Comparative assignment

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.

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Comparative Texts

A:

The audience of the article are the uninformed masses. This is evident as it does not serve a particular candidate, so it is not a campaign ad, and it is not a scientific paper. Instead it is a form of critical satire without a solution, only complaints.

The purpose of the piece is to persuade. It attempts to use the transfer technique to move the feelings of brutish stupidity to the idea of global warming. And, through that, to discredit the claim that global temperatures are rising.

C:

The content is a picture of two dinosaurs talking about the climate. One is meant to represent congress, and it is saying that we should monitor global temperature. The other dinosaur says that the congress has a brain the size of a walnut.

The theme is global warming is stupid.

T:

The tone of the piece mocking. This is enforced by the words of the normal dinosaur.

The mood of the piece disbelief.  It causes doubt of the evidence for this argument that ha been presented before.

S:

The style of the piece is a cartoon. It has a relatively warped manner of drawing, further adding to the “unreal” claim made by the words. Further, there is no division between the words and the picture, which is common amongst cartoons, especially inside a newspaper. Likely that is where this picture appeared in print.

The structure is relatively straight forward. It is a cartoon with a speech bubble and a dialogue bubble over the dinosaurs.

http://news.discovery.com/earth/global-warming/new-nasa-tool-displays-earths-co2-1511201.htm

A:

The audience is the informed reader. To clarify, the information is available to all. However its placement in a very scientific newspaper makes it more geared towards the knowledgeable reader. This is reinforced by the mention of several of NASA’s other projects, with the assumption that the reader already knows of them

The purpose is to inform, and persuade. It mention data and quotes. However it is a biased piece.

C:

The content of the article is a few paragraphs, regarding the station itself, NASA’s aims, and plans for the future. As well as several pictures from the station itself, showing the CO2 levels throughout the world.

The theme of the article is CO2 levels are rising. This is represented through the higher concentration areas as well as the justifications for them. Every area of high concentration is mentioned, and what is occurring there.

T:

The tone of the article is neutral. This is done to make the article seem more credible and less opinionated. And in enforced through the neutral diction and permeation of facts.

The mood of the article trusting. The use of many facts as well as neutral diction and big names make the article seem valid. As a result the reader finds themselves trusting what is said.

S:

It is styled like a news article. With the images at the front and the development and relevant information given below in the paragraphs.

The structure is simple. Images followed by paragraphs abbreviated by um up sentences as headings for each section. With a few cleverly placed links and ads along the margins, some of which deal with clean energy or efficient use of energy.

4 corners of Propaganda

It is acceptable for the government to try to shape public opinion through information campaigns is a false statement. It is very much not ok for the government to do so. This is when media and news become uniform propaganda outlets. Now this is not to say government and media do not do so, in fact it is a very prevalent problem. Especially in America. Ever since the attack on the twin towers, America’s views have been uniform. We are goo they are evil, no more. Of course, many of the things that outraged the US public are mutual. Americans wept at the dead soldiers, even though more horrific images of Iraqi civilians were present. The American people solidly believed they were doing the right thing while being consistently being lied to. The only way to know if a news outlet is neutral is if both ideas of a conflict claim it is propaganda for the other side. As Al Jazeera was during that Iraqi war. Now the American people are better educated though this does not make them media literate. At times of course it is a necessity to polarize the public opinion. Such as in times of war. This is not to say it is ok. But unfortunately this lack of diversity occurs in times when it is unnecessary. But to readdress the question at hand governmental information campaigns are too likely to become a propaganda parade for them to be a good things. This is furthered proved through the stories of Jessica Lynch and Pat Tillman. Both of which were manipulated to suit the government. How could they admit that a star had been shot by his own when he volunteered to fight? Or that the captured heroine had gotten herself captured and was then left by the men who captured her.

Crackpots and Doomsayers

Asia McClain. A key witness in the “Serial” case of Andan Syed. For years she has been silent. Syed was convicted of the murder of Hae Min Lee in 1999. On grounds of newly discovered evidence and misconduct and fraud in the persecution, Judge Martin P. Welch declared that the case would be reopened.

