African Americans were free in Du Bois’ time, but they were far from freedom. They had little chance to grow within their country and become better people. Negroes remained in this post-slavery slump for nearly another century, trying to find ways to be accepted, and almost giving up completely. The transition between being property and people proved to be a difficult maneuver for whites and blacks to truly accept.
Du Bois explained with great detail how free Blacks often continued to work at their former slave owner’s plantation. Oftentimes, this is where they could do their best. While on the plantation, they were fed and guaranteed a home, but they could leave whenever they wanted. If a slave were to look for a job elsewhere however, he would be discriminated against and left struggling for life. The pathos behind this fact is magnified by Du Bois’ story of his own youth. While growing up, he realized that he was different from the other children, but only by color. Because of this he resolved to work harder and do better to earn what they naturally received. His plans never worked in his youth. The audience must feel pity and sorry for a young Du Bois who, as a child, had to deal with such discrimination. The tone of this story grows increasingly sad, as Du Bois realizes there is nothing he can do to completely bridge the racial gap.
The pathos used throughout was enough to make someone feel sorry for the race in whatever they did. Negroes strived to be come successful in voting, school and farming. But never at the same time. After repeated discrimination, they eventually decided to give up. But on the brink of defeat, Du Bois makes a statement. He realizes that Blacks should involve themselves in work, culture, and liberty at all times. And not only for the betterment of the negro race, but the betterment of the country as a whole. He resolved that both of the races needed to give and take from each other. By shifting this emotion into action, Du Bois could easily make an audience want to react in a good way.
The tone throughout carried the emotion beautifully, to the point where the audience felt the same way the negroes did in the story. A dark tone was revealed in several areas, and I too felt very bad. When Du Bois wrote on defeat, I too felt defeated. Even still, when Du Bois wrote on movement and change, I felt a feeling to help. I feel that he easily captured the audience, and could have captured them in any subject with his level of tone. Tone and pathos establishes how involved the reader becomes in the writing. If a poor job is done, the reader will get nothing from the story. But if someone does an excellent job giving a story tone and pathos, then that story will easily affect future generations, and inspire them to be their best. Du Bois realized this and took the time to focus not only the topic and what was needed to fix it, but also the mechanics behind the writing. We all know the struggles that blacks had to go through post-slavery, but Du Bois tells it in a new, refreshing way. Overall, his work is more than enough to capture the audience, keep them, and help them understand the point he is trying to make.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Signs of Progress Among the Negroes
Washington’s observations on the progress of blacks was well written in his address “Signs of Progress Among the Negroes.” He used an almost flawless pathos appeal when, in the beginning, he described the story of a boy who was able to work his way to Alabama in search of Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute. This was a school that gave colored people the opportunity to both get an education and learn hands-on. The boy was able to use money from the former master and other blacks to make his long journey. But still, he was very low on funds and walked a great deal. Because of his goal and ambition, however, some gave him a free ride closer to his destination. The boy, William, soon was able to make it and grew to be a fantastic student in a short amount of time. Though his former master was hesitant to do so at first, he sent William money. When William one day came back and paid Mr.S---- back, the plantation owner was impressed. Together they built a great school much like the Tuskegee institute.
This appeal at emotion is perfect in this context, it narrates Washington’s reasoning behind this address completely. The reader can easily understand the emotion and complications involved in a young black boy going that great distance alone, but for him to come back and help the white plantation owner that helped him was unheard of at the time. Washington aimed to change the opinions of those that doubted the freedom for everyone. He wanted to explain how many more events like this would take place if only blacks and whites were willing to work together and move forward.
This story also appealed to Washington’s ethos as well, and gave him a lot of credit for research. Because of this story and it’s peaceful results, we know that Washington was a man of speech and not violence. Unlike those willing to kill for their rights, he was willing to compromise and persuade. His argument left little to be argued against, and it appeared to be reasonable. One could not accuse Washington of hostile behavior or views, he made himself too difficult to dislike. Anyone that went against him would immediately be seen as the wrong one.
Washington’s story even provided a reliable source of logos. It was only right to give free blacks a fair chance, as they had been working loyally for whites for many years before. What would make them betray anyone now that they were free? Because blacks looked for the best interest of everyone, all they wanted was to get educations and grow in their nation. Washington made this argument very well. He described the school that William and the plantation owner built together as a haven for both races to unite and grow with one another. He explains how this ‘heaven on earth’ can be reached all over the nation.
Obviously the greatest appeal throughout Washington’s article was his appeal on emotion. It was used first to gain attention from the audience and then to keep it. Though Washington used several other appeals, this one stuck out more than anything. Washington had a way of saying things the exact way they needed to be said, whether it was heartfelt or frank. His way with words could convince the most stubborn of people and they would have no argument against it.
