TOW #22 (TEXT)- The Lost Art of the Unsent Angry Letter By Maria Konnikova

What do people do when they get angry? Throw a tantrum? Punch a wall? Tweet about it? In generations before, people wrote what they called, "hot letters" in which a person would release their anger into paper and then throw it away. In The Lost Art of the Unsent Angry Letter by Maria Konnikova, the author discusses the downfalls of "subtweeting" and how today's generation is not able to release their anger adequately. By using chronological comparisons, as well as personal anecdotes, Konnikova is able to shed light on the fact that today's generation lacks a pressure release valve for anger. Konnikova starts her article off by referring to how past leaders like Abraham Lincoln, and Mark Twain used to deal with their anger. She describes how these "hot letters" helped such great leaders cope with pressure, deal with their anger, and therefore become better leaders in their respective fields. Konnikova, after establishing the positive effects of writing down one's anger, then shifts to our current generation. She writes about how in our current generation, people rather tweet about their feelings, and thus aren't releasing their anger in the right way. Since tweeting is for all to see, anger isn't able to be thrown away, but rather it lingers on the internet. Konnikova's comparison between the past and the present allow the reader to see that there is clearly a problem with our generation. Through logical comparison, Konnikova effectively convinces the reader that there is a problem, thus forwarding her purpose. In addition to comparing the past to the present, Konnikova uses personal anecdotes to exemplify how someone today should cope with their feelings. Being that Konnikova is aware of the problems with tweeting she writes that instead she uses the, "'track changes' feature in Microsoft Word for writing retorts to suggested editorial changes. I then cool off and promptly delete the comments — and, usually, make the changes." By showing how someone can use digital "hot letters" instead of tweeting about something, Konnikova allows for her readers to see a  proper way to deal with anger. Overall, I thought this article was well written, and makes me think about all of the "subtweeting" that goes on Twitter. I now think that I should try to control my anger, and possibly use a "hot letter" next time I get angry. 

TOW #21 (VISUAL TEXT)- The Princeton Review's "Best 378 Colleges 2014 Edition" (Analyzing the rhetoric of the front cover)

For this week's TOW I decided to look to my desk for some inspiration. For most, if not all of the students in the junior class, right now is the time in which we are all contemplating different colleges. Since there are so many colleges and universities out there, it can be a hassle to sort through them all. Although this is the case, many students look to buy books that rank schools and give a bit more information about every school. Since there are so many rankings out there, it is up to the ranking company to make their book stand out on the book shelves. When I went to Barnes and Nobles to buy my book, The Princeton Review's, "Best 378 Colleges 2014 Edition" stood out. Obviously the book is looking to attract students who are looking to go to college and its is also trying to promote itself as the best ranking book. In order to do so, the book utilizes several different rhetorical strategies and devices. What first stands out is the fact that the book is a bright yellow color. Amongst the other colors on the bookshelf, the yellow clearly stands out and thus makes it noticeable for all students to see. In addition to its bright attractive colors, the book utilizes capitalized fonts to draw in the shopper. On the front cover, the book has the words "best" and "colleges" capitalized. With the word best capitalized, the shopper associates best with the book, as well as the colleges. This subtlety brings the shopper in and draws their attention to the book. Besides simply just drawing in shoppers, the book also needs to establish its ethos as the best ranking book. In order to do so, the book utilizes testimony from CNN saying, "A great book...plus its a bargain" This testimony from CNN establishes the book's ethos as one of the more credible and affordable options. Again to try and bolster the book's ethos, the cover has highlighted the words "most popular" in order to show that the book is used by the most people. By both drawing the attention of shoppers, and establishing its ethos as the best book on the shelves, The Princeton Review's, "Best 378 Colleges 2014 Edition" definitely stands out. I personally thought the book was very credible and attractive and therefore I bought it. 

TOW 20 (IRB): Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell

In today's society, everyone has to make decisions. The common pondering phrase, "Decisions, decisions..." is commonly used when contemplating what to do in a situation. However there are many instances when gut reactions have to be made. Everyone at some point has made a gut decision, but many have never realized why they occur, or even if they are better than thought out decisions. In "Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking" author Malcolm Gladwell uses various collections of scenarios and studies to analyze what he calls, "thin-slicing". Gladwell is a contemporary writer who studies things that are often overlooked but have a large impact on our lives. Since Gladwell's style of writing is so unique, if one is not interested, they have time to abandon the book right away as he states the purpose of his book in the opening pages. By stating his purpose and subject right off the bat, Gladwell sets the tone for the remainder of the piece, and makes the book much easier to understand and read. So far, Gladwell's writing style includes directly addressing the reader, and then expanding upon several examples. His direct diction such as "Imagine you are" and "We, as human beings" allow for Gladwell to connect with the reader through the book. Through his diction, Gladwell makes the book seem as though he is verbally teaching the reader and educating them on thin slicing. I personally really enjoy Gladwell's writing style as it is direct, and perfect for explaining a complex topic. So far, Gladwell's purpose is to educate the public and display his findings through this book. He wants to educate people on understanding such an integral part of our lives: decision-making. What makes his book so impressive is that it is scientific information catered to the average person. His writing style, diction, and direct approach allow him to be very effective and has so far made me thoroughly enjoy reading this book. 

