TOW #14 - The First Smile (nonfiction text)

The First Smile is an article on the psychology behind crying, smiling and laughing. The author of this article, Michael Graziano, is a professor of neuroscience at Princeton University and has conducted several studies of the brain and the things signals to the brain cause humans to do. In this specific article he focuses on three certain human responses and relates them to our ancestors, primates and also explains the ways in which they are interconnected. His assessment of these human responses helps to give significant evidence of evolution and also explains these common responses.
     Graziano first begins by explaining the background of studying laugher, smiles and crying. How it has been a long study and can be broken down to expose evident similarities and practicalities. He also acknowledges the evolutionary track of such responses. He often uses the example of interactions between monkeys. He explains that through studies he has been able to draw comparisons between those of humans and of monkeys which justifies his usage of hess primates as a comparative example. He explains that psychologically we all have barriers and regions of comfort that if intruded cause us to exhibit certain behaviors. For example if you are standing in a crowded room and someone steps too close to you for it to be comfortable, a subconscious response might be to move or to seek a route out. This is a natural response to protect the self. Graziano noticed this behavior in animals as well and was thus able to draw the comparison. In his article he mentions talking to Heini Hediger, a zoo curator and how he designs zoos in a certain way to be comfortable for the animal. That they have certain barriers that cause them to act in certain ways when they feel threatened.
     By frist mentioning this relation Graziano is then able to go into detail in the ways that these responses are logical and also similar to one another. He explains that a common response when one feels threatened is to protect the face, especially the eyes, and any other body parts that could be of the most severe pain if attacked. He explains that when one cries it is usually a process of cleaning out the eyes or creating a response to pain. In this way it is similar to laughter which is the verbal response to something we hear or encounter. Relating this back to monkeys, Graziano explains that monkeys tend to cringe and squint the eyes in times of danger but also in times of playing. They let out verbal responses and even sometimes show their teeth as a mechanism. He explains these all as rational, protective instincts.
    This article is a prime example of breaking down a subject but then justifying the breakdown by mentioning the similarities. He breaks down the human psych by giving evolutionary examples and then interrelating specific examples. His study and evidence is believable due to the presentation.

http://aeon.co/magazine/science/should-we-ever-take-a-smile-at-face-value/

TOW #13 - The Man Who Mistook His Hat for a Meal (nonfiction text)

The Man Who Mistook His Hat for a Meal is a short memoir written by David Sedaris. Sedaris is known for being a humorous writer often using sarcastic language and witty imagery throughout his stories. This piece is no exception to Sedaris's style. In this piece one of his strongest techniques is being very blunt. The piece discusses his father's for hoarding habits. His father will save perishable items of food and revisit them as if they had never been hidden and were still good as new. This piece address his father's strange antiques through background flashbacks and the occurring story of their family dinner. Since his father's habit was one that was quite strange the only way to truly get that across would be to tell the story exactly as it was and that is exactly what Sedaris does. He describe the spoiled foods in short but sweet detailed descriptions and causes the reader to no longer be able to view such foods in the same way. It comes off as humorous but that is one of Sedaris's strongest writing attributes. He takes on rather heavy topics or issues and makes them seem lighter by portraying them humorously. Another example of one of his works that have taken on a serious issue in a similar way is his short story A Plague of Tics. In that piece he writes about his struggle with obsessive compulsive behaviors but he does so in such a way that it isn't a drag. Overall Sedaris is able to get his story across most effectively through his humor and vivd imagery.