This appeal at emotion is perfect in this context, it narrates Washington’s reasoning behind this address completely. The reader can easily understand the emotion and complications involved in a young black boy going that great distance alone, but for him to come back and help the white plantation owner that helped him was unheard of at the time. Washington aimed to change the opinions of those that doubted the freedom for everyone. He wanted to explain how many more events like this would take place if only blacks and whites were willing to work together and move forward.
This story also appealed to Washington’s ethos as well, and gave him a lot of credit for research. Because of this story and it’s peaceful results, we know that Washington was a man of speech and not violence. Unlike those willing to kill for their rights, he was willing to compromise and persuade. His argument left little to be argued against, and it appeared to be reasonable. One could not accuse Washington of hostile behavior or views, he made himself too difficult to dislike. Anyone that went against him would immediately be seen as the wrong one.
Washington’s story even provided a reliable source of logos. It was only right to give free blacks a fair chance, as they had been working loyally for whites for many years before. What would make them betray anyone now that they were free? Because blacks looked for the best interest of everyone, all they wanted was to get educations and grow in their nation. Washington made this argument very well. He described the school that William and the plantation owner built together as a haven for both races to unite and grow with one another. He explains how this ‘heaven on earth’ can be reached all over the nation.
Obviously the greatest appeal throughout Washington’s article was his appeal on emotion. It was used first to gain attention from the audience and then to keep it. Though Washington used several other appeals, this one stuck out more than anything. Washington had a way of saying things the exact way they needed to be said, whether it was heartfelt or frank. His way with words could convince the most stubborn of people and they would have no argument against it.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
The Yellow Wallpaper Analysis
Charlotte, the author of the story, was not completely well. She suffered from a nervous disorder which caused her to hallucinate and imagine things that were far from true. Though she battled with these hallucinations, they eventually got the better of her. Luckily for Charlotte, this creativity works through her pen and gives her brilliant stories. Throughout this story, Gilman tells us about a certain part of her life where she lived in a large estate. Though this was supposed to make her better, in reality it worsened things.
Gilman uses an unintentional form of pathos throughout the narration, lulling the readers to believe what she is saying. For this reason, throughout the first half of the story she seems like a woman with a minor disorder. However, as events unfold, we see her to be well worse off. Her writing becomes more desperate and she seems obsessed with the wallpaper that she thinks confines her. With the diction, it was easy to see the transition between her being almost normal and changing into an insane woman. This tool of transition is very effective and keeps the reader interested, it makes us want to know what happens in the end.
Realism is displayed while describing the house, in particular the yellow wallpaper. She described it in so many ways, we can’t possibly decide on how it looked. From Gilman’s perspective, the wallpaper did look different at different times of the day. But as readers, we know that it is impossible for wallpaper to change as she describes it. Our thoughts are confirmed by her husband’s reaction. This is more proof that Charlotte is far from normal. Her description of the wallpaper once again shows how obsessed she becomes with it. Though at the beginning she would talk about her life and her husband, but near the end all she talked about was the wallpaper, the woman behind it, and how she would capture the woman. It is at this point where the story becomes even more interesting. Still, throughout the whole story, she makes a pathos appeal as though she were doing everything right, and everyone else was wrong.
Charlotte may not have made these appeals purposely, and she may not have been fully aware of her condition, but it resulted in an engaging story about a part of her life. She realistically explained her everyday life in a way we could understand, inviting us into her events and thoughts. We find out things about her before they are revealed to the characters of the story. This foreshadowed an odd ending, and that is what we got from it. By the end the reader could be positive that she was insane. But whether she was insane or not, a story can always be made better. Although she used an appeal of pathos very well, she had very little ethos or logos. This is most likely because she does not relate to most people that way. If she had used it, it may have been ineffective and taken away from the story.
The story was written very well overall. There are no obvious mistakes I can see, she attracts the readers and keeps them reading throughout. The story develops almost perfectly, where we can actually see the change in the main character. Charlotte uses realism in explaining both the wallpaper and her relationship with her husband. Because the reader is able to relate to her in these aspects, she keeps them interested in the story.
Gilman uses an unintentional form of pathos throughout the narration, lulling the readers to believe what she is saying. For this reason, throughout the first half of the story she seems like a woman with a minor disorder. However, as events unfold, we see her to be well worse off. Her writing becomes more desperate and she seems obsessed with the wallpaper that she thinks confines her. With the diction, it was easy to see the transition between her being almost normal and changing into an insane woman. This tool of transition is very effective and keeps the reader interested, it makes us want to know what happens in the end.
Realism is displayed while describing the house, in particular the yellow wallpaper. She described it in so many ways, we can’t possibly decide on how it looked. From Gilman’s perspective, the wallpaper did look different at different times of the day. But as readers, we know that it is impossible for wallpaper to change as she describes it. Our thoughts are confirmed by her husband’s reaction. This is more proof that Charlotte is far from normal. Her description of the wallpaper once again shows how obsessed she becomes with it. Though at the beginning she would talk about her life and her husband, but near the end all she talked about was the wallpaper, the woman behind it, and how she would capture the woman. It is at this point where the story becomes even more interesting. Still, throughout the whole story, she makes a pathos appeal as though she were doing everything right, and everyone else was wrong.