She wrote to the man while he was in prison, saying she had seen him in the library of his high school on the day and at the time the murder was taking place. She was never contacted by his lawyer, and she did not step forward until earlier this year when she signed an affidavit confirming her testimony. Additionally, the method used to determine his location before, some sort of tracking of his podcasts, proved unreliable and inaccurate.

Andan Syed may finally be free after 16 years in prison for a murder he did not commit. This may seem a good thing. However such misconduct in the justice system is deeply concerning. A man was convicted upon at best shady evidence. And who knows how often it happens without the court catching its own mistake. Just remember that when you walk down the street. Cause no one really knows what the people around could have gotten away with in the past.

http://national.suntimes.com/national-world-news/7/72/2078136/judge-grants-motion-reopen-serial-case-adnan-syed

Usable IOC Links

Please review this one
Part 1
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7HzPakM3xK2NGFkcERoMDFuQWs/view?usp=sharing
Part 2
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7HzPakM3xK2bW5jWU44Rm55Y28/view?usp=sharing


Boys and Girls
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7HzPakM3xK2aE9oek40V3J1MFE/view?usp=sharing

Lady Lazarus
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7HzPakM3xK2SVNKV2ZGcDk0aVE/view?usp=sharing

Edge
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7HzPakM3xK2VU5NVW96RW5hZlk/view?usp=sharing

Edge

Link to the IOC
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B7HzPakM3xK2VU5NVW96RW5hZlk

IOC#2 Alice Munro

Part one link
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B7HzPakM3xK2NGFkcERoMDFuQWs
Part Two link
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B7HzPakM3xK2bW5jWU44Rm55Y28

Lady Lazarus by Sylvia Plath

Link to the IOC below
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B7HzPakM3xK2SVNKV2ZGcDk0aVE

IOC #1 Link

 https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B7HzPakM3xK2aE9oek40V3J1MFE

Things Fell Apart in the Sargasso Sea

Note: This was supposed to be done over the summer holiday.

Things Fell apart in the Sargasso Sea

One of the summer readings was the Wide Sargasso Sea, by Jean Rhys. Now, you are probably wondering about the odd title. Well it is a reference to the purpose of the texts. In the classic, Jane Eyre, by the famous Bronte, the wife of the “honorable” Mr. Rochester is portrayed as a raving monster who is determined to kill. It was believed, by the noble Jean Rhys, that the culture presented by the lunatic was one of barbarians, not the one she had desired to join as a child. She, much like the would-be offspring of Mr. Rochester and Mrs. Mason, was part Creole part English. She learned the customs of a land she had never visited, while being taught of the world around, she learned a language not used by the general population. She experienced an ambiguity of being both a participant and an observer.

Thus, when she saw the demonization of the Creole women, she decided to defend the culture she had experienced and revealed at. She experienced many such dualities as a child. Of being white, but not from Europe or England. Of being a native of the West Indies, but not black, as the majority of the population was. Of being a women in a time of turbulence for women with a voice. She was able to channel the frustrations of the inconsistences of her life, as well as the indefinite pleasures, into her writing. Particularly the personal narrative, the representation of her inner most conflict, in Wide Sargasso Sea.

In essence, the book follows the life of Antoinette Mason, the third generation after the freeing of the slaves, from a family of slaves owners. As such her life is very insecure, and eventually the natives burn down her home, killing her “special” brother in the process. After this her mother goes insane, and the young women is left to eh care of her stepfather, who finds her a suitable marriage with the wealthy Rochester Family. Through her own desire for affection, after the hardships of her life, she ends up destroying her marriage and is forcibly moved to England where she is imprisoned until the events of Jane Eyre.

But, in the end, Jean Rhys is attempting to fight the demonization of her culture, much as Chinua Achebe does in Things Fall Apart.