TOW #19 (TEXT): Alfred M. Green’s Speech (1861) Document found from 2003 APELC Exam

Writing Goals:

• Thoroughly explain the rhetorical devices/strategies
• Make sure ideas are fleshed out
• Spending adequate amount of time prewriting

Reading Goals:

• Reading article several times to fully understand purpose
• Close reading and annotating for devices as well as their effects
• Read something from past APELC essays to improve from essay writing

Alfred M. Green’s Speech (1861)

Document found from 2003 APELC Exam

Just one month into the Civil War, Alfred M. Green, an African-American, delivered a speech in Philadelphia in an attempt to persuade fellow African-Americans to join the war effort. At this time during the war, African-Americans were not allowed to fight for both the Union and Confederate armies. Although this was the case, Green preaches that fighting for the Union army would be beneficial to African-Americans as it would allow for them to combat the slave-owning South. In his speech, Green instills a sense of patriotism, acknowledges the plight of African-Americans, and reveals the benefits of intervening in order to make his fellow African-Americans realize that fighting in the war will be beneficial to them.

Green starts his speech by proclaiming that, “The time has arrived in the history of the great Republic when we may again give evidence to the world of the bravery and patriotism of a race in whose hearts burns the love of country, of freedom, and of civil and religious toleration” (par. 1). Green’s first sentence of the speech serves to appeal to the audience’s sense of patriotism as it portrays America as a beacon of freedom and toleration. By making America seem like a symbol of freedom and democracy, Green instills a sense of national pride which in turn gives African-Americans more of a reason to fight for a great nation.

His opening statement, however, seems quite controversial as for most African-Americans, the United States wasn’t a symbol of freedom, but rather one of discrimination and inequality. Green later mentions the plight of the African-American as he discusses how both Washington and Jackson never gave them their rights, as well as many laws such as the fugitive slave act and the Dred Scott decision which both limited African-American rights. Through discussing the plight of African-Americans, Green unifies his audience, and establishes his ethos because by acknowledging that he too has suffered through discrimination, Green is not seen as an outsider, but rather one of the people (African-Americans). Once Green acknowledges the plight of his audience, he then states that even though they have been oppressed, “Our duty, brethren, is not to cavil over past grievances. Let us not be derelict to duty in the time of need… Let us endeavor to hope for the future and improve the present auspicious moment for creating anew our claims upon the justice and honor of the Republic” (par. 4). Essentially, Green is saying that even though African-Americans have been oppressed, fighting in the war is a step in the right direction for a future of equality. In making this claim, Green implants the idea that if African-Americans fight in the war, they will be seen as equal citizens and make strides towards the abolition of slavery. Although this claim is farfetched, the idea is still etched into his audience, and with that belief, African-Americans are more inclined to fight in a war where their self interests are involved. 

As a last attempt to persuade African-Americans to join the Union army, Green delves into the fact that the Union will be fighting the Confederacy. Since many African-Americans have animosity towards the South because of their insistence on the institution of slavery, this information is crucial as it backs fighting with anger. Green portrays the South as those who say, “Let us drive back the advance guard of civil and religious freedom; let us have more slave territory; let us build stronger the tyrant system of slavery in the great American Republic” (par. 5). This last point appeals to the audience’s sense of pathos as the idea of stopping slavery, or fighting against those who believe in the institution is very convincing to the constantly oppressed African-American community. Green even states, “Remember, too, that your very presence among the troops of the North would inspire your oppressed brethren of the South with zeal for the overthrow of the tyrant system”(par. 5).  Again, Green attempts to show that joining the army will help all African-Americans, and move towards the abolition of slavery. By joining the army, Green argues, southern African-Americans will be moved to overthrow their slave owners and therefore joining the army will help enslaved blacks. In Green’s closing statement, he appeals to pathos in order to get African-Americans to want to fight to end slavery.

Although Green’s speech starts with much praise of America, towards the end of his speech, Green appeals more to the African-American plight and desire to end slavery rather than focusing on why America is great. It is the idea that discrimination and slavery can be removed through fighting that is most impactful for African-Americans as these arguments were directly related to them. Moreover, Alfred M. Green instills a sense of patriotism, acknowledges the plight of African-Americans, and reveals the benefits of intervening in the war in order to persuade African-Americans to join the army.