Charlotte may not have made these appeals purposely, and she may not have been fully aware of her condition, but it resulted in an engaging story about a part of her life. She realistically explained her everyday life in a way we could understand, inviting us into her events and thoughts. We find out things about her before they are revealed to the characters of the story. This foreshadowed an odd ending, and that is what we got from it. By the end the reader could be positive that she was insane. But whether she was insane or not, a story can always be made better. Although she used an appeal of pathos very well, she had very little ethos or logos. This is most likely because she does not relate to most people that way. If she had used it, it may have been ineffective and taken away from the story.
The story was written very well overall. There are no obvious mistakes I can see, she attracts the readers and keeps them reading throughout. The story develops almost perfectly, where we can actually see the change in the main character. Charlotte uses realism in explaining both the wallpaper and her relationship with her husband. Because the reader is able to relate to her in these aspects, she keeps them interested in the story.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
The Pit and the Pendulum 2 page Lit Response
The Pit and the Pendulum, a story by Edgar Allen Poe, is about a criminal sentenced to the death penalty. After the method of death by drowning failed, his enemies tried to cut him with a swinging pendulum, not only affecting his body, but his mind as well. Poe wrote this story very well, his details were descriptive and pulled the reader in from the very beginning. As I read, I found myself becoming more involved in the story, I felt myself to be in the same predicament as the prisoner. Though Poe didn’t give valuable information about the main character, he described him enough for the reader to understand his demeanor. I saw him as a character that had been in similar situations before, liked a challenge, and thought things out carefully. He was calm most of the time, and that allowed him to escape with his life. Poe understood that character develop would lead to a good story, and he focused on this almost perfectly.
Annotations often help authors with their work. They are a response to the author’s good work and their shortcomings. Many eventually bring the author to be a better writer. As pointed out by Malloy, Poe used a few bible verses at the beginning of his story to convey “apocalyptic imagery.” This introduced us to the nightmare world of the main character. Malloy also pointed out several mistakes as well. One was the rescue of the main character, it wasn’t “foreshadowed in the tale nor congruent with its overwhelming oppression.” We must believe this to be true, because no one in reality would believe that the man in the dungeon would be saved. However, Malloy then points out that in the bible verses Poe himself alluded to, in the end was salvation. More mistakes were found in Poe’s writing. Hirsch found that the rescue represented “transcendental hope….inconsistent with the themes of many of Poe’s other stories…” With this inconsistence it is often difficult to understand an author. The reader doesn’t know what to expect from them at all. Hirsch then provided justification for this in a way. Still, the reader can understand the point Hirsch makes. An unpredictable author is sometimes unsuccessful, as faithful readers expect the same kind of work from a writer. Malloy goes on to speak of the psyche of the character and how effective Poe was at capturing emotion.
As there is always something missing from a story, there is always something missing from one of its reviews. I observed that Malloy appears to have made assumptions about Poe’s writing. She noticed he had an allusion to a bible verse, and based his whole story on mercy and salvation. I don’t believe Poe gave enough information for Malloy to base the conclusion of this story on anything. She took what she found first and used it throughout her whole review, possibly comparing it to things Poe may not have intended his story to be compared to. She compared the rescue of the main character by Lasalle as the Second Coming of Christ. Grand statements like this can’t be made by someone who did not write the story. Though Malloy uses some thoughts of other readers, Hirsch for example, she did not use enough. Most of the review was from her perspective, and the reader couldn’t get enough of someone else’s point of view.
Overall, the review was well done. Malloy used plenty of examples to back up her statement. She used a lot of context outside of the story itself, showing she did her research. As stated before, no piece of writing is perfect, not even the review of writing. An author is bound to make mistakes every once in a while because not everything they write will appeal to every reader. Reviews are meant to reveal the author’s mistake to them and make them better, and I feel that Malloy did this job very well.
Annotations often help authors with their work. They are a response to the author’s good work and their shortcomings. Many eventually bring the author to be a better writer. As pointed out by Malloy, Poe used a few bible verses at the beginning of his story to convey “apocalyptic imagery.” This introduced us to the nightmare world of the main character. Malloy also pointed out several mistakes as well. One was the rescue of the main character, it wasn’t “foreshadowed in the tale nor congruent with its overwhelming oppression.” We must believe this to be true, because no one in reality would believe that the man in the dungeon would be saved. However, Malloy then points out that in the bible verses Poe himself alluded to, in the end was salvation. More mistakes were found in Poe’s writing. Hirsch found that the rescue represented “transcendental hope….inconsistent with the themes of many of Poe’s other stories…” With this inconsistence it is often difficult to understand an author. The reader doesn’t know what to expect from them at all. Hirsch then provided justification for this in a way. Still, the reader can understand the point Hirsch makes. An unpredictable author is sometimes unsuccessful, as faithful readers expect the same kind of work from a writer. Malloy goes on to speak of the psyche of the character and how effective Poe was at capturing emotion.
