TOW #13- Uncle Sam

          In a political cartoon created by Jeff Parker of Florida Today, a unequal balance of power and wealth is represented through symbols, mockery, and juxtaposition of the United States and a third world country. Uncle Sam, a well-known symbol and representative of America, is placed directly next to an obviously poorer group of individuals, indicating a comparison of two distinctly different countries. The enormous size of Uncle Sam as compared to the frail, hungry others represents the significant gap of power between them. 

          The culturally recognizable figure of Uncle Sam, well-groomed and dressed in fancy clothing, stands out among the rest of the components in the cartoon. When paying closer attention to the words being spoken from each side, Parker addresses the problem of obesity in America, an issue that third world countries will never be faced with because they are less fortunate and face malnutrition on a daily basis. The juxtaposition of America's supreme wealth and power, and the state of the third world country, pokes fun at the fact that obesity is taking over a large population of Americans, while others around the world are struggling to stay alive. It appeals to pathos, causing the audience, especially Americans, to consider how silly it is that obesity is an issue in America. This encourages viewers to pay more attention to the state of third world countries, and opens them up to a more mature perspective that they otherwise might have been too self-consumed to recognize. 

          This metaphorical comparison, through the usage of symbols, mockery, and juxtaposition clearly expresses the differences between America and third world countries. These differences, unrecognizable by many Americans themselves, are extremely prevalent in the lives of impoverished minorities. Jeff Parker is able to cleverly expose the ignorant side of America in this cartoon, further exemplifying the fact that the United States has much less to worry about than they think. 

TOW #12- IRB #2 First Half

          In the first half of my IRB, She Said Yes, the deep sorrow and heartbreak of Misty Bernall, mother of slain Columbine shooting victim Cassie Bernall, is intensely expressed. Waiting anxiously for her daughter to return home after hearing of the devastating news at the school, Misty questions whether or not Cassie is alive. Her sad yet insightful tone allows the audience to peer into the story of Columbine from a first person subjective point-of-view, making Cassie's encounter with the gunmen and Misty's extreme regret evermore real. With access to Cassie's private notes and by connecting with several of her close friends, Misty is able to put together the story piece by piece, learning to cope with it as she goes. She quickly realizes the truth behind Cassie's strange and satanic behavior prior to the school massacre, and is left with nothing more than a sense of remorse for not being able to fix any of it. She continues to try to understand what caused the gunmen to target her daughter, and specifically what she said that triggered the gunshots. This search for all the answers becomes a major part of the story, on top of explaining the emotional effects of the event and major changes that occurred in Columbine, Colorado.
          Throughout the memoir so far, Misty's somber tone appeals largely to pathos, causing the audience to experience the devastating sequence of events side by side with the desperate mother. It causes every word to seem a hundred times more realistic; making each new update on the shooting super shocking, even though I already know what the end result of the attack was. Cassie's battle with religious identification plays a significant role in the direction that Misty focuses her writing, and leads the audience to assume that her struggle between belief in Satan or God is a large contributor towards her death. Misty is able to add suspense to the story and explain the Columbine massacre in an entirely new light; one that even the most knowledgable on the event were not able to discover. This ability changes the impression of Misty's writing, making me at times forget that I am reading a nonfictional piece. I hope to uncover more behind Cassie's story leading up to her death, and see if her mother is able to come to terms with the murder of her innocent, conflicted teenage daughter.

TOW #11- Immigration Policy

The issue over immigration policy in the United States had been a topic hotly debated for years. Some may have their arms wide open, while others do not hesitate for a second to shut out those in need. In Clay Bennett’s 2011 cartoon, featured in the Chattanooga Times Free Press, this ongoing argument is exemplified through the incorporation of a mixed message based on contrasting opinions within a doormat.
             Written on the doormat in plain English are the words “Immigration Policy,” and protruding from the top of it are nails that spell out “Welcome.” Due to the two different opinions being expressed through both English and the nails, the audience is left to perceive the true meaning behind this cartoon. While the English provides American viewers with the topic of the visual, the construction of the word “Welcome” influences them to consider whether or not the United States is truly a welcoming country. Depending on the speaker, whether it be agricultural industries that welcome immigrants, or labor unions that discourage immigrants, the mixed message can be interpreted either way.
             This ability to include both sides demonstrates the flexibility of Bennett’s cartoon, proving his ability to propose two different viewpoints while remaining neutral to the topic at hand. He is not trying to persuade his audience of anything, he is simply allowing them to compose their own opinion and decide which side they associate themselves with in regards to immigration policy. He discovers a way to include two different voices into a singular word, solely based on the way in which the word is presented. In the end, Bennett is still clearly able to expose the contrasting views on immigration policy in America.

