In West Virginia’s Palace of Gold Rahul Mehta describes his past confusion with West Virginia’s Hare Krishna: an Indian religious group that established a new community, New Vrindaban, and created a vibrant part of India among the Appalachian mountains. Mehta describes his memories of taking trips with his family to the Taj Mahal of America and even though many admired its beauty, Rahul found it to be strange and contradictory. Though he always dreaded these trips as a child, he came to understand the opportunity it gave South Asians to pray and worship in a respectable place.
Rahul Mehta is an opinion contributor for the New York Times. He is the author of a short story collection called Quarantine.
The context of this piece is in response to the recent death of Swami Bhaktipada who led the Hare Krishna commune and was “one of the movement’s earliest and most controversial American disciples” (1). In 1990, Bhaktipada served eight years in prison for charges on murder for hire and racketeering and in response, New Vrindaban lost much of its appeal. However recently, New Vrindaban has started working towards its former glory.
Though as a child, Mahta desired to assimilate and not participate in the Hare Krishna commune, today he no longer feels a distinction between his Indian and American culture. Mahta’s purpose was to explain how significant New Vrindaban has been to many Indians living in America and that he understands the importance of developing such places.
Readers of the New York Times and people interested in how cultures thrive and grow in America are the intended audience.
Mahta highlights irony in his piece. The irony of Americans modeling themselves off of their Indian neighbors: wearing saris, speaking in Sanskrit and participating in the culture and religion. The irony of his cousin, living in India, and belonging to the Hare Krishna movement that originated in the States. He also uses parallel structure. He reflects back on a gold leaf that covered the palace. Mehta and his brother would look all over the ground for a flake of forgotten gold to pocket; it was the only enjoyed part of the dreaded trip. On a larger scale, his parents often felt lonely and isolated in a new country and New Vrindaba was a place that “made them feel rich.” (2).
The author did accomplish his purpose. By reflecting back upon his own childhood to today he showed a change of opinion. Because he no longer defines himself by one culture, he is able to respect and appreciate the way he grew up and how he lives today.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/29/opinion/west-virginias-hare-krishna-commune.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=rahul%20mehta&st=Search
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Sunday, October 23, 2011
AOW # 7
Julianne Hough has quickly risen to fame. Starting with her time on Dancing with the Stars to her main role in the remake of Footloose, Hough is a name nearly everyone knows. She acknowledges that over the years she has changed a lot from growing up in a small town in Utah to now working on a film with Tom Cruise, but despite her success, she remains humble.
This article came from People magazine which covers celebrity news and human interest stories. It was named Magazine of the Year in 2005 by Advertising Age for its excellence in editorial, circulation and advertising.
This article was written in response to her latest film, Footloose which was a major success at the box office. Hough is being recognized for more than dating Ryan Seacrest. Her talents are remembered.
The purpose of this article was to show that many of her successes are due to some struggles in the past. As a teenager, she spent years away from her family in England to train as a professional dancer. At 18, she ended her engagement to Zach Wilson. These events, though difficult, helped shape the person she is today.
The audience intended for this article is readers of People magazine and anyone who likes celebrity news.
Rhetorical devices in this piece include dialogue and an appeal to pathos. Because this article is about Hough and her life, the author uses Hough’s own words to make it more personnel. The article reads as a time line, beginning with a reflection of Hough’s childhood to the present. There is also an appeal to pathos as in the conclusion, Hough speaks of wishing to be young again and to relive her childhood. This can inspire readers to not take things so seriously.
The author did achieve her purpose. This was more of a light and fun read, however the rhetorical devices the author used made Hough seem like a relatable person who struggled but can succeed.
This article came from People magazine which covers celebrity news and human interest stories. It was named Magazine of the Year in 2005 by Advertising Age for its excellence in editorial, circulation and advertising.
This article was written in response to her latest film, Footloose which was a major success at the box office. Hough is being recognized for more than dating Ryan Seacrest. Her talents are remembered.
The purpose of this article was to show that many of her successes are due to some struggles in the past. As a teenager, she spent years away from her family in England to train as a professional dancer. At 18, she ended her engagement to Zach Wilson. These events, though difficult, helped shape the person she is today.
The audience intended for this article is readers of People magazine and anyone who likes celebrity news.
Rhetorical devices in this piece include dialogue and an appeal to pathos. Because this article is about Hough and her life, the author uses Hough’s own words to make it more personnel. The article reads as a time line, beginning with a reflection of Hough’s childhood to the present. There is also an appeal to pathos as in the conclusion, Hough speaks of wishing to be young again and to relive her childhood. This can inspire readers to not take things so seriously.
The author did achieve her purpose. This was more of a light and fun read, however the rhetorical devices the author used made Hough seem like a relatable person who struggled but can succeed.