http://www.esquire.com/features/ESQ0699-JUN_SEDARIS_1

TOW #12 - IRB analysis

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote is the nonfiction retelling of a murder that took place in Holcomb, Kansas. The author does three very effective things to both engage the reader and put a unique perspective on the retelling. He first is very straight forward with details. Considering it is a case of murder there are some pretty gruesome details. He does not exclude such details. Reading is it is almost as realistically detailed as if you were watching it on a crime show. This is effective to the authors purpose of giving an accurate portrayal of this event. Considering that he was not there at the actual time of this murder occurring and unfolding he of course needed to rely on some witnesses. Using sources who were at the scene or were close acquaintances to the victims is very effective. It gives Capote both credibility, in the sense that he is not fabricating the story he is giving the excruciating details from what was passed on to him by others. And it also gives an overall completeness to the story. It would be easy to go straight to the police department of the town and read the report and do a retelling based on that but to get to the true heart of the event and have a well rounded story to tell, a variety of sources was a smart decision. The third effective technique that Capote takes advantage of if his use of split perspectives. The story isn't exactly split into chapters but there are clear breaks between parts of the story. Along with this breaks usually comes a switch of perspective between the family before their being murdered or close acquaintances of the family to the two men who were the murderers. Another additionally effective thing that bounces off of that and is fair for me to say considering that I am only half way through, is the fact that it is not explicitly stated that these two men are the murderers but through their actions and dialogue and background profiles the reader can assume. The split perspectives helps the reader to speculate and be aware of the two sides to this story that while were happening along side one another at one instance meet up in a disastrous way.

TOW #11 - National Geographic Jane Goodall (visual text)

This image was taken by a national geographic photographer and pictured is anthropologist, Jane Goodall. In this image she is reaching out to a baby chimpanzee. She is dressed in typical safari attire, khaki shirt and shorts. The image was taken at the perspective of seeing more of the back of Goodall's head but the face of chimpanzee. They are both reaching out to one another. Both the subjects of this photo are in focus but the background is not.
By analyzing the setup and context of this issue a few meanings can be extracted. One observed meaning is that of two worlds coming together. Goodall studies humans and primates and this image depicts both coming into contact. There are studies that humans have evolved from apes and it is as if in this image these two very similar creations are connecting over mutual genetic make ups. Another meaning depicted by this image is that of humans respecting that they share this world with animals. Animals are just as important to this world as humans and both can benefit the other. Humans must respect their fellow living creature and Goodall clearly acknowledges and respects that for in this image she is reaching out to a creature for whom she respects and admires.
The audience of this image I believe is humans as a whole. To make them aware and also fascinated by the ways humans and animals can interact. While yes many wild animals are dangerous because they have the natural instincts to attack the unknown (humans) there are also animals for whom we do not need to be afraid. Goodall exhibits that sometimes they are just as curious as we are and that communication can be possible and teach us more about our fellow inhabitants of this planet.

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/125/national-geographic-memorable-moments/#/7

TOW #10 - Dog Days and Starlit Nights (written)

     Dog Days and Starlit Nights is a nonfiction short story written by Angie J. Mayfield. She is an English professor at Vincennes University in Indiana. This short factoid helps to establish her credibility as a writer. This short piece is about her finding a stray dog on the side of a road and taking it in as her on. She recollects on her children's first reactions and hers and how the dog adapted to its new home.
     It is a short story that is directly to the point but filled with just enough to keep the reader intrigued. One of her strongest strategies with this piece is her imagery. Mayfield really paints the scene and describes every happening with great detail. In such a short piece it is important to be concise yet thick. What I mean by this is that it is called a short story for a reason, because it is supposed to be exactly that. But this does not mean that simplistic language is necessary nor that the content has to be weak. Even the shortest of stories can be powerful, such as this one.
    Branching off this idea of the how powerful this piece is, is the way that Mayfield appeals to pathos. She creates this appeal through her previous mentioned descriptions. She mentions the withering state of the dog and how easily her family welcomed such a poorly appearing creature into their home. Right there we have two major elements that create an emotional reaction. The mention of family and dogs are usually things that spark some type of feeling. Mayfield takes advantage of this to connect to her audience.
     I believe that the audience of this piece is people as a whole. To get them to realize that even the most broken looking of things have the ability to heal. This idea also relates to he purpose. An example of how she appeals to both audience and her purpose is when she first found this dog it was scavenging for food and was stick thin but that didn't stop her from welcoming the creature into her home to be taken care of. Every creature deserves love and compassion and the chance to be repaired and I think that is her purpose in writing such a piece.