Munro's Place in History

It is a worthy premise to mention the role of the study of literature. Literature contains all of the wisdom of the past, all of the original stories, all the smiles and tears of millennium. So asking what the purpose and benefits are is a borderline useless question. As well as being able to enjoy the things that kept thousands entertained without electricity, add the facts that it allows you to see literally into the past and through the eyes of other, and contain the wisdom of generations, to see your answer.
Women's literature is a small category amongst millions, a pebble on a rocky beach. It is literature about women, for women, and mostly by women, though that has some exceptions. And no, I cannot define it better than that because, to be honest, I have little exposure to it. But what I have seen is something akin to a passionate debate against many for things one should have by default. Almost like fighting your brother so you can sleep on YOUR bed. We should have achieved equality in experience and every other ring long ago, so the fact that this genre needs to exist to this day is shameful. But there is value in studying it. It is an important chronicle of the adversities faced by half the population for centuries, it is one of the many ways people become aware of the problems around them every day, and it informs of a shadow within our society that one might not otherwise see. So it is very valuable a course of study, though it may be better if it's content was ancient history.
Alice Munro, a critically acclaimed writer since before I was born, has penciled more masterpieces than can be counted and has won the highest honor achievable for short stories something like three times now. But what is it that made her work such a hit? What made her a voice to feminism despite claiming not to be? It was the very fact that she did not identify as a feminist, and that she, like so few other women, had managed to make her voice heard, that gave her the brand she has made on history. She wrote only of her experiences, and crafted beautifully evolving characters for each story she wrote. It was only circumstance that made her experiences into the things feminists sought. That chance fact is perhaps the only reason that the feminist movement made it so far at the time. Her work made leaps in bounds in the direction of equality, and I have thoroughly enjoyed her short stories, or at least the ones I have read. She, through the characters on the farm in Boys and Girls, informed me of a struggle I could not have even imagined.

IOC Best Song Lyrics, Land of Confusion

A link the the official music video below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkpzl_IX2r0

Heavy metal, as scream filled and loud as it may be, is very rarely without meaning. Land of Confusion, originally by Genesis, is no exception. Its every word is saturated with imagery, repetition, and hyperbole. The end result is a fantastic sounding piece of satire. The dramatic style, the changing literary tone, and the brutally honest content of the song Land of Confusion, modern version by Disturbed, achieves the call to action set out by the lyrics themselves.

 The song, Land of Confusion, calls for a young person’s revolution against oppressive governments, to distinguish themselves from the errors of past generations, and create a better place for all. This is made clear very early on, in the phrases, “I must’ve dreamed a thousand dreams Been haunted by a million screams But I can hear the marching feet They’re moving into the street.” Now where this takes place is unspecified. However, it is a safe assumption that this is done in order to emphasize the fact that justice should be universal. But the message goes even further. It implies that it is time for everyone to control their own fate and rebuild on the rubble of the old. These two ideas are seen at the end of the song in the last two stanzas. The first comes from the final stanza, “This is the world we live in And these are the names we’re given Stand up and let’s start showing Just where our live are going to.” The message of rebellion and rebuilding is grounded in the second to last stanza, in the phrases “Now this is the world we live in And these are the hands we’re given Use them and let’s start trying To make it a place worth fighting for” and “…these are the hands we’re given Use them and lets start trying To make it a place worth living in.” The audience is intended to be the oppressed and silent mass. Those who have experienced wrongs at the hands of another, with no repercussions for those in power.

Most of the themes of the song revolve around justice, overpopulation, and unjust control of humanity by oppressive government.  Overpopulation and the related human suffering is highlighted in the quote, “There’s too many men Too many people Making too many problems And not much love to go around Can’t you see it is a land of confusion.”   It deals with humanity’s population issues as well as the tendency humans have for causing trouble. The control of unjust autocratic government is revealed to be infirm by the stanza, “Ooh Superman where are you now When everything has gone wrong somehow The men of steel, the men of power Are losing control by the hour.” The theme of justice receives repetition and focus, “My generation will put it right We’re not just making promises That we know, we’ll never keep.”  In this, we see two things at work. One being the new active promise made to take care of each other and our world, and the second being the fact that the entire generation was given an obligation to do better.

