts, Cooper wrote about many different events like the tsunami in Sri Lanka, war in Iraq, and the hurricane Katrina that hit New Orleans.  In the beginning of the first chapter Cooper explains, “I’m standing in a pile of rubble.  Beneath me the ground seems to move, twisting and turning in on itself.  It takes a moment for my eyes to adjust.  The ground isn’t moving at all.  It’s maggots, thousands of them.  Writhing, squirming, they feast on some unseen flesh” (Cooper 11).  Through the use of extensive detailed imagery, Cooper presents an image that most people would not expect to see or even experience in a lifetime.  Most people that were not involved in the event and just watched the news on a TV did not see such harrowing images like what Anderson Cooper saw that day, so this gives yet a unique but disheartening perspective on the tsunami that hit Sri Lanka.  In the section about the war in Iraq Cooper saw a headline titled, Iraq Explodes, the following day which sparks thoughts to himself which say, “The headline could just as easily have been ‘200 Gallons of Water Delivered to Neighborhood Near Baghdad Airport.’  It would have been just as accurate, though arguably not as important.  Perhaps the soldier I spoke to earlier was right: sometimes Iraq is not like what you see on TV” (Cooper 62).  Through the use of Cooper’s inner-monologue, it presents logical thinking which speaks for the purpose itself.  As much as people watch news coverage of different events, it will never be the same if you were in the exact place that the event happened.  In my opinion, I really am enjoying the book and I am very excited to read more.  By only reading half of the book, it gives me inspiration to look for many different types of news coverage so I can get many different perspectives rather than just an image or a short article.

TOW #11 - "Ain't I A Woman?"

Many years before the Civil War, tensions began to grow stronger and stronger between the North and the South on prominent issues like the need for rights and equality.   Sojourner Truth was an African-American abolitionist and women's rights activist.  Truth was born into slavery and escaped to freedom in 1826 with her baby daughter. In 1851, Sojourner Truth gave a speech titled, “Ain’t I A Woman?” which rallied African American abolitionists and women in general.  In her speech, Sojourner Truth asks many questions, one of which that titles her speech. Truth begins to ask, “Where did your Christ come from? Where did your Christ come from? From God and a woman! Man had nothing to do with Him” (Truth Par. 4). By asking this question, she shows the prominent role of women throughout time.  She appeals to different audiences like women, men, and even people affiliated with a religion which helps bring home her point that women are just as important and equal as men.  Another question she repeats throughout the text is, “Ain’t I A Woman?”.  This question is followed many times with tasks that she as a woman does daily or even can do.  It shows her passion and acts as persuasion to her audience which brings attention to the inequality and even shows what tasks women are really capable of doing, just like men are as well.  She also uses this question as a way to shut down people who believe in the typical stereotype of gender roles in a society.  She is able to use repetition and ask even more questions throughout her speech in order to rally her audience in supporting equal rights.  In my opinion, I believe Sojourner Truth’s speech is an extremely passionate and invigorating speech that I really enjoyed diving into.  I fully believe with all of what she says and I wish I was there to hear the speech, hear her voice, and in that voice hear the passion she had for the topic of inequality in such a rough time.

TOW #10 - Is Rock 'n' Roll Dead, or Just Old?