http://www.backhandstories.com/non-fiction/dog-days-and-starlit-nights-by-angie-j-mayfield/#more-253

IRB #2 Intro - In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote is the story of a murder that took place in Holcomb, Kansas in 1959. The victims were a man named Herbert Clutter, his wife and two of their children. Once Capote heard of the murder case he was intrigued to find out more so he traveled to Kansas and interviewed locals and people working on the case and gather enough notes to produce this book. Through his extensive research and first hand information collection dying the unraveling of this murder, he was also able to see what effects the case had on the community.
This book is greatly unlike anything that I have ever read before and when it was recommended to me I found it's topic very interesting. Although they can be eery and gruesome I love to watch murder mysteries or crime shows and this is a real life case of one so it caught my interest at first recommendation. From this book I hope to gain true insight into the process of solving a murder. I am well aware that most things on television are fabricated so I am interested to find out what really happened in a true life murder case.

TOW #9 - Martin Luther Kind Jr's I have a Dream Speech (written)

Martin Luther King Jr was a social rights activist. Many associate the name with the man who sought equality and change in this nation and who was so close but was sadly taken from this earth too soon. But his contributions and the work that he did for the equality of minorities is one that has gone down in the record books. In his most famous speech, "I have a Dream..." King's most successfully used rhetorical devices are anaphora and allusion.
King wants people to become aware that certain groups are being denied their god given rights and that it is his hope to see the day when people are no longer plagued by the injustices of others. One way he accomplishes this is through anaphora. He constantly repeats phrases and terms at the beginnings, middles and ends of his sentences to really drive his point home. A specific example of this is when he mentions that while slavery has ended, the discrimination of blacks has not. He repeats the phrase "one hundred years ago" for a few consecutive sentences and this is then followed by examples of what was extended o happen with the end of slavery but how that did not work out as planned. Building off of the repetition of this phrase and his mention of the past Kind also effectively uses allusion as another rhetorical device. As previously mentioned he references the past and more specifically President Lincoln who was the abolitionist of slavery. King cites the things that Lincoln fought for as an allusion to the current time period and how it was written into law years ago and still not abided by. His point in these references to the past are for people to be aware that these rules exist but are cruelly ignored out go ignorance and prejudice. He wants to see a better more inclusive world than that which he sees around him. Considering the fact that King went about his protests in a nonviolent matter it is understood why his words and speech would be so strong and use such powerful devices to get his point across.

TOW #8 - IRB

Author of The Glass Castle Jeanette Walls grew up in life of disorganized chaos. With two very outward thinking parents her life was no where near ordinary. Her book The Glass Castle tells this story of her childhood and how she finally got out of an unhealthy situation. The first half of the story is mostly about her and her family constantly moving and how she was so young she thought nothing of it and that her life was special. But contrastingly in the second half of the book, her family has settled into one place and her main objective is to be saving money to leave the dreadful situation behind. Overall Walls uses meaningful character evolution and symbolism to get show the long and winding path she took to get where she is today.

As I said that book started with Walls being so young that she believes the way her parents act is normal that her life is one big adventure. But once they get settled down in a run down town, and a few years later her sister decides to leave, she realizes that she needs to get out and see the world. This evolution of her view on her lifestyle flows chronologically with the stages of her life she is in. The story begins with her being naive and standing up for all of the wrong things such as always defending her father for his drinking. Then we see towards the end of the story her seeing all the flaws of the way her family lives and no longer supporting her fathers decisions. This loss of belief in her father can also be seen as symbolic of her trying to grow up from her past and move on to a brighter future. This sense of time and of maturity growth helps the audience follow the author and travel with her into her new life.

