Tonight’s reading was Chapter 12- Style and Arguments. I found this chapter very interesting. I had never really thought about writing having a style like clothing and architecture does. I had always hear about the author’s “voice” but never specifically about a style. After reading this chapter though, I now understand how many different elements can go into creating a style for your writing.
The first section on word choice talked about how we speak or write differently for our different audiences. Clearly I am going to write differently in these blogs than in a paper or a text to a friend. And of course there will be different jargon used with different groups. The section about punctuation kind of confused me though. I thought that it was more about simply varying sentence length than adjusting punctuation. I would never use an exclamation point in a formal essay. I feel that it would be informal and unprofessional to use it in this context.
I would also avoid using metaphors and similies in formal papers. I have always been taught, in high school, that figurative language such as this should be taken out of research papers and formal essays. The textbook made it seem okay to add these in though. They spoke of how they could actually enhance your argument instead of weaken it. I found this very interesting, but I also feel that they must be used carefully. I feel that flowery language can turn a paper from a strong argument to a piece of prose fiction. In this section there were also tropes that I never thought were actually things. I never realized antonomasia and irony were parts of style.
There were many things in this chapter that I feel will help me with my own writing style. I will now be conscious of it and work at it.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Blog 12- Chapter 10
The article “Why Literature Matters” by Dana Gioia speaks about the fact that young Americans study in the arts, especially in literature, has declined. The article goes on in attempts to explain why reading is so important and why we should engage in this activity more often. I honestly found this article very difficult to ready. Perhaps it was simply boring me. I felt that the sentences were all very long and wordy. Sentence length was not varied very often which made it monotonous. I had to keep reading the same sentence three times in a row to finally understand it. At the end I still didn’t feel that I should read more. It failed at doing its job. I felt to motivation to read whatsoever. It did have a lot of good facts and arguments. It talked about the decrease in literacy impacting the level of political awareness in our country. All of her facts and points were relevant and strong. However, I didn’t think it flowed well or appeal to me at all.
The other article “What Makes a Serial Killer?” by La Donna Beaty was more interesting to me. Perhaps this is because I am obsesses with CSI and have a fascination with criminal justice. Comparatively though, I thought this article was 100 times better. It was interesting and outlined the points of the argument well. I thought it was a clear example of the causal arguments. It clearly outlines the different causes that can produce the effect (becoming a serial killer). I thought that that the set up of the article was good as well. It first talked about the fact that serial killers are not new to our society. Then it moves on to talking about the progression of serial killers. I thought the author used good transitions. Next it talks about all of the different theories there are as to why these people kill. I thought the article was interesting and grabbed the attention of the reader.
The other article “What Makes a Serial Killer?” by La Donna Beaty was more interesting to me. Perhaps this is because I am obsesses with CSI and have a fascination with criminal justice. Comparatively though, I thought this article was 100 times better. It was interesting and outlined the points of the argument well. I thought it was a clear example of the causal arguments. It clearly outlines the different causes that can produce the effect (becoming a serial killer). I thought that that the set up of the article was good as well. It first talked about the fact that serial killers are not new to our society. Then it moves on to talking about the progression of serial killers. I thought the author used good transitions. Next it talks about all of the different theories there are as to why these people kill. I thought the article was interesting and grabbed the attention of the reader.
Blog 11- Chapter 9
The first reading for tonight “Why I Hate Brittany” by Nisey Williams was an argument that I agree with. I thought that it was a very powerful argument and that she was a very firm believer in this issue. She used a lot of forceful and blunt language and even the title suggests that the article will be frank. I thought that this was a good example of an evaluation. It is difficult to statistically pinpoint Brittany as the reason teenage girls are becoming more promiscuous. She makes an evaluation of the situation. The article was still able to make a good point, although this is somewhat out of date because now the influences fall more on Miley Cyrus and Rihanna. It convinced me that Brittany had a large influence over teenage girls who are easily impression. I thought that it went from point to point well and connected ideas smoothly. She brought up the nature of the MTV awards and how celebrities now perform scantily clad. She also made a good point talking about Avril Levine and how she is able to sell records without having to “sex it up” proving that these tactics are not necessary for those who are truly talented.
The second article “The Case against Coldplay” by Jon Pareles is a critic’s view on Coldplay. He truly detests this band and wants everyone to know it. He is not afraid to hurt anyone’s feelings and lays it all on the table withing the first few paragraphs. I thought that this article was a bit to brash for my liking. I am not a avid fan of Coldplay and probably wouldn’t be able to recognize a song of theirs if it came over the radio. However, I thought that the article was hasty and aggressive for no good reason. I realize that it is written by a New York Times music critic and I feel that sometimes critics, such as Pareles are mean because it is their job. It is easier to write a bad review than a good one. I didn’t think the article worked because, despite its well written nature and good analysis, it made me feel bad for Coldplay and regard Pareles as a Scrooge type character.