The tone and mood are relatively simple. At the beginning of the song, the tone characterizes pain and conflict, speaking of the nightmares the man has seen, and the mention of marching feet, evoking an army moving through town. The mood at this point is rather outraged, the outrage is rooted in the lines, “They say the danger’s gone away But I can see the fire is still alight There burning into the night.” This seems to be an allusion to the lies dictatorships employ when censoring the media, such as what is done in North Korea. This phrase “There’s too many people Making too many problems And there’s not much love to go around” are repeated throughout to emphasize this tone. We see our first shift in tone in the fourth stanza. This is the first hint of the revolt to come. This stanza goes “This is the world we live in And these are the hands we are given Use them and lets start trying To make it a place worth living in.” The next greatest shift in the tone and mood comes in a later stanza, when they say “My generation will put it right We’re not just making promises That we know, we’ll never keep.” This is the first real powerful revolutionary statement made in the song. It expresses a need to become new and more than that which the past has wrought. It seeks a return to the paradise, the epitome of happiness described above, in which the protagonist is in the sun, and under the stars, with the person most dear laughing in his/her ear, and in their arms. Though this is proceeded by the stanza about the reality of the old humanity.  The final to stanzas call upon a sense of duty to create and protect that perfect world, it even goes so far as to mention specifically which generation will do it, making a promise we are almost sworn to keep.

The style is inflammatory. It seeks to rile the masses by presenting them the true injustice and the disgusting greed all around them, in the bluntest way possible. And it furthers this goal by including calls to action, and even some blame laid on people’s inaction, throughout. The way everything is laid out makes it seem as though it is also a revolution in the souls of people, one where the need for the common good clashes with one’s inherent self-interest. And it presents itself as the perfect struggle for freedom, almost like propaganda. It presents itself much as a real revolution would, in the best light possible, and in the hearts of all. Much, for example, as Lenin’s Bolshevik revolution and as the American Revolution did. But neither was perfect. And it is clear, despite the fact that it claims to be, it is not a perfect revolution. This is made clear when instead of seeing himself as the hero saving the day, the protagonist asks “Ooh Superman where are you now When everything has gone wrong somehow.”  The structure makes several great contributions as well. Mainly, the fact that the bleakest most honest stanzas are proceeded by calls to action as well as the most uplifting, hopeful things said. This is strategically done as the contrast makes it obvious that the solution is to fight, but making it seem more like the conclusion of the listener.

The literary devices used do an excellent job furthering these goals. The hyperboles used, such as “losing control by the hour” and, “Too many men, Too many people” are employed to emphasize the themes they are associated with. The repeated use of imagery, like “Ooh when the sun was shining Yes and the stars were bright through the night” and “Ooh Superman where are you now” created a far more personal feel, as the listeners were able to relate on a personal level to these things. The repetition of the main themes made them all the more clear to anyone. The best symbol came in the repetition of the sun and the stars, being the bright light in the darkness, much as the revolution appeared to be the light amongst the gloom of humanity’s failures.

In conclusion, Land of Confusion is a meaningful song. It was composed by Genesis and modernized by the highly skilled heavy metal band Disturbed. It emphasizes the need to be better than one’s self and one’s predecessors. The artists encourage us to crusade for equality and create a more perfect world. That is why I believe that Land of Confusion belongs in the archive of greatest lyrics of human history. 

Vengeance Sucks

Vengeance is sweet. That is what villains always say, laughing maniacally and walking away, right before the hero rallies his allies and defeats the menace with the power of friendship. Are we done being Children? Good. So let's really look at what revenge is. Revenge, by meaning, is taking an action against another because of something done in the past, or some approximation of that. The reason we see it as the motive for many comic and TV criminals is the tendency for it to pop up as a motive behind real tragedy. In fact, unless we are talking about some antisocial serial killer, it is a motive behind most misdeeds performed now, and throughout history. And history remembers these people as evil doers. Mostly because they failed at their goal. Why did they fail you ask? The answer is relatively simple. Revenge is not a strong enough motivator. In order for any person to get something done, they need a reason. For things like homework, the reason is often avoiding the wrath of mom, or the promise of a better future. But for big things, like world domination, revenge is insufficient. Revenge has a tendency to eliminate everything else within a person. Revenge is not sweet in the slightest. It is, in reality, a bestial monster that exists only as a parody of a human life. So remember that the next time you plan to kill your arch nemesis or take over the world.