In Is Rock ‘n’ Roll Dead, or Just Old? Bill Flanagan explains the evolution of  rock ‘n’ roll. This article is a reflection in response to the deaths of legendary rock stars like David Bowie, Prince, and Leonard Cohen.  Bill Flanagan is an American author who graduated from Brown University in 1977.  Geared toward an audience of rock ‘n’ roll lovers, he shows that rock ‘n’ roll could die like other genres, but instead we can keep that from happening.  Although the genre is “in a stage of reflection on past glories” we can still treat it like any other alive genre in current time.  To show this, Flanagan illustrates the use of allusion, and anecdotes.  Flanagan says, “In the late 1980s, when Frank Sinatra was in his 70s — the age the Desert Trip stars are now — white-haired women who had once been bobby-soxers stood at his concerts and shouted, “Frankie, you’ve still got it!” Sinatra, a teen idol, had grown up and grown old with his audience” (Flanagan 19).  By alluding to another genre of music, he shows how music usually travels through time.  But he later shows that it can travel with different audiences of different time periods.  Referring to his son, he says, “They did not pay attention to boundaries of genre or chronology. Tom Petty led them to the Byrds, which led them to the Everly Brothers. The “Rock Band” game was a steppingstone to Santana, which opened the door to Django Reinhardt” (Flanagan 23).  Through his own anecdote he shows that keeping a genre like rock ‘n’ roll  alive is just as similar as listening to a current pop genre like hip-hop.  Rather than having the audience of the genre’s time die off which makes the genre itself die too, we can keep that from happening and just keep on listening no matter what age.  As Flanagan said, “Like any music that lasts, it’s for anyone who cares to listen.” In my opinion, I full heartedly agree with Flanagan, and believe that he achieved his purpose effectively.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/20/opinion/sunday/is-rock-n-roll-dead-or-just-old.html?ref=opinion&_r=0

TOW #9 - A Time to Keep Fighting

In A Time to Keep Fighting which appeared in The New York Times Andrew Rosenthal explains what we have to do in order to save our nation.  A day after the election, the news erupted with varying opinions from so many different people.  Andrew Rosenthal as one of them, believes that Donald Trump is not suitable for our president, but he believes we need to fight rather than to sulk about the results.  Andrew Rosenthal is an American journalist who worked at The New York Times as an editorial page editor for about nine years. He became an Op-Ed columnist in June of 2016 for The New York Times.  In the text, Rosenthal writes towards an audience that consists solely of anti-Trump US citizens while illustrating allusion and expert testimony to achieve his purpose. Rosenthal says, “It made me wonder what Alexander Hamilton would think of the state of the nation he helped create and the man who just took the White House. But even more, it reminded me that the battle that has consumed, tormented and once almost destroyed our country is still raging” (Rosenthal Par. 2).  By alluding to the past, he is suggesting that the things we fought for many years ago is still quite relevant to today’s world.  This allusion can be used to spark emotion in a reader of wanting to fix that issue by standing up and fighting. Although people believe we have changed so much, we as a nation have possibly stayed the same.  Rosenthal later acknowledges words of President Obama which say, “‘We all go forward with a presumption of good faith in our fellow citizens’.” (Par. 10).  By quoting such an important figure of the United States, it shows how valid Rosenthal’s point is that, “This is a moment to stay engaged, and to fight back.” (Par. 13).  I full heartedly believe with all of what Andrew Rosenthal had to say in this text.  I am very mad with the election results, but to follow his words, it is a “time to keep fighting”!

IRB Intro #2: Dispatches from the Edge: A Memoir of War, Disaster, and Survival by Anderson Cooper

For my second IRB, I chose Dispatches from the Edge: A Memoir of War, Disasters, and Survival by Anderson Cooper.  This book is about Anderson Cooper’s coverage of different types of crises and conflicts that have happened across the world.  I chose this book because my cousin actually recommended it for me because she is a big fan of Anderson Cooper. I find myself interested in news coverage of big events and how people react, so I think I will enjoy this book because it will give me a new perspective.  I am very eager to start reading this book!