The second article “The Case against Coldplay” by Jon Pareles is a critic’s view on Coldplay. He truly detests this band and wants everyone to know it. He is not afraid to hurt anyone’s feelings and lays it all on the table withing the first few paragraphs. I thought that this article was a bit to brash for my liking. I am not a avid fan of Coldplay and probably wouldn’t be able to recognize a song of theirs if it came over the radio. However, I thought that the article was hasty and aggressive for no good reason. I realize that it is written by a New York Times music critic and I feel that sometimes critics, such as Pareles are mean because it is their job. It is easier to write a bad review than a good one. I didn’t think the article worked because, despite its well written nature and good analysis, it made me feel bad for Coldplay and regard Pareles as a Scrooge type character.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Chapter 8
I really enjoyed the first article “The Offbeat Allure of Cult Films.” I thought that it was a very good idea to interview young people, as the author, Sayoh Mansaray, did. It was very effective because the people she interviewed are the reasons why these movies, such as Napoleon Dynamite and Rocky Horror Picture Show, do so well. Interviewing teens is a good way to bring in a different perspective. Why not go straight to the source, instead of reading what professionals have to say about why so many teens are in love with these cult films. I also thought that Mansaray did a good job defining what a cult film is. If someone had not seen Napoleon Dynamite or Donny Darko, they might not understand what a cult film is. The author is able to define it well saying they are “quirky movies,” “off the beaten path,” and “nonmainstream films [that]… differ from other films in theaters… because they aren’t as clean and processed.” Mansaray also used story of Marshall, a young girl, throughout the entire article. I thought it was a good way to make the essay flow and bring it full circle.
The second article “Pink Think” by Lynn Peril also did a good job proving its point. I thought it was well outlined, using bullet points to make each argument clear. However, the article did appear quite bias. Peril sounds like a feminist who takes the rights of women and the negative effect of gender roles very seriously. She had many examples of how women are “oppressed” but failed to mention how women have progressed so much since she was born. She seemed to focus all on the negative things going on and none of the progress. The article did make a strong argument though. It appealed to the pathos, especially those of women. The article was very powerful for its somewhat short length as well. She also did well defining “pink think” as “a set of ideas and attitudes about what constitutes proper female behavior.” This was very important to her argument. Without this readers would have been very confused. Her specific definition allowed the article to be successful.
The second article “Pink Think” by Lynn Peril also did a good job proving its point. I thought it was well outlined, using bullet points to make each argument clear. However, the article did appear quite bias. Peril sounds like a feminist who takes the rights of women and the negative effect of gender roles very seriously. She had many examples of how women are “oppressed” but failed to mention how women have progressed so much since she was born. She seemed to focus all on the negative things going on and none of the progress. The article did make a strong argument though. It appealed to the pathos, especially those of women. The article was very powerful for its somewhat short length as well. She also did well defining “pink think” as “a set of ideas and attitudes about what constitutes proper female behavior.” This was very important to her argument. Without this readers would have been very confused. Her specific definition allowed the article to be successful.
Chapter 7
I thought that the sample argument “Abortion Distortions: Senators from both sides make false claims about Roe v. Wade” was a very strong argument. It really showed how important it is to use relevant and correct facts, especially if you are arguing such a controversial topic as abortion. I found it very interesting that senators would use information that was incorrect and expect to get away with it. I thought that the article did a good job addressing the issue. It pointed out that the information used to back a claim must be recent or at least relevant to the claim. Sen. Boxer used statistics from 1936 while Sen. Santorum simply used incorrect information. I understand that both wanted to use this to enhance their view on the issue, but they just went too far. It really brought the credibility of authoritative figures into question. I feel that I should now go over my research to make sure that it is all relevant and up to date. I also want to check were my sources got their statistics so that I do not blindly trust them. I also thought this article outlined their point well so that it was easy to follow. Their presentation of evidence was very good and made it enjoyable to read.
I thought the other article “The Psychological Experience of Security Officers Who Work with Executions” worked well also. It didn’t outline as well as the previous article. I liked how the “abortion distortion” article put bold heading so that its points were clear. It was a very interesting topic and if flowed together well. I liked it because it followed the story of what they did. It was in chronological order. First they talked about what happened in the interview. Then they spoke of how after the interview they classified the subjects and so on. They took us through what they did and I thought that was a good tactic. However at times it got jumpy. Altogether though I thought it was a strong argument.