I believe that she reaches out to an audience of misunderstood kids or kids in rough situations to give them the spark of hope that they can overcome their obstacles. Family issues tend to be very complex and not the easiest situations to get out of but Walls exhibits that she was able to and she clearly became successful from her efforts. Through such a personal story she really shows that one doesn't have to succumb to the status of their families. They can branch out and be their own person and find themselves as hard of a process as it may be.

TOW #7 - Boston Massacre (visual text)

This image was created right after the Boston Massacre by Paul Revere. The Boston Massacre resulted in the deaths of 5 colonial civilians that were shot at by British redcoats. Paul Revere the creator of this image was an engraver and a very prevalent character of the American Revolution. He was the man who warned the colonists that the redcoats were coming after the first battle of the revolution. In this image Revere is  trying to recreate the scene of the Boston Massacre. He is doing so in a very dramatized way. Many things are incorrect about the image but Revere uses this medium as a form of propaganda to get Americans even more riled up about revolution and even angrier towards the British. Through his art work he uses hyperbole and plays with his audiences emotions. First of all the event took place at night but Revere makes it look as if the killing happened in broad day light. This change of scenery changes the context and the emotions conveyed. Violent behavior tends to break out at night and considering in reality the colonists involved had spent the night at the bar getting drunk and riled up, changing the scene to daylight ignores this whole truth and subtracts out a major contributing factor. Also he makes the colonists appear innocent and shows the redcoats cynically killing the colonists in a way that seems to be without cause. Revere was aware of the true context of the event but he was serving a greater purpose. He wanted colonists far from the Boston scene to have a cruel idea of the redcoats so that it would increase their want to fight. America was just delving into the idea of revolution and this is one of the events that kicked it off. Revere was a patriot during the time and he wanted to do his part by convincing the colonists that they could no longer rely on Britain. This image shows the redcoats being killers to achieve just that.

http://www.earlyamerica.com/image/review/winter96/massacre.jpg

TOW #6 - Just Gonna Be Me (nonfiction text)

This week for my TOW I chose to read a poem. I found a nonfiction poem by a writer named Phoebs Lyle. It lists her as a writer, actor, singer, director and artist. This gives a sense of credibility in the medium for which she is writing. She is clearly well established as a person of artistic talent and writing is one of her modes.
     The poem is about her preparing to preform on stage and that for once she is not afraid because she has people who support her. Considering the context of the poem I believe that she is writing for those who have held her back before. There is a sense of confidence and accomplishment that radiates from this poem. She repeats the idea that she is ready to go out and be true to herself. Also there is a stanza that repeats several times throughout the poem and one line that stands out to make me believe she is writing to those who have held her back is "I'm just gonna be me, I've got everything, You'll get what you need, and see" (Lyle). This is a line of confidence that shows that those who have put her down before will pay the price for their mistreatment but for now she is well on her way for the better. But because she is so confident it appears to me that she is also writing this to herself. It is as if it is a reminder that she is strong, and independent and has the ability to pursue her dreams without needing to worry about the opinions of others.
     The fact that this material is written in the form of a poem makes the meaning that much stronger. Poems are filled with emotion and have a specific structure that plays into the meaning of the text. This poem specifically is broken down into 7 stanzas and as I mentioned before there is a particular stanza that repeats several times. This is the strongest stanza as well because it is the one where she is saying she is happy to be herself and isn't going to let anyone hold her back. The fact that this is repeated really drives the message home that she is proud of herself and really wants to convey that.
    In my opinion the poem wasn't necessarily a very good one quite honestly. It lacked originality and depth. It repeated similar basic phrases and didn't show much depth of thought nor word choice. The message was straight forward and definitely powerful so that was a positive attribute but overall I was not very impressed.

http://allpoetry.com/poem/11451267-Just-gonna-be-me-by-Phoebs-Lyle

TOW #5 - Life Can Be Funny (nonfiction text)