As there is always something missing from a story, there is always something missing from one of its reviews. I observed that Malloy appears to have made assumptions about Poe’s writing. She noticed he had an allusion to a bible verse, and based his whole story on mercy and salvation. I don’t believe Poe gave enough information for Malloy to base the conclusion of this story on anything. She took what she found first and used it throughout her whole review, possibly comparing it to things Poe may not have intended his story to be compared to. She compared the rescue of the main character by Lasalle as the Second Coming of Christ. Grand statements like this can’t be made by someone who did not write the story. Though Malloy uses some thoughts of other readers, Hirsch for example, she did not use enough. Most of the review was from her perspective, and the reader couldn’t get enough of someone else’s point of view.
Overall, the review was well done. Malloy used plenty of examples to back up her statement. She used a lot of context outside of the story itself, showing she did her research. As stated before, no piece of writing is perfect, not even the review of writing. An author is bound to make mistakes every once in a while because not everything they write will appeal to every reader. Reviews are meant to reveal the author’s mistake to them and make them better, and I feel that Malloy did this job very well.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Disturbia Character Analysis
I believe Ronnie, Kale's best friend, was an overlooked but well-played character. Much like a real friend, he'd do anything to help those he cares for. He is the kind of person that one would get in trouble with often whle growing up, giving him a realistic feel. He also has humorous qualities that are constantly seen from friends in our own lives. While most of the characters were generally serious most of the time, he provided the humor in some scenes. For these reasons, I believe he was an authentic character.
Friday, October 24, 2008
"Aren't I a Woman?"Lit. Response
Sojourner Truth does a good job in basically every aspect of “Aren’t I a Woman?” She used strong physical language, she was a speaker that was very good with this. Not only did she have good movement, Truth also had evidence that related back into her life and the lives of those around her. Her appeals to logic, emotion, and humanity proved to be effective in this speech. She had come from a tough position that gave her these life experiences and enough proof to argue against her accusers and use their own words against them. Her speaking was a lot more colorful than other blacks in the time period, or women in general.
Throughout the speech, she had an example for just about everything, often using her own body as the proof. She would give tell of things that happened to other women, who were all right, then she asked why she wasn’t treated the same. It’s an effective appeal to emotion, because this is the way we would all want to be treated, as what we are no matter what color we are. Truth never specifically brings up the race argument, because she knows it isn’t one that would prove her point. She doesn’t just fight for black rights, she fights for women too. Any argument she used was proven using real-life evidence. An ethos appeal is given off from this. Since she has been through all of this and isn’t on the other side of the argument, she has established credibility in the subject.
Truth said that the intellect of a person has nothing to do with their rights. She gave an example, the same one a minister used, about a cup being able to hold more than hers. She thought it was only right for the person with more to share. I believe this means that someone with more knowledge and earnings should give to those who have less ability. This is one problem I came across when reading Truth’s speech. The speech loses some of the timelessness because some people of today won’t understand it. It worked effectively on those f her time, however. They were the ones she was speaking to and wanted to change. So even this problem leaves her with a strong speech centered around rights.
She established eye contact with those who were against her, and sometimes pointed at them too. This brought them into the argument, and it was an intimidating idea to be pointed out in a large crowd. She could use the crowd as an advantage and while the accused was off guard she could use their words against them and tell them exactly why they are wrong. When Sojourner did this, she left few gaps or holes for them to argue back against. This left them virtually silent. This technique can also give credibility to a speaker. The ability to make those that come against you become silent is a sign of power.
Truth did a good job on this possibly impromptu speech. However, the ending could have been made better. She simply ended by saying she had nothing else to say, when she should have ended with the last statement she made that gave her the long applause. Though the ending may have been weak, the part before it was still effective throughout. Sojourner left very little to argue against, could keep the audience’s attention, and gave an example for every argument she brought up. There are few things that could have been done to make this speech better.
Throughout the speech, she had an example for just about everything, often using her own body as the proof. She would give tell of things that happened to other women, who were all right, then she asked why she wasn’t treated the same. It’s an effective appeal to emotion, because this is the way we would all want to be treated, as what we are no matter what color we are. Truth never specifically brings up the race argument, because she knows it isn’t one that would prove her point. She doesn’t just fight for black rights, she fights for women too. Any argument she used was proven using real-life evidence. An ethos appeal is given off from this. Since she has been through all of this and isn’t on the other side of the argument, she has established credibility in the subject.