Article from People Magazine- "Dancing to the Top"
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Argument Prompt
The following passage is from a Times Herald Report and is about using human skin to bind books. Write an essay that examines the extent to which this practice in ethically correct.
Article of the Week #6
Self magazine specializes in health, fitness and beauty for women and has been in publication for over thirty years. Lauren Graham, the writer of this article, is an actress best known for her main roles in Gilmore Girls and Parenthood.
In the article, “Lauren Graham's Five-Week Slimdown”, Graham describes her short-term journey to better fitness. With true commitment, Graham fought temptations against enticing carbs and accomplished the fitness goals she set for herself.
Graham was asked to pose for Self magazine and in preparation, decided to challenge herself physically so to look toned and healthy.
The purpose of the article was to inspire others to take control of their health and to let people know that as long as they stay completely committed to a fitness regime, they will see results.
The audience intended for this article is women who are looking to find a new way to exercise.
Some rhetorical elements in this piece include a humorous tone and dialogue. As a comedian, Graham uses humor to make light of the hell exercise and dieting can be. This humor also makes the writing very informal, making the audience connect with her easily. For example, “It's 87 degrees, and I am on my 14th lap around a high school track. Whose idea was this? Oh, mine” and “I'm in New York City to visit my sister. Unfortunately, my dear friends Bagel and Cream Cheese live here, too.” She makes a joke out of the struggles with weight loss and through this, establishes credibility because she doesn’t seem like a perfect celebrity. Graham also uses dialogue with her personal trainer to make experiences come to life. Graham would often seek her trainer out for advice: “I call Michelle. ‘You're in insane heat. Drink more water,’ she says. ‘I only like water when it tastes like a margarita,’ I whine.”
Graham did accomplish her purpose. Through humor, she discarded the celebrity image and made herself appear like a casual and relatable person. Because of this, she speaks to the audience’s inspiration and makes the challenge of weight loss seem possible.
http://www.self.com/healthystars/2011/10/lauren-graham-slimdown-slideshow#slide=5
In the article, “Lauren Graham's Five-Week Slimdown”, Graham describes her short-term journey to better fitness. With true commitment, Graham fought temptations against enticing carbs and accomplished the fitness goals she set for herself.
Graham was asked to pose for Self magazine and in preparation, decided to challenge herself physically so to look toned and healthy.
The purpose of the article was to inspire others to take control of their health and to let people know that as long as they stay completely committed to a fitness regime, they will see results.
The audience intended for this article is women who are looking to find a new way to exercise.
Some rhetorical elements in this piece include a humorous tone and dialogue. As a comedian, Graham uses humor to make light of the hell exercise and dieting can be. This humor also makes the writing very informal, making the audience connect with her easily. For example, “It's 87 degrees, and I am on my 14th lap around a high school track. Whose idea was this? Oh, mine” and “I'm in New York City to visit my sister. Unfortunately, my dear friends Bagel and Cream Cheese live here, too.” She makes a joke out of the struggles with weight loss and through this, establishes credibility because she doesn’t seem like a perfect celebrity. Graham also uses dialogue with her personal trainer to make experiences come to life. Graham would often seek her trainer out for advice: “I call Michelle. ‘You're in insane heat. Drink more water,’ she says. ‘I only like water when it tastes like a margarita,’ I whine.”
Graham did accomplish her purpose. Through humor, she discarded the celebrity image and made herself appear like a casual and relatable person. Because of this, she speaks to the audience’s inspiration and makes the challenge of weight loss seem possible.
http://www.self.com/healthystars/2011/10/lauren-graham-slimdown-slideshow#slide=5
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Assignment Question Reflection
One activity that really helped and continues to help is the article of the week. My first week as an AP English student was difficult and I spent hours trying to perfect my analysis on the article I chose. However, with several weeks past, I have become quicker in determining the various rhetorical devices used, as well as context (the thing I struggled with the most). I enjoy being able to pick articles with topics of my interests but also trying new genres of writing. With every passing week, I am becoming more familiar with many rhetorical devices and I am finding the entire process less difficult.
Essential Question Reflection
How does the language we use impact our citizenship within a society?
The language we use impacts our citizenship within society as the more clearly and correctly we speak, the better our opinions and ideas are received. It is important to not rely solely on emotions, rather consider the benefits and drawbacks in all tasks. In one group assignment, we discussed how appeals to certain audiences differ. For example, when asking a bank for a loan it is more important to speak to credibility rather than emotions. On the contrary, when advertising for a school club, it's important to focus on engaging the audience and speaking to their curiosity. In David Sedaris' Me Talk Pretty One Day, he reflects on how his struggle with learning a second language impacted his citizenship in French society. The fear of making mistakes accompanied him everywhere. Sedaris went as far as removing himself almost entirely from the rest of the world: ignoring phone calls and pretending to be deaf. Though his beginners French did at times create a communication barrier, his increasing comprehension sustained a larger confidence. It is obviously important to be aware of the language one uses because it supremely affects how we participate and how we are perceived in the world.