Life Can Be Funny is a short article featured on Teen Ink. Teen Ink is a series including a magazine, website and book which all include articles written by teens and submitted for publishing. This specific article was written by someone named Jennifer C. She writes about the ironic ways in which life always ceases to amaze us. How all bad things happen all at once or never at all. Jennifer creates a whole list of possible "teenage girl" scenarios and how they are "funny" but not really. Although she isn't an established author but rather just a teen posting for the pleasure of other teens, I believe this gives her credibility. She is preaching to a teenage audience and being one herself makes what she is saying believable. Teenagers tend to float to their like peers and being in the developmental stage of hating their parents or just wanting to "be themselves" of course they are going to listen to another teen. Through this automatic credibility amongst other teens her message is easily received. The message she is trying to get across is that yes life sometimes sucks but all the silly misfortunes that we are all faced with are something you sometimes just have to laugh off. Also that no one is alone in the chaos of life. She uses many allusions to ordinary teenage life to drive her message home.  For example she talks about the typical scenario of your crush liking someone else and how you always undoubtedly end up embarrassing yourself in front of them. The awkward encounters between those who one may be attracted to are a true teenage struggle so she is really preaching to the choir with with this one and gets people to hop on to her bandwagon. Through these allusions she also establishes pathos. She connects to her readers emotions by commentating on a topic that they can relate to. To strengthen this connection she plays around with humor and emotions of a typical teenager.

http://www.teenink.com/nonfiction/all/article/9112/Life-Can-Be-Funny/

TOW #4 - IRB Analysis

For this marking period I have been reading The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. This book is a memoir so it is Walls own story told by herself. The story addresses the unusual life she had growing up and how it shaped her into the person she is now. The beginning half of the book revolves around her and her families travels from desert town to desert town never living in one place for very long. She describes the different things she encounters in each place for example all of the bugs, lizards and cats that would come and go from her "home" in Battle Mountain. Also the people she met and what her experiences were like with them. This personal retellings in a way make the story harder to believe. What I mean by this is that some of the situations that Walls has been in, especially in the early sections of the book where she was under the age of 10, are hard for one to wrap their mind around. The backwards way in which her parents raise her and her siblings and the way that they are educated is very against what is accepted in this current day which is why it comes off as a piece of fiction although it is known that it is indeed true. Considering that this story is a retelling of all of the events that happened throughout her life, mostly in terms of her family life, I think that this book was written for herself. I think that after all of the hardships she's faced and the chaotic lifestyle in which she has lived she needed a sense of closure and writing her story for the world to be able to read may have been therapeutic for her. She also may have written it for her siblings and perhaps even her parents. Throughout the story she is very respectful towards her parents although they aren't, the best adult figures in history, so i don't think she wrote the book to shove her anger in their faces but I think she wanted to make them aware of how far she has come and how that is partially from their doings. Another part of this story that makes it almost hard to fathom is the fact of how blunt it is. Walls doesn't try to sugar coat the stories of her encounters. Yes she is very descriptive and really lays out the scene for the reader through her use of imagery, but none of this description is to distract the reader from the truth of her stories. She is very open and upfront about all that happened to her and it makes the reader feel as if they could be there themselves but the emotions that are portrayed make the reader glad that they aren't. The first half of the book really captured me because it started with the retelling of a more recent event in her life. Where she is well off on her own and happens to see her mother going through the trash. Despite everything else that has happened so far in this book that tale sticks with me the most because her mother remains the same but a clear growth on Walls part is evident. This as a starting point is a very strong hook and creates an endpoint for the rest of the book. The reader must first encounter Walls' struggles to understand why she felt the way she did in the beginning of the book and this was a very effective technique.

