These texts have quite a
few similarities and differences. One is an advertisement for a summer cruise
in the 1920’s, with such loft locals as Jamaica, Cuba, Panama, Central America,
and Colombia. The other is a news article from the Miami Herald from 2007
regarding the encroachment of developers on the squatting place for Panama’s
poor. These texts are linked through their opposing stances on colonialism. One
of course, is an encouragement to continue the actions of the oppressor. While
the other is a call of injustice against him. These articles are greatly
removed in audience, purpose, content, theme, tone, mood, style, and structure,
and this essay will examine both of them with regards to these things.
The audience of the
advert is the upper middle and upper classes of America in the 1920’s. This is
evident through the picture as well as the elevated language, and direct
targeting. For example, the title read “Reduced Rates for Summer Cruises”. This
is not the manner of speech of the common man at that time. Additionally, the
ad directly targets richer audience saying things like “Extra Large staterooms”
and “cuisine that is noteworthy for its excellence”, both of these are not
concerns for the poorer people, suggesting that the cruise is only for the
rich. And finally the people in the photo at the bottom of the ad are all
dressed very posh, in the recent fashion, with good quality make. This is
purposeful as the upper and middle classes are the ones who can pay for the
trip. The “Squatters versus Developers” article is addressed to the modern
counter part of the last. This is quite obvious for several reasons. The
placement of the article, in the business section of the Miami Herald, is only a concern to businessmen and their families.
Immediately, with this knowledge, are out of the scope of the lower class. The
article then must concern the middle and upper classes. This has to be the case
as only those in the middle and upper classes have the power or the money. The
advert itself is almost transferring the prestige of those classes into the
idea of going on the trip. The article reads as a call to action, this implies
that the reader has the ability to act, again implying that the article is
targeted towards the upper and middle classes, they have enough funds and voice
to affect change. This leads into the purposes of the texts.
The purpose of the advert is to, as is common
amongst adverts, to sell a product. In other words to persuade the reader to
purchase tickets for the cruise. This is clear through the persuasive language
used, as well as several common advert techniques. The diction is highly
persuasive, saying things like “for no more than your average summer vacation”
and “the coolest ships afloat”. This makes the reader associate a cool and
cheap summer vacation with the trip, something only the rich could do. In
addition to furthering the transfer of the prestige onto the reader. On the
whole it is almost an ego stroke for those who will attend. The latter is
mentioned as something others say, to gain credibility and recognition. The
former is a way to paint the cruises as far better for the same price. Further
examples include the use of the Great White Fleet, a famous American fleet
during WW1, and the mention of the “extra-large staterooms” and “exceptional
cuisine”. These are all examples of ethos. They appeal to the baser parts of
humanity, being pride and greed, to make the reader need to appear rich and savvy.
The newspaper article is similar in that it is a persuasive piece. But the end
result is very different. The article, specifically, attempts to persuade the
reader that the developers are doing evil things to the poor and helpless poor
of Panama. It does this through emotional appeal, both with regards to the
people in particular and their commitment to their home. It does this quite
effectively in the very start of the article. It say “Jimenez, a 61-year-old
retired banana pruner who earned $1 an hour, did not own the waterfront land.”
This appeal is strong as it applies force in our desire to assist the weak.
Further enforcing the purpose of the article. And, as a whole, this also ends up
being ethos as we all compelled to feel sorry for the poor squatters and their
families.
The contents differ
greatly. One contains information on a cruise line. Where it goes, when it
goes, what to expect from the ship, and a few pictures. The other contain
information in the plight of those less fortunate. The themes are also very different.
The advert has a positive theme. It says “take a luxurious trip into the
untamed Central and South America” attempting to make the reader feel like a doper
businessman. While the news article is one of grim determination against an
injustice unseen until now. It is a call to action against an evil revealed. “Fight
for the rights of those less fortunate” so to speak.
The tone varying greatly
from one to the other. The advert is very bright and cheery. It seems to say
“We are the ticket to your dream vacation in variety of locals”. This is done
through several means. Firstly the diction is very bright. Words like tropics,
staterooms, and cuisine are used
to paint the princely experience as all the more grand. It depicts a
group of doper young men and women all smiling and happy, and provides the
invitation to join them on a wonderful cruise, with all of the prestige and
power associated with the upper classes, truly the opitimy of the American dream
at that time.. And of course the trusty granted by a military title such as the
great white fleet. The whole is a rather appealing plea to join in the fun. This
creates a mood of whimsy and joy. This is an effective way to sell the product.
The news article however is very different. Its tone is one of outrage and
sorrow, at what these people have had to endure in the past and in the present.
Its emotionally charged phrases are geared much differently than that of the
other. Its phraseology is very different, geared towards the pity generated by
situations less fortunate than ours. The diction is far less positive, saying
things like displace, low income, shacks, and cracks to create the depressed
image we see. This creates a sorrowful but determined mood. This serves to
insight action from the readers to help the squatters gain equality.
The style and structure of
the two texts are very different. In the ad, there are three
noteworthy components to the structure. There are two pictures, the main body
of text, the bolded titles and relevant information. The pictures are a map of
the relevant tropical locations, a good way to remove and make them all the
more special. The other is one of young men and women happily living the life.
This is an incentive almost, a call to come fulfill your dreams. The bolded and
enlarged words give the hasty reader all they need to know to buy the tickets and
set sail. The main body merely provides the detailed information for those
whose interest are piqued .
This is done so that only those who want to go see them. The main body itself
uses multiple different lit devices and persuasive techniques. The primary
being transferal, glittering generalities, and bandwagon. The transferal comes
in as the trip being a symbol of prestige and power. The generalities occur in
the uniform mention of the ports as similar despite being of many different
backgrounds. And the Bandwagon is shown through the picture of the large group
of young men and women. The primary literary device is the ethos appeal
throughout. It plays upon the desire we have for companionship and fun, as well
as darker things like our pride. It is styled as an advertisement from a
newspaper. The other is a news article. Its only structural components are the
bolded title and the main body. However, within the body several literary
devices and persuasive technique are used. The persuasive technique include
source manipulation, testimonial, plain folk, and glittering generalities. The
source manipulation is evident form the uniformity of the bias within the
quotes and statistics, making the problem and resolution seem very one sided.
The testimonial and the plain folk are presented by man and his normal family.
This generates pity and creates a bond between the reader and the people on the
beach. And the generalities come in a no specific companies are named making
them all evil. The primary literary device is again ethos. This time however
the ethos is used to evoke pity and rage for those who have been wronged and so
well painted. The title again severs to give a brief summary, as well as pique
the interest of the reader. While the main body develops the ideas and biases
while informing on the issue at hand. The second is styled as a wordy advertisement .
In conclusion, these are
very different texts. The only similarities are the purposes, and only to the
extent that both are persuasive. The audiences are similar but removed in time.
The purpose vary in that one is colonial and one is not. They are styled
differently but have a few structural components that are similar. They both
use very powerful persuasive techniques, and rely heavily on the use of ethos
to push their relative agendas. But the only real link is that of the
oppression and freedom of the South American countries like panama and their
poor. However, despite their differences, both are very powerful versions of
their text types.