TOW #8 - The Gilded Razor

In the memoir, The Gilded Razor, Sam Lansky tells heart wrenching stories of his life full of addiction.  Sam Lansky is a very experienced writer, working for Time, New York magazine, The Atlantic, Esquire, and Out.  Written towards an audience who have not experienced addiction, Lansky captures the reader's attention in a way that is so unbelievably fascinating yet so jaw dropping and at times scary to even imagine.  Through the use of exaggerated diction, and vivid imagery Sam Lansky is able to show the reality of addiction and how it is not something anyone should ever encounter.  After being taken to a rehabilitation center in Utah, Same becomes furious and says to one of the workers, “Now, you probably don’t know this because you’re, like, an inbred f***k, but there are only two types of withdrawal that can kill you: alcohol withdrawal and benzodiazepine withdrawal.  If you don’t get me my f***ing Xanax, I will have a f***ing seizure and die right here and my dad will f***ing sue everything you are worth” (Lansky 155).  Through his diction, Lansky displays how insane his addiction made him.  This shows how dangerous addiction really is, and how hard it is to stop. Lansky also illustrates vivid imagery throughout his book.  Right when two men showed up at Lansky’s house to take him to rehab, he imagined the night before, “It seemed like only minutes before that I’d stumbled out of a packed nightclub in a coruscating blur of neon lights, cigarette smoke unfurling in the air, the taxicab sprawl, my doorman leering, the slickened walnut panels of the elevator spinning around me, a clumsy face-first collapse into bed” (Lansky 149).  Through his imagery, I was able to build intricate and detailed images in my head which added even more depth and meaning to the story.  In my opinion, I believe Sam Lansky was able to show a theme of staying away from addiction.  His book gave me another perspective on the life of someone who has been addicted to drugs, and I really enjoyed reading it!

TOW #7 - Teaching Teenagers to Cope With Social Stress

In Teaching Teenagers to Cope With Social Stress, Jan Hoffman shows what teenagers should really be learning to stop all of their ongoing stress.  Jan Hoffman attended Cornell University and Yale Law School and has been writing for The New York Times for roughly twenty years now.  Geared toward an audience of teenagers, educators, and parents, he utilizes hypophora and facts from experts to help show the simplicity of lowering stress in teenagers.  In the beginning of the article he asks an empowering question that states, “Almost four million American teenagers have just started their freshman year of high school. Can they learn better ways to deal with all that stress and insecurity?” (Hoffman Par. 1).  Hoffman is able to set up his entire argument to show what he is going to be talking about and how he is going to answer his question.  This draws in the reader's attention and helps organize the article. He uses research from an expert named David S. Yeager to answer his own question.  Hoffman says, “His latest study, published in the journal Psychological Science, found a surprisingly effective technique. At the beginning of the school year, students participated in a reading and writing exercise intended to instill a basic, almost banal message to help them manage tension: People can change” (Hoffman Par. 4).  This fact shows the simplicity of the solution to teenagers problems with stress, and makes it seem easily attainable.  He later provides statistics stating, “Afterward, students who received the intervention showed half the cardiovascular reactivity of the control group. Their levels of cortisol dropped by 10 percent; they were coping. By contrast, the cortisol levels in the control group increased by 45 percent” (Hoffman Par. 23).  This statistic drives his point home and helps achieve his purpose in showing what teenagers can really do to decrease stress. In my opinion Hoffman fully achieved his purpose and left me thinking about things that I can do to decrease my own cortisol levels.

TOW #6 - Fear Not the Coming of the Robots

In Fear Not the Coming of the Robots by Steven Rattner, he discusses the nearly incalculable number of technological advancements in recent years and their effects. With a background in economics, Rattner is credible when he speaks of fears of robots taking the jobs of humans. His purpose in writing this article is to show the public that these automated robots should not be feared and he is able to prove this argument through his use of opposing viewpoints, and his providing of logical reasoning. Early on in his article, Rattner speaks of figures in history who have stated that technology would disrupt society such as Queen Elizabeth and John Maynard Keynes. He says, “So far, of course, they’ve all been wrong. But that has not prevented a cascade of shrill new proclamations that — notwithstanding centuries of history — “this time is different”: The technology revolution will impair the livelihoods of millions of Americans.” (Rattner). Through this viewpoint which stands against his ideas, Rattner is able to create a sort of counter argument that he is able to refute. By previously stating several instances throughout history in which people have feared technology, he is able to set up his argument so he can then point out how all these negative effects never occurred. Later speaking of efficiency he exhibits logic, writing, “Becoming more efficient (what economists call “productivity”) has always been central to a growing economy. Without higher productivity, wages can’t go up and standards of living can’t improve.” (Rattner). By telling the people that technology has increased efficiency, he is able to highlight how this is beneficial. If we are able to become more efficient, jobs will actually become more profitable, not less profitable as some fear, disproving the fears of his opposition. Overall, I believe that Rattner achieved his purpose as he was able to provide effective logic and refute opposing viewpoints which made it easy to understand even by someone who does not have a background in economics.