   

TOW #10- Syrian Refugees

        Americans are constantly being swayed by their own fears. These fears are often at times over-exaggerated, in order for the country to shield themselves from any potential harm. Recently in America, Barack Obama has declared the acceptance of Syrian refugees fleeing from the Islamic States (ISIS), sparking the frantic and conflicting opinions of many. In Jay Inslee's article, Why My State Won't Close Its Door to Syrian Refugees, the Washington governor exposes that America's foundation as a beacon of hope for others in time of need is being threatened by probable terror. He achieves this through usage of historical allusions, expository language, and anecdotes.
        In order to show how the change of heart of many Americans is unjustified, Inslee provides several examples of instances in which America has opened their arms to struggling people in the past. "Today we welcome refugees from Afghanistan, Iraq, and Somalia. In 2014, more than 2,800 refugees from countless countries arrived in Washington, and no one demanded we send them back to where they came from" (par 9). For many years, allowing others to find safety in this country has been an honorable ability, and has provided positive outcomes, but now all of a sudden there are growing concerns among the public.
        Inslee addresses these concerns with expository language that appeals to pathos. "It is disheartening to see how easily people turn their backs on human suffering- even more so when the ones turning their backs are those who were chosen to lead" (10). This statement uncovers the negative and unprecedented actions of those who immediately turn against helping others, and causes the audience to feel anger towards these leaders and sorrow towards those who are suffering. The arousal of these emotions persuades citizens to take note of how rapidly this controversy is growing, and desire to prevent those that are against accepting the refugees. 
       Personal anecdotes also establish Inslee's credibility as a writer, making his claims against these recent behaviors even stronger. "My home is on Bainbridge Island...the first place in the nation where Japanese-Americans were subjected to President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Civilian Exclusion Orders. These Washingtonians were marched to the docks by soldiers and sent to internment camps" (11). Clearly he holds a specific experience close to heart, which successfully expresses why he feels as though American citizens must not turn away.
        Americans look back on certain moments of their past and feel regret. This is why Inslee believes it is critical for the country to continue to be welcoming to all, and not jump to conclusions and shut the door on them without reason. Through the incorporation of historical allusions, expository language, and anecdotes, he reveals the disloyalty that is being expressed towards the iconic label as a "Land of Opportunity". "The blame for those acts should be with the radicals who committed them, not any religion, race or country of origin" (16). America must step away from these common assumptions and reconsider who the real threats are.

Inslee, Jay. "Why My State Won’t Close Its Doors to Syrian Refugees." The New York Times. The New York Times, 20 Nov. 2015. Web. 22 Nov. 2015.

TOW #9- The Undress Code

        In Bonnie Tsui's article, The Undress Code, she reveals her past experiences as a victim of the disturbing situation between the clothes that women wear and the resulting reactions of men. As a current New York Times opinionist and successful author, Tsui has formed a variety of different relationships with coworkers in her past professions. Among them all is one particular man, who after seeing Tsui in a sweater with holes, paid her an uncomfortable amount of attention. Even after graduating college, getting engaged, and stabilizing her writing career, this man continued to follow Tsui's work and desperately tried to stay in contact with her. It amounted to an extremely creepy level, and made Tsui question why she was haunted by this man, simply based on the clothes she used to wear when they worked together.
        She addresses these annoyances with several rhetorical questions in her article, clearly representing how the reoccurrences of this man negatively affected her life. In paragraph 3 she writes, "Did I do something to encourage these advances? Was I being too harsh, and was he actually offering to help me? Then why did it feel so unsettling and not quite right?" This clearly exemplifies the unease that she felt during this period of her life, and allows for the audience to put themselves in her shoes and attempt to answer these questions themselves.
        At the end of the article she comes to a startling conclusion that the man had actually taught her a life lesson; "What a women wears can be used as a weapon against her." Through the repetition of the phrase "Nothing happened" in the final paragraphs, the audience is left to consider whether or not something actually did happened. Although she wasn't physically harmed or disabled by him, he left her with invisible marks that altered the way she viewed herself and other women around her. He forever changed her state of mind, although he did not hinder her strength. This ongoing, difficult relationship made her realize how important it is for women to defend themselves and stand up against the dominating nature of men.