Truth said that the intellect of a person has nothing to do with their rights. She gave an example, the same one a minister used, about a cup being able to hold more than hers. She thought it was only right for the person with more to share. I believe this means that someone with more knowledge and earnings should give to those who have less ability. This is one problem I came across when reading Truth’s speech. The speech loses some of the timelessness because some people of today won’t understand it. It worked effectively on those f her time, however. They were the ones she was speaking to and wanted to change. So even this problem leaves her with a strong speech centered around rights.
She established eye contact with those who were against her, and sometimes pointed at them too. This brought them into the argument, and it was an intimidating idea to be pointed out in a large crowd. She could use the crowd as an advantage and while the accused was off guard she could use their words against them and tell them exactly why they are wrong. When Sojourner did this, she left few gaps or holes for them to argue back against. This left them virtually silent. This technique can also give credibility to a speaker. The ability to make those that come against you become silent is a sign of power.
Truth did a good job on this possibly impromptu speech. However, the ending could have been made better. She simply ended by saying she had nothing else to say, when she should have ended with the last statement she made that gave her the long applause. Though the ending may have been weak, the part before it was still effective throughout. Sojourner left very little to argue against, could keep the audience’s attention, and gave an example for every argument she brought up. There are few things that could have been done to make this speech better.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
"Learning to Read and Write" Literary Response
Michael Mullen
Ms. Brown
Ap English III
10/22/08
Frederick Douglass did a very good job in his essay titled ‘Learning to Read and Write’. He did this by establishing his central claims, elaborating, and giving evidence to back up what he was saying. The imagery he used was easily understood, and he explained the process in a precise and easily understood way. It was a nonfictional narrative story, an autobiography on part of his life, and I believe his style in this essay reflects that.
When reading an essay like this, I would never expect to see many similes and metaphors at all, and there were none that stood out. This is because Douglass wanted the reader to focus on his process, which he wrote in order of how he did it. This is his central contention, he first told of how he learned the alphabet, then he gave details on how that turned out. Afterwards he gave his source of knowledge to read from the alphabet that he was taught, he gave details and elaborated after this. Finally, he told the readers how he learned how to write. He explained this as one of the more difficult skills, but got it done. He rarely went outside of the main topic, but when he did it still related to the story. In a way, it made the story more readable. Instead of just reading of his outside life, he told of what was going on I his brain as well, while all of this knowledge was pushed in.
He wrote a simple essay and didn’t add any figurative language to bring some color to it. I believe this is because he wanted to entertain the reader with his learning process, so they may be able to follow the same process as well. If Douglass were to put in too much figurative language, it would have been harder to comprehend. Instead of immediately knowing what he was trying to say, we would have to decipher the metaphor he made instead. The real purpose of the essay may have been overlooked if he did this.
The text has a serious tone, one that brings the reader through the process of learning with Douglass. He wrote it perfectly for the audience, which could be people of many ages because of the style and its simplicity. Emotionally, Douglass gave a lot to this piece. He told the burden of his knowledge of as a black slave, and how he knew his chances of being set free were low. He looked onto the free white boys with envy at times, wishing to be in their place, and the reader can understand why. Instead of learning in a school like they do he is forced to sneak around and get a second person education. He has to learn from other children that have recently learned the subject themselves. The reader feels sorrow for Douglass, who was born into slavery and never got a good chance to learn anything at all, since slaves could not be taught to read or write. In the end, the reader is proud though because he can use this basic knowledge to keep learning. The greatest credibility is the text itself. It proves that Douglass learned to read and write. Throughout the entire essay, he gave this proof. And since it is so well written, it is good proof. He gave the best credibility he could have in the situation and established his claim to be true.
Overall, Douglass wrote an elaborate essay that provided well thought out details and facts. He proved his title by writing the essay by itself. He gave proof that cannot be disproved, so the reader would have to believe him. He did all of this with little or no use from figurative language, reflecting his style and personality. It was a well written essay and I saw no flaws in it or ways to make it better.
Ms. Brown
Ap English III
10/22/08
Frederick Douglass did a very good job in his essay titled ‘Learning to Read and Write’. He did this by establishing his central claims, elaborating, and giving evidence to back up what he was saying. The imagery he used was easily understood, and he explained the process in a precise and easily understood way. It was a nonfictional narrative story, an autobiography on part of his life, and I believe his style in this essay reflects that.
When reading an essay like this, I would never expect to see many similes and metaphors at all, and there were none that stood out. This is because Douglass wanted the reader to focus on his process, which he wrote in order of how he did it. This is his central contention, he first told of how he learned the alphabet, then he gave details on how that turned out. Afterwards he gave his source of knowledge to read from the alphabet that he was taught, he gave details and elaborated after this. Finally, he told the readers how he learned how to write. He explained this as one of the more difficult skills, but got it done. He rarely went outside of the main topic, but when he did it still related to the story. In a way, it made the story more readable. Instead of just reading of his outside life, he told of what was going on I his brain as well, while all of this knowledge was pushed in.