TOW #5 - Hurricane Donald

In this political cartoon, Peter Schrank who goes by the name SCHRANK, establishes a viewpoint of the presidential candidate Donald Trump.  Peter Schrank is a political cartoonist from Switzerland, and has had many of his works appear in the UK’s Independent on Sunday newspaper, The New York Times Syndicate, and The Economist magazine.  Written during Hurricane Matthew, the political cartoon is geared towards an audience of people involved with and those voting in the 2016 presidential election, as he attempts to illustrate how Donald Trump will negatively affect America.  In order to prove this, he uses symbolism, which helps his tactic in appealing to pathos.  As seen in the cartoon, the hurricane is represented as Donald Trump because you can see his face hidden in the wind.  This hurricane is about to reach the White House, the Capitol Building, and then the Washington Monument.  This symbolism is used to show that if Donald Trump does get elected, his force will destroy the White House and other important landmarks in D.C. which is really quite equivalent to our government. This great symbolism helps to appeal to pathos for any people coming across this quite intriguing cartoon. By comparing Donald Trump to a massive hurricane, which was quite relevant to the time because Hurricane Matthew had made it’s path, it gets the readers to feel quite scared or even angry of what Donald Trump’s path might actually do.  This could then lead to people changing their minds about Trump or even possibly doing anything they can to stop him from getting elected.  This great symbolism helps to appeal to pathos for any people trying to do anything they can to stop him from getting elected.  Both appealing to pathos and using vivid symbolism helps Schrank to achieve his overall purpose of showing the negative effects Donald Trump could bring to office.  In my opinion, I believe that this cartoon is quite effective and very relevant to the time that we are in.  I fully agree with this author, and hopefully it can aid in swaying people’s opinions.  


https://www.nytsyn.com/cartoons/cartoons?channel_id=185#1449152 

TOW #4 - The Gilded Razor

In the memoir, The Gilded Razor, Sam Lansky recounts his addiction to drugs and how it affected his life.  Sam Lansky is an editor at Time. He has written for New York magazine, The Atlantic, Esquire, and Out.  He now is living in Los Angeles, California.  Geared toward an audience of people who have not experienced addiction, he illustrates what addiction is really like, how hard it is, and how badly it can affect yourself and the people around you. Lansky utilizes anaphora and analogies throughout this book to fully demonstrate his purpose.  When Sam is planning to attend a prestigious university known as Princeton, he says, “I could do this. It would be easy.  I was sure of it. I would get through this year, and I would go to a great college, and I would be a successful, functional adult. I was wrong” (Lansky 25). The use of anaphora here helps show that even though Sam was addicted to drugs, he thought that he would still be able to lead a successful life and get into the college he wanted to.  It helps to show that when people have an addiction they don’t recognize how bad it really is, and still believe that they can do anything, which again helps his purpose on giving perspective on addiction.  Lansky also illustrates the use of analogies as a way of explaining concepts better to readers who may not know what it is like.  He says, “This was one difference between writing and drugs: with cocaine, after the first line, other lines followed whether I wanted them or not.  When I wrote, I could control exactly how many lines there were, and when it all stopped” (Lansky 62).  The use of this analogy gives a better explanation of what it is like to be addicted.  It explains two separate subjects by contrasting them in a way that is fully understandable.  I believe that so far, he has fully achieved his purpose by giving his own perspective on addiction from a person who went through it all.  It is a great book!