TOW #3 - Starting Out With Nothing (visual text)

The image pictured is a cartoon created by Jeff Parker and is a commentary on the ridiculous amount of school loans people are weighed down by even years after they have been out of college. Jeff Parker is an established writer and comic book artist. His works have been included in several well established comic books including many of the Marvel comics. This image by him depicts a middle aged man carrying a huge load on his back and coming home to live with his parents. His father comments something on the lines of kids these days are so lazy and can't even get their lives together whereas I (the father) had to start from nothing. The son replies in a way that says he wishes he had started with nothing. This is a humorous depiction of a real life occurrence. With the extensive cost of college tuition these days it isn't uncommon for a former student to be paying off their loans for several decades after they graduate. The reason that this visual text is effective is because of the fact that it accurately depicts modern American society. Many post college citizens do struggle with money after they have graduated and not everyone is fortunate enough to get a job straight out of college so things such as what is depicted in this comic, do really happen. The image is directed at those who suffer from this overload of loans and is done so humorously to bring light to a rather negative topic. Visual texts often have a harder time of conveying their messages because the creator cannot always be certain how the message of their image will be received. But the author uses humor so that a viewer can look at the image and think "hey, that's funny because its true and actually relates to me". To add to this humor Parker also uses hyperbole. Of course not all post college students end up back at home drowning in debts, but creating this image as a humorous exaggeration of the topic, brings it to light that college debts can be overbearing and a huge issue. The exaggeration helps the author get his point across that this is unfortunately true and that we don't all have the fortune of millions of dollars to give back to the bank for our loans.

http://debrasanborn.com/2012/01/16/starting-out-with-nothing/

IRB Intro - The Glass Castle by: Jeanette Walls

For my Independent Reading Book this cycle I will be reading The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls. This book is a memoir of the author's troubling life. Walls' parents are both eccentric characters that led to the making and breaking of her life. They lived a nomadic life with no real cares or worries. Her parents were both too concerned with themselves to properly take care of four children. Once money ran low and both of her parents sobriety became a big issue Walls was faced with the difficulty of leaving home at a young age. Her and her siblings had fended for themselves for far too long and had to pick up and leave such a horrible family situation. This book is the story of her life and struggle given how her parents were and how it shaped her life. This book was recommended to me from people who only had exceptional things to say about it. I enjoy memoirs and peoples personal retellings so when I heard about this story I thought that it was one that I would enjoy. I also like books that deal with struggle and hardship. Especially when it is a true story and a real account of the struggles someone has faced I enjoy reading that. I hope to get a sense of emotional commonality to this book by reading it but also to gain a little more experience in reading memoirs.

http://www.americanplacetheatre.org/roster/show/the-glass-castle

TOW# 2 - How To Say Nothing in 500 Words

How To Say Nothing in 500 Words by Paul Roberts is a humorous commentary on getting to the point but not being bland.  Roberts gives the hypothetical scenario of a college student being asked to write a 500 word essay and how this student may struggle in doing so because when a quantitative value is put on a piece of writing it seems endless. Roberts goes on to show how plain and simple this college student may write the piece and it would simply earn this student a poor grade. From here he goes on to explain how to avoid doing the obvious and thus getting the bad grades. Paul Roberts is just the person to be instructing on such a topic due to the fact that he has a career in writing books on English. Someone teaching someone else about words clearly knows a lot about them themselves. The author presents such information in a way that is directed at students who are given concise writing assignments. He exploits the several different ways one may g about writing these pieces and how the way in which you write it may land you in a place you don't want to be. He explains that these word constraining assignments tend to be bland topics but it is up to the writer to be able to develop a unique spin on such a common subject. By putting this information in the context of college writing it makes the audience clear and the message evident. Besides this level of commonality, Roberts also uses humor as an effective rhetorical device. He includes humorous examples and makes a joke out of these common mistakes so that one can easily point out their mistakes. He also uses hypothetical situations so that a reader can imagine themselves in the context and then learn from it. The purpose of this piece is to make students, or anyone who finds this applicable, more aware of what they are writing and how they are doing so. He mentions the types of words one should use but that they should be aware of connotations these words may have. He also explains that going for the long, wordy explanation isn't always best. Roberts wants to make writers aware of the way they go about writing and how in reality it may be ineffective. Personally I believe that the author effectively went about making his point. He hooked the audience with the previously mentioned rhetorical devices and then displayed his information in a direct manor. He is one who can be said to practice what he preaches because he got to the point of his essay but didn't over analyze it or spice it up too much.