He wrote a simple essay and didn’t add any figurative language to bring some color to it. I believe this is because he wanted to entertain the reader with his learning process, so they may be able to follow the same process as well. If Douglass were to put in too much figurative language, it would have been harder to comprehend. Instead of immediately knowing what he was trying to say, we would have to decipher the metaphor he made instead. The real purpose of the essay may have been overlooked if he did this.
The text has a serious tone, one that brings the reader through the process of learning with Douglass. He wrote it perfectly for the audience, which could be people of many ages because of the style and its simplicity. Emotionally, Douglass gave a lot to this piece. He told the burden of his knowledge of as a black slave, and how he knew his chances of being set free were low. He looked onto the free white boys with envy at times, wishing to be in their place, and the reader can understand why. Instead of learning in a school like they do he is forced to sneak around and get a second person education. He has to learn from other children that have recently learned the subject themselves. The reader feels sorrow for Douglass, who was born into slavery and never got a good chance to learn anything at all, since slaves could not be taught to read or write. In the end, the reader is proud though because he can use this basic knowledge to keep learning. The greatest credibility is the text itself. It proves that Douglass learned to read and write. Throughout the entire essay, he gave this proof. And since it is so well written, it is good proof. He gave the best credibility he could have in the situation and established his claim to be true.
Overall, Douglass wrote an elaborate essay that provided well thought out details and facts. He proved his title by writing the essay by itself. He gave proof that cannot be disproved, so the reader would have to believe him. He did all of this with little or no use from figurative language, reflecting his style and personality. It was a well written essay and I saw no flaws in it or ways to make it better.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Self-Reliance
As the title reads, this essay is about self reliance. It explains to the reader that their opinion and point of view is as important to the masses’. But it also says that no one wants their own point of view known because it is different from the masses and they will be alienated by it. The author’s main idea is to trust yourself before anyone else. He elaborates by using ethos, pathos, and logos throughout the essay. Not only does he use these literary tools, he also uses diction and figurative language.
He brings about pathos throughout many parts of the essay. Because the author, Emerson, tells us that even our opinions are important, we feel better about ourselves. He grabs our attention at this time and continues to appeal to our emotions by saying we hide our thoughts because we are afraid of denial. Most humans are quick to deny this claim, but since he appealed to our emotion we have to think about it more. Encouraging us to stay firm to our beliefs no matter the opposition is the action he reveals for us to take. Even if the whole world is against us, if we believe it is right, then fight for it. This is the point Emerson brings up using this argument. Ethos can be seen in this as well. No one wants to be seen as an outsider and left alone, but Emerson says it’s okay to do this. This is another way Emerson gives the readers a way out of the problem he says they have.
Logically, it would make sense to express our own thoughts and opinions instead of hiding within a group, this is what Emerson argues. As he says, good and bad are just transferable names, so who can say you are incorrect? This appeal to logos opens the door for a new approach from the author. Emerson explains why you should not be quick to listen to and follow one of higher education, because they are not necessarily smarter or know better. Since we live in a world of different opinions and ideas, who is to know what is right or wrong. This is simple logos the author uses. I feel that another logos would have worked better, because the logos of right and wrong can possibly be established in the Bible for those with religious views. Those readers would have lost interest by then. Not only is right or wrong a logos appeal, it is also another appeal at emotions. Humans almost always want to do the right thing, but often we do not know exactly what the right thing is. Emerson tells us what the right action to take is. He tells us in his opinion. I think this is effective for those who really don’t know what to do. They would likely be quick to listen if they are one of the mass of people he described.
Not only does the author speak of the problem, he tells of how he was there before, and still slips up at times. He now has credibility in the subject, because very few would listen unless they knew that he was an expert in the field. He used a common form of appeal that can still be seen today. Much like people that have turned away from crime talk to children to keep them away from it, he talks to people and tells them how he got away from a problem. This too is another appeal at pathos. Emotionally many may feel as though they cannot get out of the problem, but seeing someone in front of them who already has may make them think differently. Think of it like this. If a married couple that smoked and wanted to quit felt as though they couldn’t, but one of them did in front of the other, it’s much easier for the other to quit. Seeing the ‘impossible’ done right before your eyes can change your whole mindset.
I feel as though Emerson presented a convincing essay. Many of his appeals were used effectively, but I didn’t see much of an ethos appeal. I feel that he didn’t need one however. He first describes within length a problem and gives at least one solution for the reader to take. He then explains the effects of taking his given steps and how it will make things better for the reader. The diction used expressed his viewpoint in a precise way that could not be confused. His figurative language provided examples that would give better image to those who were not catching on to his words.