How to write about Nerds

How to Write about Nerds

            First of all, if you don’t mention RPG’s like DnD, and RTSG’s like Warhammer, you are doing it wrong. All nerds play both those things and more. You probably don’t know what those mean. And there are hundreds more. Not to mentions the new computer games that have come out. Most nerds have played mass effect, fallout, and elder scrolls for 1000 hours each.

 The only way you can mention the word “girlfriend” is with a not in front of it. The same goes for the word “shower.” Thus all nerds smell like sweat and cheeseballs. All nerds also lack athletic capability. The only class they fail is gym.

Nerds are pasty because the spend fourty hours in there basement, and eight in school.  ALL NERDS ARE VIRGINS. Additionally the nerd community has bad allergies and acne. They are often sick and seldom attractive. They never break a rule or argue.

            All nerds are exceedingly smart. Nerds tend to have straight A’s. They will only have two or three friends. All of these friends have to be nerds as well. IN the halls of school, the nerd is a common target. To mention him as anything else is wrong. The wardrobe of a nerd is limited. Plaid overalls, ankle socks, white T-shirt with pens in the pocket, and horn-rimmed glasses are required. They are prone to wedges, swirlies, and purple nurples. If you don’t know what those are, you have lived a good life.

            No discussion about nerds is complete without mentioning the references. All nerds reference a wide range of things, from movies to comic books that you have not heard of. Their favorite series is either Star Wars or Star Trek. And they spend hour’s arguing about it. A nerds will spend all his money on comics, games, books, and the products of superhero movies.

Things Fell Apart

I honestly do not know where things went wrong. It seemed everything was fine, up until Okonkwo killed his son. That will haunt me for as long as I live. And that event is what lead to Okonkwo’s death. After that day Isaac, formerly Okonkwo’s son, began to hate his father. That festering wound of the soul lead Isaac to join the missionaries.  Okonkwo hated the missionaries even more after that. The poison that is the white man’s religion affects everyone differently. For some, it is an immediate takeover, this was the case with the untouchables and Isaac, at least in spirit. For others it was a slow spread that overwhelmed without alerting the afflicted. And the last group rejected it completely and ran anyway possible. Okonkwo killed himself when he realized he was losing power. He killed himself, and left us to deal with this encroaching doom. But of course, it was not his fault. The lack of unity amongst the groups is what failed us. In order for our society to work, it depended on everyone doing their part. Each person had someplace in ruling of the tribe. Some greater than others it is true. But once people began leaving in flocks, we could do nothing. And we watched silently as our society, our culture, our faith, and our language came down around our ears. And this all thanks to words on the tongue’s of serpents, and phrases from an old book.

The use of context

It is impossible to look something impartially. You will always have an opinion on the matters at hand.That is why it is so important to understand the context of creation, and the context of reception. The latter is how the text is received based on your particular set of circumstances. It is important when reading and interpreting a text to be able to put yourself the context of the time. Without the ability to do so, the text loses most of its meaning and purpose. That being said, learning about the context of creation help me significantly in understanding several moments in the text.

The greatest example of this was Ikemefuna’s final moments. In chapter seven, page forty four, “’My father, they have killed me’ as he ran towards him. Dazed with fear, Okonkwo drew his matchet and cut him down.” When I read this for the first time, I put the book down and walked away, on the brink of tears. When it came up in class no else seemed to share my reaction. It occurs to me now that I put that scene into my own context, not that of the book. By making the scene similar to the biblical story of Abraham and Isaac, Achebe sought to soften the blow, make it seem as though Okonkwo was trusting a higher power. In my case, when the scene occurred in both instances, my reaction remained constant. Weather this is due to my beliefs I cannot say. However, I did not grow up reading the stories in the bible.

Another instance where the context of the book was necessary to understand was the locusts. In chapter seven, page forty, “’Locusts are descending’ was joyfully chanted everywhere…” Personally, I hate bugs. So needless to say the fact that they caught and ate them was revolting at the time. Though I still would not eat them, I actually understand why they did what they did. Throughout the rest of the book, you see very little variety in the food. So when this new and exotic food goes to sleep all over the village, it makes sense that they decided to eat them.