TOW #3 - How Much is Too Much to Spend on a Sick Pet?

In How Much is Too Much to Spend on a Sick Pet?, Mark Oppenheimer writes about the decisions made when treating a dog with an illness.  Mark Oppenheimer, who is a contributing writer to opinion articles in magazines, has a Ph.D in religion from Yale University, and has taught at Yale, Stanford, Wesleyan, Boston College, and NYU.  Written for any pet owners, his main purpose is to show where the line is drawn when spending money for treated an illness for a dog.  Mark Oppenheimer appeals to logos and establishes anecdotes in his writing to help achieve his purpose.  Throughout the article he addresses many philosophers’ opinions to help add to his writing.  He says, “While the psychologist Hal Herzog has written that spending ‘$10,000 on chemotherapy for your beloved golden retriever is no more unethical than spending it on a two-week vacation in Tuscany,’ utilitarians, like Peter Singer, would caution that your money would do more good in Oxfam’s coffers than in a pensione.” (Oppenheimer). This quote helps establish logos to show different opinions of certain experts. This achieves his purpose by giving reasoning for spending money on your pet.  Oppenheimer uses yet another rhetorical device known as anecdotes.  As he refers to his own sickly pet named J.J., he says, “Ultimately, I reacted to my dog’s illness not too differently from how most of us react to the illnesses of people we love. We spend a certain amount of money without thinking twice. At a certain point, we wonder if we need to just let go. If the diagnosis sounds terminal, and the patient is already relatively old, that can simplify matters.” (Oppenheimer).  This is a great example of how this author incorporates anecdotes to help achieve his purpose.  By explaining his own personal story it gives reasoning to the reader and helps to show where to draw the line of spending money on your pet.  In my opinion, I believe that he achieved his purpose effectively, making me feel more prepared for a situation to come like this for my own dog.

TOW #2 - Communism: America's Mortal Enemy

In this cartoon, Dr. Fred Schwarz advocates for anti-communism in America.  Fred Schwarz was an Australian physician and political activist, who started the Christian Anti-Communism Crusade (CACC).  He became popular in the USA in the 1950's, specifically in California.  This cartoon was printed in 1956, right when McCarthyism was booming. Geared towards American citizens at the time, his main goal of this cartoon was to show how communism would negatively affect America.  This is shown through many rhetorical devices that Schwarz used known as symbolism and pathos.  Through the use of the drawing, Schwarz displays symbolism in its entirety.  The arm has the communist symbol written on it, while holding a knife, which is cutting directly through the country of America.  This symbolism is used to show that if communism enters our society our nation will fall apart and be destroyed which enhances the author’s purpose.  Another rhetorical device that Fred Schwarz uses is the appeal to pathos.  The author attempts to evoke emotions by comparing communism to “America’s Mortal Enemy.”  The use of this strong diction is an attempt to make the reader feel afraid or scared of the idea of communism.  Again, helping Schwarz promote the idea of anti-communism.  These types of political cartoons were extremely evident in this time period of America.  America needed all the help they could get to end the idea of communism in order to protect their democratic government.  Without these political cartoons, people’s opinions and emotions would not have been swayed, causing more room for communism to grow.  Many political cartoons like this one, helped to give the word communism a negative connotation which helped this anti-communist movement.  With the strategic use of these devices, Fred Schwarz achieved his purpose in convincing Americans if communism enters America, that it will have an extreme negative effect on the nation.  After looking at this cartoon, I felt that if I was in this time period that I would feel convinced of Fred Schwarz’s views.  
                               

TOW #1 - Sotomayor Racist?