Tsui, Bonnie. "The Undress Code." Opinionator The Undress Code Comments. The New York Times, 12 Nov. 2015. Web. 13 Nov. 2015.

IRB #2 Intro

For my second IRB of the year, I have chosen to read She Said Yes. This memoir, written through the eyes of Misty Bernall, focuses around the death of her daughter Cassie Bernall, a student at Columbine High School. As a prominent event in American history, the Columbine shootings marked a major change in the ways in which society viewed teens and the protections that should be placed on weapons. This book attracted me based on the fact that I already have slide knowledge of this event, but I am interested in learning more about it from a closer source. I think that this story will be incredibly powerful and moving, since it revolves around the death of a very special girl and the courage that she had against two dangerous shooters. This book received the 2000 Christopher Award and several complimentary reviews from a variety of companies, such as New York Post and People Magazine. I am curious to begin this book and unravel more information on exactly what happened during the Columbine High School massacre.

TOW #8- IRB #1 Second Half

          In the second half of the memoir, Hole in my Life, written by Jack Gantos, his true passion for writing and a desire to turn his life around is finally revealed. Peering through the bars of his prison cell, Gantos witnesses countless acts of violence that alter his life forever. These experiences, recorded between the lines of a book found in the jail library, cause him to severely miss the way his life once was. Prior to his drug incident and admittance behind bars, Gantos constantly struggled to find inspiration for his writing. Sadly, it was not until he began living face to face with hardcore criminals that he realized he had been surrounded by positive influences his entire childhood, if only he had taken the time to recognize sooner. After the end of his sentence, Gantos is free to leave and explore ways to improve himself, but disastrously discovers that the journal he has written in for the past several years is unable to come along with him. Despite this setback he still manages to attend college, and never again does he face the temptations of returning back to dealing illegal marijuana. He now fully understands his importance and role in life, and from that moment forward focuses all of his heart and energy into writing stories of his past for young teens. Primarily in hopes that they will follow the right path in their lives, and if not, be able to recognize and recover from their mistakes.

         Present throughout this story is the inclusion of irony, in which Gantos compares two different versions of himself- pre-jail and post-jail. During transition into his new life, he is hired as a Christmas tree delivery guy. “The last job I had in New York was pushing a shopping cart full of drugs down the streets to people’s apartments. Now I was pushing a shopping cart with a Christmas tree on it” (Gantos 198). This ironic situation represents how contrasting Gantos’ new life is to his old one, and satisfies the audience by allowing them to see his improvement. Also, Gantos utilizes short and direct sentence structure in order to add emphasis to each individual word. For example he writes, “The receptionist shrugged. He couldn’t care less. I looked into the lobby. There were two agents. It was sentencing day, and they didn’t want to lose me” (Gantos 140). This causes the audience to add immediate pauses between sentences and pay closer attention to the events at hand, ultimately adding more support to his overall message. Gantos wants to make it clear to all young members of society that critical decision-making is a crucial part of leading a successful, prison-free life. 

TOW #7- Stressful Workplace, Shorter Lives

        Work can be extremely stressful and challenging, especially when it involves maintaining two or more jobs in order to sustain the lives of a growing family. According to a recent study conducted by researchers at Stanford and Harvard, work reduces life expectancy. This tragic result originates from the educational achievement of an individual, “because the lower someone’s level of education, the greater the exposure to work-related stress from unemployment, layoffs, job insecurity, and lack of health insurance” (par 2). Although longevity varies depending on gender, race, and background, this study calculated that between a “10 to 38 percent difference in life expectancy across demographic groups can be explained by differing levels of stress on the job” (5).  This is a growing and startling statistic for all American citizens, both employed and unemployed alike.  
        Teresa Tritch, a New York Times editor and blogger, believes that in order to rid of this threatening outcome, several necessary measures must be taken. These include the establishment of a higher minimum wage, fair and even scheduling laws, and healthier workplaces. Through the usage of two different rhetorical devices in the form of questions, Tritch accomplishes her purpose of announcing that more action must be taken against the rising level of stress among workers in order for them to maintain long and prosperous lives. Starting her essay off with hypophora, she addresses American citizens by asking them several questions and posing possible scenarios. For example she writes, “What if work-related stress is chronic, as is the case for working parents whose employers do not offer regular schedules, sick days or other company benefits?” (1).  Shortly following, she addresses this question by explaining the effects that work stress has on life spans, and the many contributing factors to this issue. Then, with a rhetorical question, Tritch concludes her essay by proposing one final thought to the audience. “A more important question is how many people will die too soon before policymakers take corrective action?” (7).
        Both the usage of hypophora and rhetorical questions allow for Tritch to interact with her audience, and give them the opportunity to consider what a large number of citizens experience on a daily basis. She also raises alarm within the country, by forcing people to wonder just how many more deaths will occur until the government finally takes notice. This is her way of spreading the alarming news to the public, because the only way a change will occur is if large amounts of people know and speak up about it.