Page 98 presents yet another mystery to modern thinking. In it, we see the family of Okonkwo’s uncle, and Okonkwo himself, unable to say why “Mother is Supreme”. Now, women have an equal role is society. So saying something along those lines is common place, not only that, it is widely believed.  So their inability to express why mother is supreme, or even important, is shocking. However, where many may see sexism, is present only ignorance.

The final example was the twins. On page 144 it mentions several of the less desirable peoples of the village joining the church. The concept of the undesirable is understandable to a degree. Though you cannot contract their luck from them, several ailments that go along with poor nourishment and poor living conditions can. However the fact that they are considered this because of who they are makes no sense, unless taken in the context of the culture. They have neither land nor title, and they do not act as society says they should. Sounds familiar? The gays went through something similar. Bu they were able to overcome the adversity, not these people in the book. So they sought refuge in faith. What makes even less sense is the people reaction to twins. They believe them to be evil, one is a demon the other the real child. Instead of risking getting the demon, they throw them out. Until you realize that this is what they believe, their reaction is completely uncalled for.

In conclusion, in order to really understand a text, you must look at it in its context.

A Tragic Hero

There is no doubt that Okonkwo is a tragic hero. His inability to swallow his pride and loose his power end up costing him all of his worldly possessions, and his life. But the question remains, why? What purpose does he have for killing the embodiment of the old society. Of course there are the obvious reasons. Such as, to make the story more interesting. Also because, just as I said, he represents the culture. But I believe it is more than that.

Throughout the book, in carrying out his duty to his tribe, people, and religion, we see him tear himself apart. This is most prominent when he deals the final blow to a young boy who he had sheltered for two years. With that boys last words being "Father, help me!" it is hard even for the reader to keep from tearing up. Additionally, when he beats his wife, we see a bit of the rage and instability shine through. Okonkwo represents something more. The self-war we see him engaged in throughout the book is a reflection on the culture of his time. It is an acknowledgement that the system had flaws. This actually makes a lot of sense. As a person, Chinua comes from a repressed cultural background, and a confused heritage. His culture was demonized for centuries. This just fuels his writer's desire for the truth more. But not just truth for himself. He wants the world to know the truth, to make judgements based on what is real. This is reflected in his work. In Things Fall Apart, he does not overly demonize the Europeans of old. To do so would be to doom others to the same fate he and his people have suffered. And as people who have suffered, they know how it is nearly impossible to deserve. And he does not represent his peoples past as perfect. Because it was not.

Paper 1 speech analysis

http://www.bartleby.com/124/pres56.html
This is the inaugural speech of Former President John F. Kennedy. It is a speech because he read it aloud in front of the nation. This speech is one that is well known for the various rhetorical devices present.
The target audience is fairly broad. Really anyone could listen. to be more specific, the American people were highly likely to listen to this speech as it was the speech given by the new president. Its purpose is far more open. Likely, it was meant to inform, reassure, and persuade. He makes reference several times to the actions he will be taking in the near future. The persuasive elements occur mostly in the rhetoric, as he create an emotionally charged message. He attempts to reassure those who had voted against him by mixing conservative and liberal veiws.

Surprise

We discussed An African Voice today. It is a transcript of a interview with author of Things Fall Apart Chinua Achebe.  Though the biggest surprise came from the text itself. One of the questions and its answer really stood out to me. "You have been called the progenitor of modern African novel, and things fall apart has maintained its resonance in the decades since it was written. Have you been surprised by the effect the book has had?". The response was something along the lines of yes, the wide variety of people surprised me. This may just speak louder than the book. Chinua Achebe, an author whose whole purpose is to write against the demonization of the colonized, was surprised that it was not only his people who had experienced this sort of oppression and demonization. The demonization is so thorough that even those who are oppressed don't realize there are others. That is why people like Chinua Achebe, and works like Things Fall Apart are so important. The humanization of all people and their pasts are necessary to help up move forward, because once we forget the mistakes of the past we open ourselves to remake them.

