For this article of the week I read a famous short story called "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson. The short story is about a town in the context of a time period that is fiction but placed in the distant past (maybe present, it is questionable), that hosts an event each year called The Lottery.
The event takes place in the midst of June where every person in the town gathers around to draw slips of paper from a black box. The papers are all blank except for only one that has a black dot. Within the first round, whoever draws the black dot now has to move on the second round where that person and their immediate family have to draw again. This time when they draw a slip of paper the person who gets the black dot is then stoned to death by the rest of the town. The creepy part is that it is a ritual and no one thinks anything of it... family and friends kill their loved ones because it is a tradition. The history behind this is that the person killed is a sacrifice for a good crop season.
In some ways this connects to other parts of the world in the ancient civilizations... some tribes of people who have human sacrifice for their goods or to promote good weather or health. In this case it is a civilized town that does this through a lottery and apparently (it is implied) every other town does this as well.
There are many different interpretations as for the purpose for this short story. The author's intention could be among a plethora of ideas. However, the way I interpreted the story was that the author was trying to convey modern society and how in some ways we are just as corrupt. Although society today does not do go around killing people in order to give up sacrifice, we have laws and proper authority and civility but it might be a parallel to other things in society that have become a prominent issue. Otherwise it might have been just a pure imaginative story worthy of writing down. The main target audience would be anyone in the general public.
From a rhetorical standpoint, a device used most evidently was suspense. This is because from the very beginning it starts out with misleading cliffhanger adjectives that make you think of spring time, and a quant little town that is quite calm and peaceful. The discussion of the lottery is not filled with hatred or bewilderment yet it is described objectively making the reader guess for the entire story what exactly is the main point of this lottery. It is only in the end that it is revealed the lottery is actually a quite nefarious event that results in the murderous death of a citizen, and even then all is not revealed. It ends with someone being stoned to death with no follow up events. The final lines are, "...and then they were upon her." This is referring to the people all gathering around Mrs. Hutchinson which was the woman who "won" the lottery.
In this way juxtaposition is also used because the word lottery is usually associated with money, or something beneficial to the winner that results in the overwhelming feeling of felicity, but in this case something so special does not occur and the lottery is associate with death. These two elements posing next to each other is an example of juxtaposition through written rhetoric.
After reading this story (a few times) I was still astonished by the ending. The first time through I literally had chills from how gruesome and blunt the story really was. The author almost tricks readers into thinking the story will be calm, kind, simple, possible and most likely happy... That is until Mrs. Hutchinson begins to sound frightened and scared to go through with the lottery when she realizes her family has "won" and is moving on to the next level. But by that point in the story I was completely confused and trying to understand what was going on. I was thoroughly misunderstanding what was going on from the very beginning. The lottery was not really a prized lottery at all, rather it was a picking for the next sacrifice.
- Ali Mason
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Monday, February 20, 2012
Blog 23, Week 4, FIRST IRB post (MP3) 2-20-12
Book Title: The Cider House Rules
Author: John Irving
The setting of this book is between the late 1890s into the early 1900s around World War 1 and post World War 1. I read the first two chapters which was pages 1 to 78. Although this seems short, the book's dialect is a little difficult to comprehend when you first read it. There are many terms and phrases that are difficult to depict and the events at times are hard to follow. The book is evidently about a man named Wilbur Larch who has grown up in a world of abortion, orphans, prostitution, and neglect. The first chapter introduces this doctor and his orphanage institution in the town of St. Clouds. Then it introduces an orphan named Homer Wells who has lived in four foster homes which have all failed and is now a permanent orphan in the institution. After revealing this child's early life, chapter two reveals Wilbur Larch's life and how he has become the man he is today. He grew up with a love for medicine and bacteria, and kept running into events in his life that tied to him back to the world of sexually transmitted diseases and the "devil's work" of abortionists. The book explains his slow acceptance of proceeding with abortions as well as births at the orphanage and explains events that led to his actions. Although confusing, the book is slowly developing a story line but I am still unsure of the plot.
The context is early 1900s where abortion is just becoming legal in some areas of the united states, the Boston area and Maine, and during a time where people performing abortions were not necessarily doctors, but people who came up with their own detrimental ways of removing the fetuses. Although the plot or conflict is not necessarily evident yet, it is implied that it will be the upcoming adventures of Homer Wells life and his growing up, and the final years of his beloved doctor Wilbur Larch. I am also unsure as to why the title of the book is "The Cider House Rules"... but from the information I have already read of the book it might be the case the the orphan house in St. Cloud's is this "cider house" and the "rules" it is referring to is the act of Wilbur Larch delivering babies as well as performing abortions to which rules could be inflicted upon and brought up. The Lord's Work and the Devil's Work and the rules that go alone with both. However there were evident rhetorical devices that helped John Irving create the story that is still finding a hold in my mind...