He brings about pathos throughout many parts of the essay. Because the author, Emerson, tells us that even our opinions are important, we feel better about ourselves. He grabs our attention at this time and continues to appeal to our emotions by saying we hide our thoughts because we are afraid of denial. Most humans are quick to deny this claim, but since he appealed to our emotion we have to think about it more. Encouraging us to stay firm to our beliefs no matter the opposition is the action he reveals for us to take. Even if the whole world is against us, if we believe it is right, then fight for it. This is the point Emerson brings up using this argument. Ethos can be seen in this as well. No one wants to be seen as an outsider and left alone, but Emerson says it’s okay to do this. This is another way Emerson gives the readers a way out of the problem he says they have.
Logically, it would make sense to express our own thoughts and opinions instead of hiding within a group, this is what Emerson argues. As he says, good and bad are just transferable names, so who can say you are incorrect? This appeal to logos opens the door for a new approach from the author. Emerson explains why you should not be quick to listen to and follow one of higher education, because they are not necessarily smarter or know better. Since we live in a world of different opinions and ideas, who is to know what is right or wrong. This is simple logos the author uses. I feel that another logos would have worked better, because the logos of right and wrong can possibly be established in the Bible for those with religious views. Those readers would have lost interest by then. Not only is right or wrong a logos appeal, it is also another appeal at emotions. Humans almost always want to do the right thing, but often we do not know exactly what the right thing is. Emerson tells us what the right action to take is. He tells us in his opinion. I think this is effective for those who really don’t know what to do. They would likely be quick to listen if they are one of the mass of people he described.
Not only does the author speak of the problem, he tells of how he was there before, and still slips up at times. He now has credibility in the subject, because very few would listen unless they knew that he was an expert in the field. He used a common form of appeal that can still be seen today. Much like people that have turned away from crime talk to children to keep them away from it, he talks to people and tells them how he got away from a problem. This too is another appeal at pathos. Emotionally many may feel as though they cannot get out of the problem, but seeing someone in front of them who already has may make them think differently. Think of it like this. If a married couple that smoked and wanted to quit felt as though they couldn’t, but one of them did in front of the other, it’s much easier for the other to quit. Seeing the ‘impossible’ done right before your eyes can change your whole mindset.
I feel as though Emerson presented a convincing essay. Many of his appeals were used effectively, but I didn’t see much of an ethos appeal. I feel that he didn’t need one however. He first describes within length a problem and gives at least one solution for the reader to take. He then explains the effects of taking his given steps and how it will make things better for the reader. The diction used expressed his viewpoint in a precise way that could not be confused. His figurative language provided examples that would give better image to those who were not catching on to his words.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Monday, September 22, 2008
Custom House
1. What is the primary purpose for the Custom House introduction? The purpose for the Custom House introduction was to be somewhat of an autobiography by Hawthorne. He explained key points in his life from his own point of view, which happened to be very unique. He compared experiences in his life to many other things, making him seem as if he had an exciting and diverse life.
2. What significant change does Hawthorne admit to making in telling the story contained in the diary? Hawthorne dresses up the tale a lot, but the significant change is in the characters. He added motives that would better explain what they did and why they did it, and he made the narrative into a story. He reveals his own perspective through the character because he was not in the time which the story happened. Instead of making it a narrative, he decided to make it a story with characters a reader can somewhat relate to.
3.What potential impact will this change have on the story? It would be more interesting, because people will want to know what happens to the characters in the end. If it were not written this way, the story would seem to impersonal and many potential readers would not want to read it.
2. What significant change does Hawthorne admit to making in telling the story contained in the diary? Hawthorne dresses up the tale a lot, but the significant change is in the characters. He added motives that would better explain what they did and why they did it, and he made the narrative into a story. He reveals his own perspective through the character because he was not in the time which the story happened. Instead of making it a narrative, he decided to make it a story with characters a reader can somewhat relate to.
3.What potential impact will this change have on the story? It would be more interesting, because people will want to know what happens to the characters in the end. If it were not written this way, the story would seem to impersonal and many potential readers would not want to read it.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Anne Bradstreet Reading Response
Anne Bradstreet poems can be looked at in several ways, but in all of her poetry you can see her loved for her husband and family. As she stated in “To My Dear and Loving Husband”, her first line was used to express what she felt her husband was like in this relationship. Her words were “If ever two were one, then surely we.” This describes the love she feels for her husband. A love that makes her feel as if they are no longer two separate people, but one person working together. Her next line furthers that thought, saying that her husband definitely loves her. She goes on in the poem telling how much she loves her husband and that she loves hers more than any other woman. Anne says she wouldn’t give up her love for anything, not even gold. This poem of hers, “To My Dear and Loving Husband”, was written in a rhyming fashion as most of her poems were.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Anne Bradstreet Biography
http://www.annebradstreet.com/anne_bradstreet_bio_001.htm
Born in Northampton, England in 1612, Anne was born to a father who was a leader of volunteer soldiers and a mother that was well educated. At 16, she married a 25 year old husband. The family eventually moved to America. Anne and her family had a rough time living in America. She had gotten smallpox and had eight kids, and she loved all of them. One night there house caught on fire and all of their possessions burned, but because of their standing in the town they soon got everything back. Her husband was gone at work a lot, so she wrote poems while he was away. This was to express her love towards her family and husband. She died of disease at 60.