Tritch, Teresa. "Stressful Workplaces, Shorter Lives." Taking Note Stressful Workplaces Shorter Lives Comments. New York Times, 22 Oct. 2015. Web. 25 Oct. 2015.

TOW #6- When Prisoners Are Patients

            The act of providing menacing prisoners with free health care and hospital treatment when nearing death has been a hot debate for years. It seems incredibly ridiculous to give someone, who is treated so inhumanely in prison for their past actions, the treatment that less fortunate Americans are too poor to receive. Theresa Brown, a clinical nurse in Pennsylvania who has a variety of experiences working with felons, has constantly been stuck between sides on this issue. She regularly finds herself in situations of doubt and confusion, wondering how she should treat criminal patients and perhaps if she should be treating them at all.   
            As enforced by law, her role in the hospital as a nurse is to not question these types of patients of their history, or reason behind being in jail, as it could affect her ability and willingness to keep them alive. This can be extremely hard at times, as information is so readily available on the internet that the solution to nagging curiosity is only a click away. At the end of the day, however, Brown believes that it is her duty to care for everyone, including criminals, with their best interests at heart. Regardless of the backgrounds of others, if she is at work in the hospital these detestable criminals become important patients that need her help to survive.
            This entire article reflects the irony of prison and may seem morally objectionable to many. Millions of wonderful people across the globe are unable to receive treatment for their illnesses and conditions, whereas the lowest of the low are provided it for free without any questions. It would be expected for this scenario to be flipped around entirely, however sadly it is not. Brown stresses the fact that “if we give needed, accessible care to the most despised and potentially violent among us, surely we can try a little harder to provide it for all” (par 11). It is the passionate and clear tone that Brown uses that causes the American public to deeply consider this issue on a broader level. She encourages the idea of available health care for all, by denouncing the provided care that criminals are so unjustifiably handed, and truly showing society how much work this area of specialty needs.

Brown, Theresa. "When Prisoners Are Patients." The New York Times. The New York Times Company, 3 Jan. 2015. Web. 14 Oct. 2015.                         

TOW #5- Boycott SeaWorld

In an advertisement funded by PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, a pregnant 36-year-old supermodel named Marisa Miller poses to support the removal of SeaWorld. Known by many, SeaWorld is an organization that maintains countless theme parks around the nation in order to showcase killer whales and dolphins as entertainment for the American public. Within the past few years however, SeaWorld has drastically lost their fame and is now a corporation that is shunned by many. Countless cases of animal abuse, and the obvious evidence of unhappy whales and attacks on trainers, exemplify the pure mistreatment these majestic animals receive each and every day, and PETA is trying to put a stop to it. 

Joining forces with Marisa Miller, PETA created an advertisement to broadcast their feelings against SeaWorld and specifically target mothers and families to boycott the company. By clearly placing the word “SeaWorld” at the top center of the image, and adding their own derogatory twist to the definition, PETA reveals what really goes on behind the scenes. Each year innocent killer whales are ripped from their natural habitats and families to be placed in tanks and forced to perform tricks in front of large audiences. This may not seem like a big deal for many, but when put into the perspective of humans, and directly compared to events that could occur in our own lives, it makes the situation look a lot worse. No mother or family would want their child taken away from them, and that is exactly what PETA is trying to get the nation to understand. 

This type of targeting behavior and mood displayed by the advertisement appeals to ethos, and causes the audience to feel upset and motivated to make a difference. PETA achieves their purpose of raising awareness for the animal abuse and neglect that occurs at SeaWorld by inflicting this emotion. The only way a significant change could occur is if the general public gets involved, and shares their feelings towards the situation so that the company can be shut down entirely. The effective appeal to ethos and tragic mood that this advertisement displays truly pulls at the heartstrings of all Americans, specifically mothers and families.