Anecdotes: Anecdotes are most evident because of their importance in the story. Throughout the entire first two chapters anecdotes from the past are brought up to explain the present situations in the orphan house. Anecdotes of Homer Wells' foster homes and Wilbur Larch's past aggressions and struggles show the reader why things are the way they are in the present tense of the book. They are explained with absolute validity and explanation to thoroughly lead the reader into what emotions the author wants them to achieve. In this way the author is linking to the reader's inner voice to paint a picture in their mind what exactly the author wants them to see.
Repetition of Phrases: In the book this phrase is repeated: "he would force himself to remember: he had slept with someone's mother and dressed himself in the light of her daughter's cigar. He could quite comfortably abstain from having sex for the rest of his life, but how could he ever condemn another person for having sex?" This is repeated at least two or three times in light of the doctor remembering his one encounter with a prostitute that gave him an STD and he later ended up giving his first abortion to this woman and neglecting to give one to her daughter several years later. Sex has become his enemy because his one encounter brought hims so much pain, and memories that will forever be with him. Or perhaps he abstains from sex in order to not be the father of an aborted child or the father of a child who ends up an orphan. After viewing so many women going through the tortures of child birth and abortion and often dying in the process, his views on sex have moved him to becoming abstinent. This quote is very important in order to show the exact view point of the doctor and where he stands when it comes to what he has done and what he will do in his future.
Intense descriptions of Imagery: Imagery is used very frequently in the book because every description and event is very different from the last. Without imagery the reader would be lost and would not know the difference between the characters (which are abundant) and the events that each one took place in. The imagery is able to give readers the proper tone to which is appropriate and to show the mood of each event in the lives of the characters. And eventually the images will tell the whole story, and the words will mean nothing.. meaning the pictures we see when we read this book will become more important then the words used to describe each event. The story will develop a plot and the resolution will be solved with the use of the amazing imagery produced in the story.
- Ali Mason
Author: John Irving
The setting of this book is between the late 1890s into the early 1900s around World War 1 and post World War 1. I read the first two chapters which was pages 1 to 78. Although this seems short, the book's dialect is a little difficult to comprehend when you first read it. There are many terms and phrases that are difficult to depict and the events at times are hard to follow. The book is evidently about a man named Wilbur Larch who has grown up in a world of abortion, orphans, prostitution, and neglect. The first chapter introduces this doctor and his orphanage institution in the town of St. Clouds. Then it introduces an orphan named Homer Wells who has lived in four foster homes which have all failed and is now a permanent orphan in the institution. After revealing this child's early life, chapter two reveals Wilbur Larch's life and how he has become the man he is today. He grew up with a love for medicine and bacteria, and kept running into events in his life that tied to him back to the world of sexually transmitted diseases and the "devil's work" of abortionists. The book explains his slow acceptance of proceeding with abortions as well as births at the orphanage and explains events that led to his actions. Although confusing, the book is slowly developing a story line but I am still unsure of the plot.
The context is early 1900s where abortion is just becoming legal in some areas of the united states, the Boston area and Maine, and during a time where people performing abortions were not necessarily doctors, but people who came up with their own detrimental ways of removing the fetuses. Although the plot or conflict is not necessarily evident yet, it is implied that it will be the upcoming adventures of Homer Wells life and his growing up, and the final years of his beloved doctor Wilbur Larch. I am also unsure as to why the title of the book is "The Cider House Rules"... but from the information I have already read of the book it might be the case the the orphan house in St. Cloud's is this "cider house" and the "rules" it is referring to is the act of Wilbur Larch delivering babies as well as performing abortions to which rules could be inflicted upon and brought up. The Lord's Work and the Devil's Work and the rules that go alone with both. However there were evident rhetorical devices that helped John Irving create the story that is still finding a hold in my mind...
Anecdotes: Anecdotes are most evident because of their importance in the story. Throughout the entire first two chapters anecdotes from the past are brought up to explain the present situations in the orphan house. Anecdotes of Homer Wells' foster homes and Wilbur Larch's past aggressions and struggles show the reader why things are the way they are in the present tense of the book. They are explained with absolute validity and explanation to thoroughly lead the reader into what emotions the author wants them to achieve. In this way the author is linking to the reader's inner voice to paint a picture in their mind what exactly the author wants them to see.