Tempest Thesis Statments

Text and Genre

How does the text conform to, or deviate from, the conventions of a particular genre, and for what purpose?

     The Tempest defies genre classification. It incorporates elements of tragedy, comedy, and romance using an autobiographical aspect. It starts with an awful tragedy befalling a noble vessel. As one reads further however, aspects of different genres come into play. We see the loved-soaked gazes of a romance, the bumbling idiots of a comedy, and the ominous themes of a looming tragedy. The Tempest is autobiographical, as Prospero's power is over the mind, like a playwright. Throughout the play, Prospero adeptly manipulates the actions of his fellow characters. It is as if he is himself a playwright. The unorthodox additions of the romantic and comedic elements provide opportunities to unveil facets Prospero's character. But ultimately, The Tempest is a tragedy without the actual tragic end.

Power and privilege

How and why is a social group represented in a particular way?

     The Tempest has several intriguing characters. Specifically however, Prospero, Caliban, and Ariel are of a different sort. The Tempest, along with many other themes, has an imperialistic aspect. Ariel and Caliban can be equated to the native peoples of the English colonies. This is predominantly seen in Prospero’s treatment of Ariel and Caliban, his equivalent to slaves. It accurately represents how colonial matters work. It does this by showing, not only resentment and bootlicking on the parts of the colonies, but also an unwavering superiority and sense of entitlement from their oppressors. Prospero truly believes his treatment of his slaves is correct. The use of two desperate slaves is supposed to give insight into the two possible reactions to oppression, and the justifications for that oppression. Caliban is represented as barbaric and impulsive. He is portrayed as no better than a beast of burden. He and his appetites must be kept in check by Prospero, a more civil being. Ariel is obedient and kind. He is grateful to his master for being taken in. The natives of Britain’s colonies are represented in the Tempest as either barbarians or simpletons because this reflects Shakespeare’s opinion of the colonies and their native people.

Reader, culture and text

How could the text be read and interpreted differently by two different readers?

     The Tempest is very reflective of the day and age of its creation.  Because of this, its themes change from person to person.  A man from Africa, in the 1700’s, might sympathize with the slaves and the life that has been forced upon them as it is similar to the lives of those around him. While a Victorian aristocrat from England might applaud the claiming of the remote island as a colony, and the general enlightenment of the barbaric islanders because of his own experience as a land holder.  Interpretation and opinion are seen through the lens of our personal experiences.  

Reflections

Recently we have read the articles Woman Warrior, How to Tame a Wild Tongue, and The Language of Power. The one that resonated the most with me was The Language of Power by bell hook. In this text, a few elements jumped out at me. For one, the repetitive use of "the oppressor language" in reference to english. It is first mentioned in reference to a poem called "The Burning of Paper Instead of Children". When I heard this way to refer to English, I began to actually think of the implications. And I realized, though english is my native tongue and i know few others, it truly was a language with a "shady" past. I thought of all the places all over the world, once colonized by the English, that had few to no other languages. Certainly none of the languages spoken by the ancestors of the native people had survived. Even worse, the places that had never had this mode of oppression ousted upon them that willingly threw away what is arguably one of the biggest parts of not only culture but also identity for this foreign tongue. Language is an important facet of social and cultural identity.  For the promise of a brighter future that may never come in a wider world that shrinks every time a language disappears. And wondered, is it worth the loss of diversity? Though I would argue avidly against I also realized it is not my place to say. Many of the great achievements of the past were possible because of the large widely spoken languages. Without these, the ideas and cooperation necessary could not have occurred. If someone wants to put there native tongue into a little box in the back of your mind, its there decision. Though they risk the loss of their past, they gain a promise for the future. ONe that many underprivileged people want and need.