TOW #4- IRB #1 First Half

      In the first half of my IRB #1, Hole in my Life by Jack Gantos, the beginning immediately starts off with the main character behind bars at the young age of twenty-one. Gantos, who is a prosperous writer, primarily of children and teen novels, is telling this memoir from his own first-hand experiences, which immediately establishes the credibility of the story. It highlights how his love and passion for writing was still able to thrive throughout his six-year sentence in jail, and how his experiences in prison opened his eyes to what truly matters in life.
      Following the introduction of the serious and twisted setting, the audience is thrown back in time to the events leading up to Gantos’ conviction, in which his troubled youth and rebellious behavior is deeply explained. He starts off as a successful high school student, but once his family moves to the Virgin Islands, leaving Gantos alone in Florida, he is unable to fend for himself. In attempts to meet back up with his family he travels to the Islands, but quickly falls into the wrong crowd and begins abusing drugs, specifically marijuana. This causes him to be rapidly thrown away from his family, studies, and interest in writing. The continuous lack of focus and constant partying that he displays gradually leaves him alone on the streets, and after countless drug exchanges Gantos eventually reaches his ultimate low. Tim, one of his closest friends and reason behind his drug usage, convinces Gantos to assist him in shipping two thousand pounds of marijuana to New York from their home in St. Croix. Upon approaching the middle of the story, their plan is then busted and Gantos is thrown into jail. The plot later returns to his jail cell, which the story initially began with, and explains how his exposure to this new environment has motivated him to get back into writing and whip himself back into the correct mindset.
      Countless rhetorical devices can be observed in the first half of Hole in My Life, such as the usage of foreshadowing and metaphors. On page 7, when Gantos’ father says, “These folks zigged when the world zagged. And once you cross that line, there’s no coming back. Mark my words," it is hinted to the audience that Gantos is going to lose his sense of self at some point later in the story, and that his neglect towards following his father’s advice is one of the reasons why. Also, metaphors such as, “The ship was a strange floating cell”, on page 80, help describe how trapped in Gantos and the crew felt when they went on their drug route to New York. They weren’t physically locked in a cell, but the limited ability for them to go anywhere and escape the sameness that they were surrounded by each day created insanity. Overall, these devices help Gantos get his message across clearer, and give the plot more support towards setting up his existence behind bars.

TOW #3- Self-Destruction

In a short memoir extract titled, "My Father, The Smoker" written by John Jeremiah Sullivan, author of Blood Horses and credited contributor to the New York Times, a son retells the experiences of his self-destructive father and the difficulty of change. Primarily addressed to “anyone with a mother or father who possesses fatalistic habits”, Sullivan looks back on the negative lifestyle decisions of his father leading up to his premature death, and the struggles that it placed on his entire family as a result. The father’s countless failed attempts at putting an end to his chain-smoking, excessive drinking, overeating, and negligence towards the advice of his loved ones placed a special torture on not only himself, but all those around him. Sullivan, along with his siblings and mother, slowly watched as the man in their lives withered away, and to this day he still feels the regret of not being there for his last few minutes of life.

Through the usage of personification and imagery, Sullivan achieves his purpose of reminiscing on older times with his father, while also educating readers on the important of good health. He personifies the bad habits as such an enormous takeover that they almost seemed to “squeeze him out of the room” and separate the family altogether. Sullivan also vividly describes the still-clear visions he has of his father’s “yellowed skin on his middle and index fingers on his left hand, or the way the hairs of his reddish brown mustache would brush the filter of the cigarette as he drew it in to inhale.” These bad actions were daily mannerisms that Sullivan was forced to live around, and as much as he tried to plead and confront his father the addictions seemed to never go away. They had turned a once happy and fit man into a monster, and in the end his sharp death came down to pure weakness and reluctance to make a difference. The raw emotion and description demonstrated throughout the entire piece clearly represents the importance of Sullivan's relationship with his father, and further extends his sharp feelings against self-destruction.

"My Father, the Smoker." Stopaddiction.firstrus.com. Guardian News, 2 Mar. 2013. Web. 24 Sept. 2015.