TOW #1 - When Whites Just Don't Get It, Part 2

When Whites Just Don't Get It, Part 2 is an editorial piece written by Nicholas Kristof. Kristof is a New York Times columnist whose work appears twice a week in the paper. He has won several Pulitzer Prizes for his writing which focuses on societal issues around the world. In this particular piece he commentates on the issue of racism in America. He talks about the crude assumptions made by white Americans regarding those who are colored. Stereotypes such as they are criminals, they have no self worth, they don't try in school therefore their lives go nowhere etc. But Kristof hits these comments head on with statistics and factual evidence that these are simply as I said before, stereotypes. He explains that the stereotypical struggle that black Americans tend to face sprouts from prejudice and cruelty that was evident since the beginning of time. This text is directed at white America to show them that their assumptions are incorrect and cruel. Considering that Kristof is a white American he clearly isn't siding with his own race. He is playing an impartial role to inform those who are at fault of what they are doing wrong. He does this effectively by using comments made by his readers to prove his point. Most of his readers comment in defense of white Americans making it clear where they come from. Kristof takes this to his advantage by proving them wrong with facts. He uses statistics, numbers, and real world examples to prove his point that white Americans are so caught up with in their own ethnocentric minds that they become unaware of the stereotypical remarks they make and the effects these accusations have on others. Kristof effectively proves his point that we all need to be cautious of the accusations we make in terms of others. We tend to make preconceived assumptions out of ignorance rather than making factual statements. Kristof wants white Americans to be aware of their faults and make sure that they take responsibility for themselves instead of putting all blame on a race that has never ceased to be persecuted.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/07/opinion/sunday/nicholas-kristof-when-whites-just-dont-get-it-part-2.html?ref=opinion

The Marginal World by: Rachel Carson Response

The Marginal World by: Rachel Carson is an essay about the world between land and sea. Carson describes her experience with land creatures and with sea creatures and how this different type of environment is created at the shore line where water and land meet. Her credibility is displayed through her personal retelling of an encounter she had. She describes from her own personal view what this in-between world is like. How it is almost magical because although it is land it is often washed over by water and yet their are life forms that survive their in both conditions.
The essay is written in a very mystical way where it is more like reading a fairytale than an essay. The other uses figurative language to set the tone and the scene. By describing the scene while still proving a point the authors motive is stronger. She uses pathos through her soft, descriptive words to capture the reader. But her overall point in writing this essay is that in the world we live in it is important to take a step back sometimes and really appreciate all that is around us. In her essay Carson makes the world appear magical and seem so surreal and while sometimes it can be, it can also be a place of cruelty and disgust. But she tries to make the point that despite all of the bad that people may get wrapped up in, there are still parts of this world that are beautiful and it is important for us to find them. She happened to come across this small, beautiful cove on a beach in Georgia. Such a small occurrence really changed her perspective on the world and this is conveyed through her words and her mood while writing. I believe she writes to those who are really tied up with negativity and who need a little refresher that this world can be a beautiful place if you let it. I agree with what she says and she really captured my attention through her use of imagery and descriptive language. She convinced me that the world is truly astonishing in its simple wonders and that it is important to remember that in times of tragedy.

Small Open Cove

This is image really encapsulates the purpose of this essay to me because it gives physical imagery to the setting presented but it also represents the message. This picture is taken from the inside of a cave looking out. It shows that even in a dark world of chaos we must look out into the beauty of the world.

http://sicilia.indettaglio.it/eng/comuni/tp/favignana/turismo/turismo_marettimo.html