English Declared Emperor

Thats right ladies and gentlemen, the emperor of language is english. And no I don't mean the sort of emperor that ruled in Japan or the emperor who ruled a long long time ago in a galaxy far far away, I mean a linguistic emperor. And yes i made the term up so what. What I am really saying is english is a prime example of linguistic imperialism. Linguistic imperialism is a term used to describe the process of one langue pushing another to extinction. Usually the native language is the one being extinct. And in this case extinct, means the language is no longer used in common situations. The languages are driven to death by another language that is used more widely, and thus is seen as superior to the native speakers. A good analogy is either the empire or and invading species. There are many reasons a language dies. Those reasons include; migration to and from a certain country, economic stability/strength, superior education, diplomatic prowess, popular pop culture, and modernization. Most of the time the new language is imposed on the people.  For example many of the former colonies of Britain now speak english as one of, if not the only, primary language. This is a direct result of the British colonization. If the French had held the territory then they might speak French. It is estimated that a language dies every 14 days. The loss of a language is like losing a huge facet of culture. And even the cultural identities of thousands. We lose much knowledge of the past, and an even greater deal about ourselves. The loss of language is an abhorrent act. But the worst of it is, many do not see another way to help their children prosper. So they abandon their culture in favor of a bright future in the corporate, social, and uncertain world.

How do you Learn a Dead Language? ACTS

How do you learn a dead language is an article. Likely it is a news article as it is not opinionated and merely informs as opposed to persuading as magazine articles tend to.
The audience and purpose are also rather easy to discern. The audience is likely comprised of those over the age of twenty, as they are more likely to read the news than those of a younger age. Additionally, the target audience is probably more cultured and has a higher education. As those with a greater education are the ones who can help to rectify the problem. The purpose is to inform and warn. The article does take a stance on the issue, saying, by its mere existence, that the loss of a language is abhorrent. However it does not proceed to argue why, which is why it is not a persuasive piece. One of the first lines of the text is "Linguists fear that 19 more will soon follow the same fate". This a clear warning that other languages may laps into extinction. This warning is furthered by mentioning that those 19 languages are specific to the Native Alaskan tongues.
The content and theme of the piece is fairly straight forward. It begins by mentioning the loss of chief Marie Smith Jones. She is the last native Eyak speaker. Then it explains how 19 similar languages will laps in the same way. But it does mention that the language was well preserved in the event of its extinction. Though it does not mention if the 19 others are being preserved as well. Then it proceeds to explain the qualifications for a well-preserved language. As it happens, to be well preserved there must be a dictionary (hopefully with pronunciation), grammar book, as well as some religious or cultural texts. If it is poorly preserved, then linguists have to use what remains, and borrow the rest.
Usually they borrow from related languages. It also explains the definition of extinct. In this case it means that the language is not used in common place settings but is used for one particular reason. One example of this is Latin, which is taught in schools and used in religious ceremonies. It then proceeds to explain how Hebrew was brought back. During an outbreak of Jewish nationalism, they decided to revive Hebrew. Couples reverted to Hebrew, with what was missing filled in, and used it at home with their kids. Their kids were then sent to Hebrew only schools. Their children were the first native Hebrew speakers in a long time. Cornish, it mentions,was only revived from a few passion plays and a lot of borrowing from Welsh and Breton, the two most similar Celtic languages. It also mentions a language made usable by actors on only 500 words of vocabulary. There are a few central ideas to the text. Primarily it is about the loss and revivification of languages. It also goes over in great detail what is necessary in order to recreate a language to a usable state.
The tone of the piece is very formal. It mentions quite a few statistics and generally uses neutral words such as documentation, primary means of communication, and Celtic. All of these examples are more likely to be used in an academic paper. The mood is very solemn and aloof.
Several literary devices are used as well. There is the anecdote of the recreation of Virginia Algonquian with only a 500 word documentation for a movie. Also the anecdote of the revival of Cornish using two similar languages. There is quite a bit of appealing to logos, as there are facts throughout, such as the dates of decisions to revive languages, number of speakers etc.
The structure is fairly standard for a news article. It contains one picture, of the deceased chief Marie Smith Jones. then normally formatted paragraphs. It contains a variety of statistics. The title is very provocative mentioning the ever feared death, but in regards to language.
Thus, i believe that how do you learn a dead language is a news article. We have looked at the article through the lens of logic and through a more penetrating light.