Repetition of Phrases: In the book this phrase is repeated: "he would force himself to remember: he had slept with someone's mother and dressed himself in the light of her daughter's cigar. He could quite comfortably abstain from having sex for the rest of his life, but how could he ever condemn another person for having sex?" This is repeated at least two or three times in light of the doctor remembering his one encounter with a prostitute that gave him an STD and he later ended up giving his first abortion to this woman and neglecting to give one to her daughter several years later. Sex has become his enemy because his one encounter brought hims so much pain, and memories that will forever be with him. Or perhaps he abstains from sex in order to not be the father of an aborted child or the father of a child who ends up an orphan. After viewing so many women going through the tortures of child birth and abortion and often dying in the process, his views on sex have moved him to becoming abstinent. This quote is very important in order to show the exact view point of the doctor and where he stands when it comes to what he has done and what he will do in his future.
Intense descriptions of Imagery: Imagery is used very frequently in the book because every description and event is very different from the last. Without imagery the reader would be lost and would not know the difference between the characters (which are abundant) and the events that each one took place in. The imagery is able to give readers the proper tone to which is appropriate and to show the mood of each event in the lives of the characters. And eventually the images will tell the whole story, and the words will mean nothing.. meaning the pictures we see when we read this book will become more important then the words used to describe each event. The story will develop a plot and the resolution will be solved with the use of the amazing imagery produced in the story.
- Ali Mason
Monday, February 13, 2012
Blog 22, Week 3, 2-13-12
2012 Superbowl Commercial
Topic: Samsung Phones
Audience: Cell Phone Users!
http://www.youtube.com/user/samsungmobileusa?v=CgfknZidYq0
For this week, since the superbowl recently occurred, I decided to analyze a commercial from the superbowl. It is a well known fact that these commercials are especially prestigious and wild to attract the millions of people watching the same exact channel. The commercial I chose was an ad advocating the new Samsung Galaxy phone while downplaying the apple iphone. The context of this commercial (besides being in the middle of superbowl sunday) was obviously the new creation of the Samsung phone and the idea was to attract more people to this type of phone then the amount of people who were looking to buy iphones this year... this is also the purpose. Rhetorical devices that were being used in this commercial are, communal memory which is used when people say things such as "this feels like detention" or when people are using different phones other then the samsung galaxy it pertains to the memory of the people. It is dependent on the fact that these people already know what these things are. One would need to know what detention is or feels like to relate to the one character who relates standing in line to that.
This alludes to the fact that the commercial's one aspect of an audience would be high school students... the use of the word detention relates to the high school age group and connects with their inner memory and mind. In a way it subconsciously pushes them to realize "YES i understand! I don't want an iphone! It takes too long standing in line!". Although the commercial does use factual statistics which is another rhetorical device to explain the different facets of the phone it does not use a lot of factual statistics to create the commercial. For the most part it uses pop culture and entertainment to tell the story of this one little phone and to create a new wave of excitement for the purchase of this new phone. The commercial also shows people going from gloomy to extremely excited over this new phone which shows the audience who is watching the commercial that if they buy this new phone they will feel the same way... In this way the commercial is using pathos to appeal to the passion of the audience. The rhetorical placement/situation of this commercial really help prove its point and get a broader sense of what audience they are actually hitting.
Since the people in the commercial look so happy while they are using their new phones, it might push people to buy them because of this possibly false vibe that this is what they are getting when they purchase the phone. Hyperbole is another rhetorical device because of the extreme exaggeration of excitement and events going on during the duration of the actual commercial.
The purpose for the commercial was met because the commercial continued to play on several different occasions (both before and after superbowl sunday) and it obviously was bringing business because of how often the commercial ran and the times that it ran. Yet the only true way to tell if the product's commercial actually gained prestige and popularity would be to document sales of the item post-superbowl sunday.
I would say, as a viewer, that the commercial was actually quite effective. The commercial made me feel the same emotion that each character was portraying and thus, interested me into purchasing this phones. Who knows? Maybe it really is the next iphone... only better!
- Ali Mason
Blog 21, Week 2, MP3 2-6-12
MR. GABRIELE! I just looked at my blog tonight and it has shown me that this article of the week never published... Apparently i saved this as a draft instead. I'm sorry I didn't catch this earlier! I hope it has published successfully now:
This article of the week is an evaluation of the actual NYTimes website.
Every week we are picking articles from different sources although we do not usually take the time to analyze the sites we are taking the information from. Why do we choose the sites we choose? Why is the New York Times a website we so often call upon? The answer is in the rhetorical choices the web designers used to create the website. The website is designed around the most recent context of the world. The home page is centered around news that was published within hours of the readers reaching the page. There is also "Today's Paper" section, "Most Popular", "Video", and other intriguing topics that would get the reader's attention. The context of the website is solely based on what is hot and happening and what is most relevant to the readers. I believe the website also intrigues readers because the articles are short, interesting, and from a variety of topics that hit every age group and there are hundreds of different authors. There is a variety you can not get from just the newspaper.