The Devil Baby at Hull House by Jane Addams Response

The Devil Baby at Hull House written by Jane Addams is an essay that connects the old tale of a mother giving birth to a devil and the tragedies of humankind. The essay first explains the different variations of the devil baby story and how in summary the husband does something wrong or spiteful that results in the woman giving birth to a devil. This devil baby was said to be kept in Hull House and thus the house receives many visitors who want to see the supernatural being. Of course no such creature exists but visitors continuously visit and usually come baring tales of woe.
The author establishes credibility by giving her first hand account of seeing such people come to Hull House in hoes of seeing the baby. She explains how she had conversed with many of them and heard of the tragedies they have faced in their lives and why it is that they desire to see the devil baby. The relation is that most of these people are women who have had some misfortune with their children or husband who have heard what their wives say of this supernatural being and just want to see it for themselves. Though the majority of the essay includes personal tales that women visitors have told the author. These tales often include tragedies of motherhood and how these women just need something to believe in or some sort of hope that not all is lost for them. Therefore I believe that the authors purpose in writing this piece was to relate a rather ironic tale to the tragedies of ordinary people. Everyone experiences misfortunes in their life but is how they go about it which determines how they sustain their lives from that point forward. The author uses pathos to convey this point through her use of personal stories from those who have visited the devil baby in hopes of finding something real. The author writes to those who have faced tragedy and need something to believe in to get them through it. I believe that she does an excellent job at conveying her purpose. The essay is long but it is necessary because Addams breaks down the type of people who all crave solace. The stories and quotes she includes from visitors of the Hull house makes the whole thing real and believable.

Light At The End of the Tunnel

The whole essay can be summed up with the message of trying to find something to believe in to come out of dark times. The saying "light at the end of the tunnel" is a way of saying there is hope and not all is lost which is the reason most of the people came to seek out the devil baby in this essay.

http://www.doodlelounge.com/2012/01/light-at-the-end-ot-the-tunnel/

How It Feels to Be Colored Me by: Zora Neale Hurston Response

How It feels to Be Colored Me by: Zora Neale Hurston is an essay about how the author views her life as being black. This essay was written in 1928 when race was a prevalent issue. Although whites and blacks were not equal during this time Hurston describes her life in nothing less than a positive light. Through her personal recollections it gives her a sense of credibility in terms of what she is preaching. She lived through these hard times and yet she sheds light on a different view of the time period. With her narrative tone and way of conveying her message it creates a special relationship between her and the reader. Also the fact that the author has written on a subject personal to her rather than writing from an outside point of view, further shows how she is credible.
The essay is written in the context of her childhood and its future effects. She describes how her life was as a young black girl and how she treated passerby's of her community the same despite their race. She also goes on to explain how that affected other people and what they thought of her. Also her flashback gives her perspective on her later life and how her naiveté as a child has shifted to more of an awareness of the true differences in race. In terms of the audience that Hurston writes to it is clear that she writes to outcasts or people of discrimination. The feelings and views that she conveys as being a minority that was ridiculed during this time period can be translated to several other bitter scenarios. Some more modern examples may include: being bullied because you wear glasses or teased because you have a speech impediment. But she preaches to a veery real and prevalent audience in terms of her topic of race. The author is most able to connect to this type of audience through her use of pathos. She taps into the readers emotions by telling a personal story. She also displays the ability to make the reader feel for her and connect by telling of her happy moments and her ones of struggle. I believe that the author successfully conveyed her point. The essay was written very personally an in such detail that one felt like they were there with her through her story. A technique I was believe was well used on Hurtson's account was her use of time. She explained events of her childhood where she would sit on her porch in a black neighborhood and greet strangers and transitioned to an event in her older life where she went to a music club with a white acquaintance. The contrast between her views on race as a child and their more noticeable prevalence to her later on her life really get her point across in terms of the different ways that race has affected her life. She also writes in a way where, as perviously mentioned, any prejudiced situation can be supplemented for what she speaks about and still be relevant to a wide range of readers.

The Duckling that Stands Alone

This an image of one duckling that clearly does not fit in with the rest. But the image gives a positive feeling rather than a sad one because the yellow duckling looks like he is really making an effort to belong. Much like this essay where the author doesn't view her being black as a negative thing although in a time of discrimination

http://www.gcsereligiousstudies.com/prejudice--discrimination.html