In Sotomayor Racist?,  Abby L. Ferber explains the viewpoint that white conservative men have on racism, and why they have this opinion.   Abby L. Ferber is the author of White Man Falling: Race, Gender and White Supremacy and a Professor of Sociology and Women’s Studies at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.  In Sotomayor Racist?, speaking to the liberal community, Ferber’s purpose is to try to convince her side that changes need to be made about current conservative racial views. Throughout the text the author uses significant rhetorical devices such as analogies and hypophora to help support her argument.  In the very beginning of this piece, Ferber begins to ask questions saying, “Is it because the poverty rate for Black and Hispanic children is triple that of white children?” (Ferber).  Ferber quickly responds with a simple ‘No’.  The use of hypophora helps Ferber explain how senseless conservative viewpoints actually are, which backs up her purpose of wanting to make changes.  Another rhetorical device that appeared were analogies.  Ferber begins to explain an analogy of this current issue and writes, “There is an educational activity I have participated in, sometimes called the “Race for the American Dream.” Participants start out standing along a horizontal line in the middle of the room, all facing the front. We are then asked to take a step forward or backwards after each item in a series of prompts is read.” (Ferber).  She continues to explain how the white men end up at the front of the room, the white women end up in the middle, and the people of color end up in the back.  This direct analogy helps explain how everyone has a different perspective within society.  Many white males can have a narrowed vision of what is in front of them, which goes to show why their viewpoint is so unguided.  Through the use of these rhetorical devices, I believe that Abby L. Ferber proves that changes must be made.  By reading this, I gained a better knowledge of racism and it really helped me form my own opinion  as well.  

IRB Intro #1: The Gilded Razor by Sam Lansky

For my first IRB, I chose The Gilded Razor by Sam Lansky.  This book is about Sam Lansky's personal experience with drug addiction and his recovery.  I chose this book because a person who worked at the bookstore recommended it for me and I also really enjoy this topic.  I have read previous books about drug addiction and have found them particularly interesting, so I thought this book would be a great choice for me.  I hope to gain more knowledge about drug addiction and I am super excited to read The Gilded Razor!

Analysis of Bop - Langston Hughes

Langston Hughes was known as the first African American writer to achieve an international literary reputation.  During the time of when his essay, Bop, was written, racial inequality was prominent in societies.  In Bop, Langston Hughes recounts a conversation that occurs between two characters talking about a music genre known as Bop.  The entirety of this essay is an allusion, which utilizes the music genre of Bop to show the racial inequality by contrasting Be-Bop, the black version, and Re-Bop, the white version. Since the piece is written towards people who do not have an idea about racial inequality, Simple, one of the main characters begins to describe the origin of Be-Bop and says, “From the police beating Negroes’ heads, overtime a cop hits a Negro with his billy club, that old club says, BOP! BOP! . . . BE-BOP! . . . MOP! . . . BOP!” (Hughes 191).  Through the use onomatopoeia, Hughes shows how the Black’s version of Be-Bop is based off of racial discrimination.  This helps show how the blacks were discriminated against which clearly displays racial inequality.  This helps support his argument that racial issues are still very evident in society.  In his essay, Hughes also uses another rhetoric device known as juxtaposition.  Simple begins to describe the contrasts between the whites and blacks and says, “White folks do not get their heads beat just for being white.  But me - a cop is liable to grab me almost any time and beat my head - just for being colored,” (Hughes 191).  By showing the contrasting ideas between whites and blacks,  Hughes demonstrates the use of juxtaposition.  Since Simple states that he was beaten for being black, this backs up Hughes’s purpose in showing that racial inequality is a serious issue and it is evident in simple ideas like music.  After reading this essay, I feel moved in the sense that racial inequality is everywhere we look or go simply because of someone having a different color of their skin.  I believe that this essay is quite applicable to the 21st century and should be a ‘must read’ for all societies.