TOW #18 (TEXT): The Big Business of Global Warming By McKenzie Funk

While there is no debate about the science of global warming, according to "The Big Business of Global Warming" By McKenzie Funk, many wealthy people intend to benefit off of the world's climate change even though it is threatening the world. In this article, Funk argues that exploiting climate change for profit is immoral as it results in a lack of awareness amongst the people. Funk's argument is that since people nowadays are more interested in making a profit off of climate change than actually helping to stop it, there is a huge moral dilemma in the world today. In her article, Funk discusses how companies like Bayer, a pharmaceutical company, as well as other businesses are already making profit off of climate change. Although large companies like Bayer are profiting off the increase in allergies and the lack of produce, Funk points out that some companies are actually helping by making mosquito nets to protect people from the rise of malaria. Throughout the text, Funk battles the idea of helping and profiting as many companies seem to be doing both. Although this is the case, Funk makes her final claim in the last paragraph where she writes, "There’s nothing wrong with selling mosquito nets, and there’s nothing wrong with buying them. But there’s something wrong if we ignore the true ethical stakes as an ever more imbalanced world keeps lurching ahead" In this quote it is seen that Funk's problem/argument is that the profiting from global warming is resulting in an ignorance of the damage we are doing. In order to further her point, Funk appeals to logos by using rational, sequential examples. In this manner, Funk is able to make logical sense and make her point easy to understand. She writes, "It happens that those largely responsible for the historic emissions that got us here — wealthy North Americans and Europeans — are the most likely to stay relatively prosperous, because we have our northerly geographies and we have enough money in our wallets for, say, high-performance polycarbonate building materials." This quote shows how Funk logically uses reason to back up her argument. In this case, she is demonstrating how the countries that are contributing to global warming the most are the ones who are most likely to gain from the climate destruction. This logical reasoning allows for the reader to realize that there is currently a problem that needs to be resolved. In addition to using logical reasoning, Funk uses a plethora of statistics to support her claim that help establish her ethos as well as appeal to logos. These statistics make her argument more reliable and stronger. Overall I think that Funk's use of logical reasoning and statistics made her argument stronger, and ultimately made me question the morality of profiting off of global warming. 

IRB Intro #3- Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking By Malcolm Gladwell

     For the next 4 weeks, I have chosen to read, "Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking" By Malcolm Gladwell. This book takes a scientific look at how we think without thinking, and how we constantly make split-second decisions. I have been recommended this book by many people including teachers, peers, as well as my parents, and since I don't often read scientific books, I thought reading one for my TOW would be a great way to expose myself to a new genre of reading. I think that reading about human intuition, and how our brains really work in different situations is very interesting and connectable. Since I am coming to the point in my life where I will have to make a lot of important decisions (college, jobs, etc.) I think understanding how to master the process of decision making will be a great tool in my life. In the book, Gladwell sheds light on the fact that the best decision makers aren't those who spend the most time thinking about something, but rather those who have mastered the art of "thin-slicing". Gladwell describes thin-slicing as the process of filtering the very few factors that matter from an overwhelming number of variables. Moreover, I hope to expose myself to a new genre, learn about decision-making, and gain new information about the brain from reading this book. 

TOW #17: (Visual Text) T-Mobile Super Bowl Ad Tim Tebow By T-Mobile

Since today is the night of the Super Bowl, I thought I would rhetorically analyze a Super Bowl advertisement from T-Mobile. In this advertisement, T-Mobile satirically uses the fact that Tim Tebow doesn't have a contract to promote T-Mobile's no contract feature. Tim Tebow, a previous NFL quarterback who has failed to get a job in recent years, is used in this commercial to show what someone can do without a contract. T-Mobile uses not having a contract in a dual manner. Meaning that not having a contract references Tebow's lack of an NFL contract, as well as the fact that T-Mobile doesn't make its customers sign contracts. Although one would think that Tebow doesn't enjoy not having a contract, T-Mobile hyperbolizes the situation by showing Tebow delivering babies, throwing footballs on the moon, and even discovering Bigfoot. These hyperboles  are used to satirically demonstrate that not having a contract leads to positive things. What T-Mobile does well in this advertisement is that they cater to the average NFL fan. This is very important because in order to understand the joke, you have to understand football. In order to guarantee that the audience understands the joke, T-Mobile made sure to make this a Super Bowl commercial. Since the commercial is catered towards NFL fans who are watching the game, T-Mobile appeals to their audience, thus making the advertisement more effective. In addition to being cognizant of their audience, T-Mobile uses a celebrity to promote their brand. This celebrity endorsement of the product will make some people want to buy T-Mobile products more because they see it's sponsored by a well-known celebrity. T-Mobile also uses a variety of examples in order to appeal to all types of customers. For example, Tebow delivers a baby in one scene, thus appealing to the medical profession, but then also captures bigfoot, which appeals to more Southern US. T-Mobile uses a variety of examples to appeal to all audiences watching the Super Bowl. Since Super Bowl commercials cost so much, it is imperative that T-Mobile makes the most of the time given, and in this commercial through humor, endorsement, understanding its audience, and appealing to a variety of people, T-Mobile creates a great and interesting commercial for all to view.