The language we use impacts our citizenship within society as the more clearly and correctly we speak, the better our opinions and ideas are received. It is important to not rely solely on emotions, rather consider the benefits and drawbacks in all tasks. In one group assignment, we discussed how appeals to certain audiences differ. For example, when asking a bank for a loan it is more important to speak to credibility rather than emotions. On the contrary, when advertising for a school club, it's important to focus on engaging the audience and speaking to their curiosity. In David Sedaris' Me Talk Pretty One Day, he reflects on how his struggle with learning a second language impacted his citizenship in French society. The fear of making mistakes accompanied him everywhere. Sedaris went as far as removing himself almost entirely from the rest of the world: ignoring phone calls and pretending to be deaf. Though his beginners French did at times create a communication barrier, his increasing comprehension sustained a larger confidence. It is obviously important to be aware of the language one uses because it supremely affects how we participate and how we are perceived in the world.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
AOW # 5
In this political cartoon, Steve Jobs, co-founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Apple Inc. is standing before the gates of Heaven. Standing before him is God who is obviously struggling with his computer as some kind of bug messed up his “book of life” and caused Jobs to die a little bit too early.
Frederick Deligne is an artist and editorial cartoonist of La Croix. His work is also present in several magazines, such as Infirmières Magazine, Panorama (the 'Vivre et Croire' section) and Autos-Infos.
This cartoon is response to the death of Jobs, who died October 5, 2011 seven years after being diagnosed with Pancreatic cancer. He is remembered for creating the iPhone, iMac and iPad: technology that affected the world.
God is using Windows 7 (Job’s main competitor) to manage the "book of life" however, Windows is not as stable as Job’s OSX. The purpose of this cartoon was to humorously blame the Job's premature demise on his competition's management of the "book of life".
The audience intended for this cartoon is the general public.
One rhetorical element is irony. It is ironic because the glitch with the computers up in heaven caused Jobs to die early, even though he had so much to do. Another rhetorical element is exaggeration. The cartoonist wanted to exaggerate the technology in heaven being extremely behind. Drawn is a very boxy computer connected to floppy disks, which were used to store data starting in the mid 1970s. Behind is the gate to heaven with a sign above saying “angel inside” in reference to an old Intel advertisement (“Intel inside”) for an processor.
The cartoonist did accomplish his purpose. Though various rhetorical elements like irony and exaggeration, it was obvious that he wanted to humorously blame Windows for the demise of Steve Jobs.
http://www.politicalcartoons.com/cartoon/a9e3a8dc-817f-4af6-a304-3ee09909115b.html
Frederick Deligne is an artist and editorial cartoonist of La Croix. His work is also present in several magazines, such as Infirmières Magazine, Panorama (the 'Vivre et Croire' section) and Autos-Infos.
This cartoon is response to the death of Jobs, who died October 5, 2011 seven years after being diagnosed with Pancreatic cancer. He is remembered for creating the iPhone, iMac and iPad: technology that affected the world.
God is using Windows 7 (Job’s main competitor) to manage the "book of life" however, Windows is not as stable as Job’s OSX. The purpose of this cartoon was to humorously blame the Job's premature demise on his competition's management of the "book of life".
The audience intended for this cartoon is the general public.
One rhetorical element is irony. It is ironic because the glitch with the computers up in heaven caused Jobs to die early, even though he had so much to do. Another rhetorical element is exaggeration. The cartoonist wanted to exaggerate the technology in heaven being extremely behind. Drawn is a very boxy computer connected to floppy disks, which were used to store data starting in the mid 1970s. Behind is the gate to heaven with a sign above saying “angel inside” in reference to an old Intel advertisement (“Intel inside”) for an processor.
The cartoonist did accomplish his purpose. Though various rhetorical elements like irony and exaggeration, it was obvious that he wanted to humorously blame Windows for the demise of Steve Jobs.
http://www.politicalcartoons.com/cartoon/a9e3a8dc-817f-4af6-a304-3ee09909115b.html
Sunday, October 2, 2011
IRB #1 Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight
Alexandra Fuller has written four non-fiction books. Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight was her first and it received great reviews, having won the New York Times Notable Book for 2002, the 2002 Booksense best non-fiction book, the 2002 Winifred Holtby Memorial Prize and was a finalist for the Guardian’s First Book Award. Her other books are called, Scribbling the Cat: Travels with an African Soldier,
The Legend of Colton H Bryant and Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness. Fuller also has written for the New Yorker Magazine, National Geographic Magazine, Vogue and Granta Magazine. She married an American river guide in Zambia and now resides in Wyoming with her husband and three children.
Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight is about Alexandra Fuller’s African childhood: her memories of growing up in Rhodesia with her mother, father, and sister Van amidst a civil war. It reveals the history and geography of Africa in 1970s and 80s and is told in a different perspective, through the eyes of an English little girl.
The context of this book is in accordance with the civil war between the Renamo rebels and the Frelimo government in the Mozambican hills, an area starting where her farmland ended. Because of the violence surrounding her, her childhood was supremely affected. She had to live with fears of raids, land mine explosions, of terrorists and many other things children should not be concerned of.
The purpose is to inform readers of how different life is like in Africa and how unique Fuller’s childhood was because of where she lived and the violence that ensued there. She grew up on constant watch for cobras, scorpions and wild dogs. Her family had to drive in a mine-detecting vehicle (called a pookie) in case of an explosion. As a child, she grew up with racial superiority as she went to a different school than most of her neighbors and had black maids and cooks. Fuller wants to tell her audience a story of things that seem so eccentric, but were in fact a normal and true to her.
The audience intended for this book is anyone interested in the history of Africa and also what life was like for people who immigrated there.
The rhetorical devices used in the passage include: diction, simile, allusion and juxtaposition. Diction included words in Ndebele, an African dialect, for example, Kadoma meaning “does not thunder or make noise”, dzimba dza mabwe meaning “houses of stone” and chi murenga meaning “war of liberation.” Fuller uses many similes to better describe people or geography: “ men in camouflage breaking life a ribbon out of the back of an army lorry…” (1), “her school looked like a bomb bunker” (2), “they only swished their tails and jerked their heads at the sound, as if trying to get rid of a biting fly” (3). Fuller also alludes to popular childish games or songs but twists them to her unique situation. For example, the song “99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall” was changed to a different version: One hundred little baboons playing on the minefield. One hundred little baboons playing on the minefield. And if one little baboon should accidentally explode, there’ll be ninety-nine little baboons playing on the minefield. She also uses juxtaposition by comparing her world in Africa to the world of Narnia, saying that “Narnia is more real and wonderful than the world I am alive in” (4).
The author accomplished her purpose. She uses information to explain the status of Rhodesia and tells many amusing stories and moments with her family to depict her childhood in an engaging and genuine way.
Fuller, Alexandra. Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight: An African Childhood. New York: Random House, 2001. Print.
The Legend of Colton H Bryant and Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness. Fuller also has written for the New Yorker Magazine, National Geographic Magazine, Vogue and Granta Magazine. She married an American river guide in Zambia and now resides in Wyoming with her husband and three children.
Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight is about Alexandra Fuller’s African childhood: her memories of growing up in Rhodesia with her mother, father, and sister Van amidst a civil war. It reveals the history and geography of Africa in 1970s and 80s and is told in a different perspective, through the eyes of an English little girl.
The context of this book is in accordance with the civil war between the Renamo rebels and the Frelimo government in the Mozambican hills, an area starting where her farmland ended. Because of the violence surrounding her, her childhood was supremely affected. She had to live with fears of raids, land mine explosions, of terrorists and many other things children should not be concerned of.
The purpose is to inform readers of how different life is like in Africa and how unique Fuller’s childhood was because of where she lived and the violence that ensued there. She grew up on constant watch for cobras, scorpions and wild dogs. Her family had to drive in a mine-detecting vehicle (called a pookie) in case of an explosion. As a child, she grew up with racial superiority as she went to a different school than most of her neighbors and had black maids and cooks. Fuller wants to tell her audience a story of things that seem so eccentric, but were in fact a normal and true to her.
The audience intended for this book is anyone interested in the history of Africa and also what life was like for people who immigrated there.
The rhetorical devices used in the passage include: diction, simile, allusion and juxtaposition. Diction included words in Ndebele, an African dialect, for example, Kadoma meaning “does not thunder or make noise”, dzimba dza mabwe meaning “houses of stone” and chi murenga meaning “war of liberation.” Fuller uses many similes to better describe people or geography: “ men in camouflage breaking life a ribbon out of the back of an army lorry…” (1), “her school looked like a bomb bunker” (2), “they only swished their tails and jerked their heads at the sound, as if trying to get rid of a biting fly” (3). Fuller also alludes to popular childish games or songs but twists them to her unique situation. For example, the song “99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall” was changed to a different version: One hundred little baboons playing on the minefield. One hundred little baboons playing on the minefield. And if one little baboon should accidentally explode, there’ll be ninety-nine little baboons playing on the minefield. She also uses juxtaposition by comparing her world in Africa to the world of Narnia, saying that “Narnia is more real and wonderful than the world I am alive in” (4).
The author accomplished her purpose. She uses information to explain the status of Rhodesia and tells many amusing stories and moments with her family to depict her childhood in an engaging and genuine way.
Fuller, Alexandra. Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight: An African Childhood. New York: Random House, 2001. Print.
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