Blacks being discriminated in this photo by police brutality, which created the popularity of the  music genre Be-Bop.  http://www.authentichistory.com/1946-1960/8-civilrights/celebrity/

Analysis of Pamplona In July - Ernest Hemingway

Ernest Hemingway was an American novelist, writer of short stories, and a journalist.  Pamplona In July was written in 1923, in which Hemingway describes his trip to Pamplona, Spain with his family to see bullfighting.  Pamplona, a town in the hills of Navarre, held the World Series of bull fighting each year in the first two weeks of July.  Through this narrative, Ernest Hemingway brings the reader along to experience his trip and the culture of Pamplona which makes them feel like they are right beside the Hemingways. Since the piece is written for those who enjoy adventures and travel,  Hemingway uses strong, descriptive diction throughout the essay to fully explain the culture and his trip to Spain.  He begins to explain his first sight of the bulls, saying, “Eight bulls galloping alone, full tilt, heavy set, black, glistening, sinister, there horns bare, tossing their heads,” (Hemingway 101).  This sentence has a very unique sense of diction as it utilizes so many different adjectives in order to help the reader understand what is fully going on.  Hemingway’s diction not only helps the reader understand his trip, but it also makes them feel like they are with him.  Another rhetorical device that he uses throughout the essay is figurative language.  He starts to tell of the reactions of the bulls, stating, “Then the bull will turn like a cat and get somebody who has been acting very brave about ten feet behind him.” (Hemingway 102) The use of a simile in this sentence helps paint a picture for the reader.  Rather than describing the actions of the bull, he goes on to use figurative language to truly capture the reader in his description.  Throughout this essay, Ernest Hemingway had the aid of rhetorical devices to fully present his story and display the culture and experiences he had on this trip.  I personally feel more knowledgeable of the culture of bullfighting and feel more eager to visit Pamplona, Spain.  If I get to go there, Ernest Hemingway’s use of diction and imagery will be the first thoughts to come into my mind.

"Then the bull will turn like a cat and get somebody who has been acting very brave about ten feet behind him." (Hemingway 102)  - http://ehto.thestar.com/marks/bullfighting-is-not-a-sport-it-is-a-tragedy 

Analysis of Graven Images - Saul Bellow

Saul Bellow was a Canadian-American writer who was awarded the Pulitzer Prize, the Nobel Prize of Literature, and the National Medal of Arts.  In his essay, Graven Images, Saul Bellow writes about how the media is open to changing what people should think of someone by distorting the truth.  Graven Images was written in 1997 at a time where digital media and the internet was just starting to grow.  Written for all ages, Bellow does a great job at showing how the media is in control of what the public sees.  His use of anecdotes helps to exhibit the true meaning of the essay.  An example of one of these anecdotes is when Saul Bellow was describing when he was photographed for TIME magazine and says, “I often remember how at the age of ninety-nine Freud’s grandmother complained that in the paper ‘they made me look a hundred years old,’” (Bellow 566). Saul Bellow shows his true experiences with the media, by presenting what they can control with just a small photo lens.  Freud’s grandmother helped Bellow’s overall argument by displaying how different he looked in the pictures.  Saul Bellow also uses logos in an effective way by providing expert testimony.  In the very beginning of the essay, Bellow quotes Harry Truman, saying, “That as a president of this country he was its most powerful citizen - but sometimes he added, smiling, the photographers were even more powerful,” (Bello 564). This statement from a true expert helps back up Bellow’s purpose in the fact that the media has much control.  Through using this expert opinion, it not only backs his argument, but it also draws the audience directly into the passage making them very interested. By using these two strong rhetorical devices, Saul Bellow captures his audience and effective establishes his entire argument.  In my opinion, this essay made me re-think how much control the media really does have.  If it were not for the media, we as a nation would possibly see more of the truth.

"But neither the kindly nor the wicked ones can show us the realities we so hope - or long - to see." (Bellow 567) - https://www.emaze.com/@ALCWIOLL/MASS-MEDIA-IMPACT-ON-SOCIETY-BY-PAULA-ROCA