TOW #2- Oppression of Women

     Created by professional cartoonist Malcolm Evans, this image depicts two different viewpoints on women from entirely different cultures and backgrounds. On the left side, is an American or European woman wearing a bikini, and on the right side is a Muslim woman wearing a burka. Not only does this cartoon compare and contrast the appearances of either women, but it also shows the clash between Western and Islamic views on feminism and women's rights. Both are thinking the same thing about each other, but in contrasting and slightly altered ways. This makes the audience, whether they are American, European, or Muslim, deeply consider what the true meaning of a "cruel male-dominated culture" is. Depending on where certain people live in the world, they will obviously have opposing viewpoints on other cultures and how women are treated in those societies. These views are primarily based on common prejudices, but also incorporate personal experiences.

     Females are oppressed in many ways, some more subtle than others. In the west, women are constantly objectified and sexually victimized by men because of their bodies. Yet in Muslim cultures, women face just as much violence and oppression and are forced to cover up their bodies for religious and controversial reasons. This clearly shows that regardless of location, women are subjected to negative attention and treatment. The juxtaposition of these two figures allow for the differing ideas and opinions to be exposed side by side. Evans successfully achieves his purpose of contrasting the two women and their cultures by placing them directly next to each other so that the audience can clearly see the differences at first glance. With deeper evaluation the audience can then understand that the message goes beyond just their appearances, and shows how views on female oppression can vary. 

TOW #1- Helping a Suicide When the End Isn't Near

      A New York Times opinionated article, titled, Helping a Suicide When the End Isn't Near, with pieces from both Mark Kleiman and Ira Byock, shares the idea of whether or not assisted suicide should be legal in the United States. Kleiman, who believes that laws preventing these actions must be removed, is a prestigious American professor at the UCLA School of Public Affairs, while Byock, who is entirely against any changes, is a physician that specializes in palliative care. Both authors have strong opposing viewpoints, and find the other to be highly unethical. Directed towards American adults, Kleiman addresses his belief that "laws preventing people who need help in dying- because they are physically or psychologically incapable of carrying out the task themselves- from getting that help" must be erased. Prolonging the lives of suffering humans is only making their pain worse, and by incorporating pathos into this document Kleiman is able to have a sense of control over his audience's emotions and cause them to feel sorrow for these patients. This further extends his argument and promotes his vision towards removing laws in order to allow death as a form of relief for struggling, ill patients.
      On the opposing side, Byock denounces Kleiman and states that "intentionally ending another person's life remains wrong." He believes that the concept is entirely too closely related to euthanasia and will always be immoral. He poses several rhetorical questions towards the audience, such as, "Would we approve of a doctor giving a lethal injection to an elderly woman who was simply tired of living? A women with constant ringing in her ears? A person who is chronically depressed?" These directly force the audience to consider their own viewpoint on the subject, as well as consider the contrasting sides of both authors. The purpose of urging the audience to consider the possibilities of either permitting or not permitting assisted suicide is clearly being demonstrated in this article through the usage of pathos and rhetorical questions.


Kleiman, Mark A. R., and Ira Byock. "Helping a Suicide When the End Isn't Near." The New York Times. The New York Times, 09 Sept. 2015. Web. 10 Sept. 2015.

IRB #1 Intro

For my first IRB of the year, I have chosen to read Hole in my Life, by Jack Gantos. This story initially grabbed my attention due to the fact that it is a memoir, and focuses around real and extremely unique life experiences written through the eyes of Gantos himself. At the time of this book, in 1971, Gantos was finishing up his last year of high school, and searching for ways in which to pursue his hobbies and aspirations. I feel as though this storyline and his journey will enable me to easily connect with the book. I am beginning to search for the correct direction for my future as well, and think that it can set as a model for the types of decisions that I should and should not make. After scanning several reviews and book summaries I am highly interested in starting this book and seeing how the plot unravels. It has been awarded as a Robert F. Sibert Honor Book and is highly credited by many readers. I have a strong belief that I will thoroughly enjoy reading a Hole in my Life and look forward to writing more about it.

The Lives of a Cell by Lewis Thomas

The Lives of a Cell, by American physician and essayist Lewis Thomas, is an informational and clarifying piece of work that explains the interdependence of living things. Lewis Thomas is known most for his contributions to biology through countless essays and writings that educate and allow for readers to understand difficult scientific theories, such as the topic covered in this essay. Beginning on page 358, Thomas writes about the vast yet simple Planet Earth, and starts by describing the individual importance of a cell and all of its miniature components. He emphasizes the fact that each organelle within a cell has its own purpose and role, and that they depend on each other in order to function properly as a whole.