Born in Northampton, England in 1612, Anne was born to a father who was a leader of volunteer soldiers and a mother that was well educated. At 16, she married a 25 year old husband. The family eventually moved to America. Anne and her family had a rough time living in America. She had gotten smallpox and had eight kids, and she loved all of them. One night there house caught on fire and all of their possessions burned, but because of their standing in the town they soon got everything back. Her husband was gone at work a lot, so she wrote poems while he was away. This was to express her love towards her family and husband. She died of disease at 60.
Cabeza de Vaca Visual
After living with the native Americans for a time, Cabeza de Vaca connected with them in a way. The one word I would have to use to describe this connection is 'family'. Tough de Vaca was not blood related to the Native Americans, they included him into the tribe and he lived among them as if he were of the tribe himself. This meant he took part in all of the customs they did, the ceremonies, and the everyday life they lived. He explained how they lived much differently from Europeans, at times starving themselves because a family memeber died or having to rely on neighbors to feed them. Because of this, they have established trust in one another and close bonds. De Vaca really watches this closely and sees it as a way of the tribe watching out for each other. When two men would disagree, they would fistfight and later on be friends again. That would be the extent of violence toward each other. Cabeza de Vaca himself became part of this culture, and when he returned to his own he was angered that they wanted to enslave the Indians. He was angered because, as I stated earlier, he now saw them as family.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Cabeza De Vaca Argument
The argument that Cabeza De Vaca presented in his letter was the difference in the culture of native Americans to colonists. He states several unique customs that can be described as odd and deadly in several Native American tribes. For example, children are watched over very carefully, and are nursed until they are twelve, when they can take care of themselves. Women of the Malhado work much more than others. These were facts Cabeza De Vaca found when he lived among the people themselves. They accepted him over time, and treated him as one of their own. There were times when he had to endure the everyday life of the tribes, not eating for days at a time. This would often happy when someone died, whether in their own family or even someone else's. One would have to rely on neighbors to feed them if they want to live, so it was important to establish a good relationship with them. Often, today we couldn't trust our neighbors to care for us for three months.
Native Americans in some tribes never intended to kill one another at any time. If there was a conflict in some tribes, the men of the families would fight and then live somewhere in the woods. After they calmed down, they come back and are friends again. Disease is everywhere, because mosquitoes run rampant. Odd marriage customs bound families in different ways, often making a wife feed her own father. These were all customs and experiences Cabeza De Vaca had to support his argument. His ethos came from the experience itself. He lived in Native Americans tribe for a while. Pathos of this argument is strong since the Native Americans care so much for one another and would never purposely hurt another.
In the end Cabeza De Vaca grew angry at Christians for trying to captivate his Native American friends. This shows he had developed some kind of emotional attachment to them. As he wrote in his argument, "After this we had a hot argument with them, for they meant to make slaves of the Indians in our train." He had seen the Native Americans as family by the time he wrote this. And although he starved for days at a timr, he had trust in them and did not want them enslaved. In his argument, I think that he may have hinted that Native American tribes were better than colonists and their own setlements.
Native Americans in some tribes never intended to kill one another at any time. If there was a conflict in some tribes, the men of the families would fight and then live somewhere in the woods. After they calmed down, they come back and are friends again. Disease is everywhere, because mosquitoes run rampant. Odd marriage customs bound families in different ways, often making a wife feed her own father. These were all customs and experiences Cabeza De Vaca had to support his argument. His ethos came from the experience itself. He lived in Native Americans tribe for a while. Pathos of this argument is strong since the Native Americans care so much for one another and would never purposely hurt another.
In the end Cabeza De Vaca grew angry at Christians for trying to captivate his Native American friends. This shows he had developed some kind of emotional attachment to them. As he wrote in his argument, "After this we had a hot argument with them, for they meant to make slaves of the Indians in our train." He had seen the Native Americans as family by the time he wrote this. And although he starved for days at a timr, he had trust in them and did not want them enslaved. In his argument, I think that he may have hinted that Native American tribes were better than colonists and their own setlements.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Columbus Visual
I feel that this image represents Columbus' discovery of America. I feel that it was unfair for Native Americans to be forced out of their own homes and even killed. It is now taught that he was the one who discovered America, when people were already living there for centuries. Columbus is given credit for too much, and all he did was introduce the Americas to the rest of the world. This was not his initial job, he was supposed to find a quicker route to India for trade. But he failed because he underestimated the world's size.
I will admit, Columbus has made a large contribution to history, but overall he is a failure. He was unable to find a quicker trade route, and when he did find land he mistreated the people on it. Not that he himself killed all of them, but he was the initial finder and started the disrespecting of the Native Americans.
Friday, September 5, 2008
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