The purpose for this website is so the New York Times has a broad range audience other then just the local New Yorkers. With such a broad website this information could go global with readers looking into these articles from even the smallest of countries who have access. A benefit is also the fact that websites can be translated into different languages, much easier then having to translate thousands of physical newspapers. Another advantage is that the website states the time that the website was updated, which is quite frequently. In a sense this shows credibility because the readers know they are getting the full most updated website and information possible. The website currently says it was updated about 40 minutes ago.. that is a short time span and qualifies the recently added articles and information. Through these different forms the rhetorical devices that were used were: Organization (for the set up of the website and intricate details that form the context and appeal), Ethos (which is established through the updated times and other areas of the website... a broad span of authors and editors), and Simplicity because the website is simple enough for readers to scan through the website and find what they are looking for in a short amount of time.
The creator of the website actually was smart in their idea to create a way to register into the website and basically become a member of the New York Times newspaper, this is a great way to promote propaganda for their cause and spread the word about this newspaper. People want to become a part of things, and looking at a website where you can be an active member intrigues people to join and become a part of that society.
The true purpose for the website (bringing in a broad range of visitors globally and nationally) is achieved because of how evident it is in today's society, it is a "big deal" news paper that has been labeled as a true and credited news company.
- Ali Mason
This article of the week is an evaluation of the actual NYTimes website.
Every week we are picking articles from different sources although we do not usually take the time to analyze the sites we are taking the information from. Why do we choose the sites we choose? Why is the New York Times a website we so often call upon? The answer is in the rhetorical choices the web designers used to create the website. The website is designed around the most recent context of the world. The home page is centered around news that was published within hours of the readers reaching the page. There is also "Today's Paper" section, "Most Popular", "Video", and other intriguing topics that would get the reader's attention. The context of the website is solely based on what is hot and happening and what is most relevant to the readers. I believe the website also intrigues readers because the articles are short, interesting, and from a variety of topics that hit every age group and there are hundreds of different authors. There is a variety you can not get from just the newspaper.
The purpose for this website is so the New York Times has a broad range audience other then just the local New Yorkers. With such a broad website this information could go global with readers looking into these articles from even the smallest of countries who have access. A benefit is also the fact that websites can be translated into different languages, much easier then having to translate thousands of physical newspapers. Another advantage is that the website states the time that the website was updated, which is quite frequently. In a sense this shows credibility because the readers know they are getting the full most updated website and information possible. The website currently says it was updated about 40 minutes ago.. that is a short time span and qualifies the recently added articles and information. Through these different forms the rhetorical devices that were used were: Organization (for the set up of the website and intricate details that form the context and appeal), Ethos (which is established through the updated times and other areas of the website... a broad span of authors and editors), and Simplicity because the website is simple enough for readers to scan through the website and find what they are looking for in a short amount of time.
The creator of the website actually was smart in their idea to create a way to register into the website and basically become a member of the New York Times newspaper, this is a great way to promote propaganda for their cause and spread the word about this newspaper. People want to become a part of things, and looking at a website where you can be an active member intrigues people to join and become a part of that society.
The true purpose for the website (bringing in a broad range of visitors globally and nationally) is achieved because of how evident it is in today's society, it is a "big deal" news paper that has been labeled as a true and credited news company.
- Ali Mason
Friday, February 3, 2012
IRB # 3 Layout/Choice
Title: The Cider House Rules
Author: John Irving
This book is lengthy, therefore it might have to be split up between two marking periods. (Mrs. Pronko suggested this?) And otherwise I will split up the sections of readings to have ABOUT 110-120 pages.
The book is about an orphanage set in rural maine with the main character named Dr. Wilbur Larch who is the founder and director of the orphanage. The book is about this man, his ether addict and his days as an obstetrician and an abortionist and about his favorite orphan Homer Wells who is never adopted.
- Ali Mason
Author: John Irving
This book is lengthy, therefore it might have to be split up between two marking periods. (Mrs. Pronko suggested this?) And otherwise I will split up the sections of readings to have ABOUT 110-120 pages.
The book is about an orphanage set in rural maine with the main character named Dr. Wilbur Larch who is the founder and director of the orphanage. The book is about this man, his ether addict and his days as an obstetrician and an abortionist and about his favorite orphan Homer Wells who is never adopted.
- Ali Mason
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