Thomas also relates the importance of cells in humans to their equally significant role in plants. Using personification he covers the theory of evolution and how viruses in all living objects, “from plant to insect to mammal to me and back again” are “passing around heredity as though at a great party” (360). Towards the end of the essay Thomas struggles to figure out exactly what our planet is most like. He presents this question to the audience in a form of a hypophora and later comes to the mind-blowing realization that the Earth is just like one single, simple cell. Every little mechanism and element on the Earth helps contribute to its enormity and complexity.
            By comparing the intricate idea of Earth to a minuscule cell, Thomas is able to achieve the purpose of educating his audience. He provides a way for them to easily wrap their minds around a challenging subject and increase their understanding of the world. It is incredibly important to obtain as much knowledge on life as possible, and with the help of expert scientists like Lewis Thomas readers have the ability to gain this priceless information.

This picture represents how the Earth is just like one big cell. 

(http://magazine.jhsph.edu/2007/Spring/features/dna/)

The Figure a Poem Makes by Robert Frost

 In The Figure a Poem Makes, written by Robert Frost, the topic of poetry and its diversity as a form of literature is addressed. Frost, who is one of the most widely read and adored American poets of all time, strongly believed that there was no specific and singular way in which a poem could be expressed. To him it was the beauty behind having variety and an endless amount of different options to choose from that mattered most. Each poem has its own character and wildness to it and does not need to follow any strict rules or resemble the way that others are written. Nevertheless each poem should “begin in delight and end in wisdom,” and enlightened its readers with information that makes them think hard and reconsider certain aspects of their lives (177).

Frost wanted the world to know that poetry is an art form, and that the originality of words and phrases strung together should have the freedom to “move about and establish relations regardless of time and space” (177). He educated his audiences in this essay with the knowledge that he gathered through his experiences at several prestigious universities, such as Harvard and Dartmouth, while still managing to incorporate his own special style. In his conclusion he ends with a simile that further enhances the image of poetry by stating that even if you “read it a hundred times; it will forever keep its freshness as a metal keeps its fragrance” (178). This form of rhetoric encourages the audience to respect poetry and always acknowledge the meaning behind every message. Frost accomplished his goal of informing why he believed that individuality is essential in poetry and made it clear that one of the greatest triumphs that any writer could have is to accurately express their emotions through words.

This cartoon demonstrates that people who follow the "rules" of poetry and don't take risks or add variety to their writing will be the ones who suffer in the long run.

(https://s3.amazonaws.com/lowres.cartoonstock.com/business-commerce-rules-breaking_the_rules-playing_by_the_rules-begs-begger-hsc3245_low.jpg) 

Knoxville: Summer of 1915 by James Agee

In this essay, James Agee writes about childhood experiences during a hot summer in Knoxville, Tennessee. He goes through his entire evening, paying close attention to every single smell, sound, sight, and touch as the dark night creeps closer. Agee’s incredible imagery, paired with alliteration and similes, allow readers to feel like they are viewing these images and actions through their own eyes. This is a common skill demonstrated throughout Agee’s work, as he is well known for his poetry and film critics in which he writes “as a fellow viewer rather than as an insider with superior opinions” (James Agee | Biography). He feels comfort in ensuring that his audience is able to connect to his writing and be engulfed by it, as opposed to just simply reading words off a page.

It is evident that summer nights like these are important to Agee, and are where he gathered a majority of his memories as a child. He clearly was able to appreciate life around him as it passed by, and discovered that the simplest things, such as even the noises and movements of a garden hose, could have beauty. The words that Agee used, for example when he said the wide and alive stars are “like a smile of great sweetness,” or the dewy grass that was “low on the length of lawns, a frailing of fire who breathes,” seemed to make their own music (174). He was able to understand countless things about the world and his family through observation, however, towards the end of the essay later expresses that the one thing he does not think he will ever be able to understand is himself.

The desire to peer deeply into the lives of others is fueled by Agee’s struggle for self-discovery, and he accomplishes this purpose and cry for help by making himself blend in. Agee grew up in Tennessee “successfully disguised as a child” among all of his older family members (171). The only time he felt significant was when he concentrated his attention on the objects around him, and this was demonstrated through well-crafted sentences that make the audience believe they were experiencing their own type of summer night in Knoxville.  

"James Agee | Biography - American Author." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, 4 June 2015. Web. 20 Aug. 2015.

This picture represents Agee's ability to appreciate the little things in life due to the fact that he is very observant, and how it allows him to understand the world around him better. 

(https://www.pinterest.com/jenpelt/the-final-frontier/)