I thought the other article “The Psychological Experience of Security Officers Who Work with Executions” worked well also. It didn’t outline as well as the previous article. I liked how the “abortion distortion” article put bold heading so that its points were clear. It was a very interesting topic and if flowed together well. I liked it because it followed the story of what they did. It was in chronological order. First they talked about what happened in the interview. Then they spoke of how after the interview they classified the subjects and so on. They took us through what they did and I thought that was a good tactic. However at times it got jumpy. Altogether though I thought it was a strong argument.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Sources
Sources are obviously important because they are where you get your information from. They need to be credible and trustworthy, or they should be used with caution or awareness to bias. Of course they should be relevant to your topic and have an author that is knowledgeable on the subject. You should also look at what audience the source is geared towards and how current it is.
The sources that I have found so far are newspaper articles. They are mostly circulated only within the state of North Carolina. Star News, which reports often on the NC film incentive, is even local to Wilmington. Most of the articles I have been looking, I have found because of twitter. The small local production company, Southern Gothic Productions, often posts articles about the incentive on their twitter page. They have been very interested and active in getting it raised. They have been a very useful source. They have also blogged on the topic and can be used as a credible source because they are in the film industry and know a lot about it. I also have some online newspaper articles from national newspapers simply reporting on the film industry and where most filmmakers want to shoot their movies.
Since there was recently a law passed raising the incentive from fifteen to twenty five percent, I have to look at the law book, which is in the library. The new film bill is Senate Bill 943 and took effect January 1st, 2009. I have also found a brochure put out by the North Carolina Film Office, located in Raleigh. It describes in full detail what the differences are between the old and the new bill. It also offers a FAQ section that is very helpful and makes it much more understandable for those who do not understand complex legal terminology.
The sources that I have found so far are newspaper articles. They are mostly circulated only within the state of North Carolina. Star News, which reports often on the NC film incentive, is even local to Wilmington. Most of the articles I have been looking, I have found because of twitter. The small local production company, Southern Gothic Productions, often posts articles about the incentive on their twitter page. They have been very interested and active in getting it raised. They have been a very useful source. They have also blogged on the topic and can be used as a credible source because they are in the film industry and know a lot about it. I also have some online newspaper articles from national newspapers simply reporting on the film industry and where most filmmakers want to shoot their movies.
Since there was recently a law passed raising the incentive from fifteen to twenty five percent, I have to look at the law book, which is in the library. The new film bill is Senate Bill 943 and took effect January 1st, 2009. I have also found a brochure put out by the North Carolina Film Office, located in Raleigh. It describes in full detail what the differences are between the old and the new bill. It also offers a FAQ section that is very helpful and makes it much more understandable for those who do not understand complex legal terminology.
Structuring Arguments
Tonight’s reading was about how to structure an argument. It is very important that an argument is well composed and arranged. There may be many different ways to successfully argue a point. However, there are more ways to structure and argument unsuccessfully. In order to avoid this there are several things that can be done. The textbook we are using outlines the Toulmin Argument. It is only one of the various ways to put together an argument, but it is one that works well.
I really do believe that there are ways to make an argument flow well and stir emotions of others. There is a grace about the way some arguments, such as the Declaration of Independence, that are moving and genuinely make you believe in the cause. I had to peer edit a great amount of research papers for my senior thesis. I was definitely able to tell who put time into planning out how to lay out their argument most effectively and who threw everything together, sometimes haphazardly. I agreed with almost all the book had to say.
I also enjoyed reading about the Toulmin Argument. I thought it was a helpful tool that can be used as a reference when writing a research paper. I have never had a specific outline for an argument such as this. I find it very useful to have because it gives structure to what I want to say. At first it confused me a bit. I didn’t quite understand the difference between the reason and the warrant. After looking closer, I was able to grasp the concept. I feel like I am a very structured person and I like to have a formula for what I am doing- something definite and concrete. I thought that the Toulmin Argument provided this. It also gives you a way to make your argument stronger. If one of the components are lacking, you know what to fix or find that will help your argument. On top of that, it is a way to judge or dismiss other arguments that do not have all the qualifications.
I really do believe that there are ways to make an argument flow well and stir emotions of others. There is a grace about the way some arguments, such as the Declaration of Independence, that are moving and genuinely make you believe in the cause. I had to peer edit a great amount of research papers for my senior thesis. I was definitely able to tell who put time into planning out how to lay out their argument most effectively and who threw everything together, sometimes haphazardly. I agreed with almost all the book had to say.
I also enjoyed reading about the Toulmin Argument. I thought it was a helpful tool that can be used as a reference when writing a research paper. I have never had a specific outline for an argument such as this. I find it very useful to have because it gives structure to what I want to say. At first it confused me a bit. I didn’t quite understand the difference between the reason and the warrant. After looking closer, I was able to grasp the concept. I feel like I am a very structured person and I like to have a formula for what I am doing- something definite and concrete. I thought that the Toulmin Argument provided this. It also gives you a way to make your argument stronger. If one of the components are lacking, you know what to fix or find that will help your argument. On top of that, it is a way to judge or dismiss other arguments that do not have all the qualifications.
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