IRB Intro #3

        For my third IRB of the year I have chosen to read Brain on Fire- My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan. This award-winning memoir and #1 New York Times Bestseller uncovers the medical mystery of twenty-four-year-old Cahalan, who loses her memory and wakes up on a hospital bed with no recollection of the past. Her busy, suburban lifestyle as a New York newspaper writer is thrown violently behind her, and she is left to mend all her past relationships and attempt to rebuild her life one step at a time. Doctor after doctor is placed upon the task of her diagnosis, but nothing seems to be accurate, and the madness only grows with each passing day. Through an exploration of her identity, faith, dreams, and desires, Cahalan tells her story of the scariest moments of her life and describes the true strength and perseverance it took to overcome them.

TOW #16- Truly Scary Halloween Costumes

        The cartoon titled, Nightmare Material, by A Zillion Dollars Comics, depicts the cruel reality of the world's current and most pressing issues- global warming, national debt, and overpopulation. Directly mocking the traditions of the popular holiday, Halloween, and the silly costumes that many people around the world wear, this cartoonist takes the title of "scary" to an entirely new level. Through the usage of comparison by mockery of human behaviors and supposed "fears", the actuality of the extremes of today's global issues is explored through a creative and humorous way.
        "Truly Scary Halloween Costumes", the title states, poking direct fun at the costumes that many wear on Halloween to either incite fear or laughs among their peers. No longer are zombies or skeletons the most frightening attire, instead they are replaced by much more serious concepts. Global warming, the cause for rapidly growing climate changes and ultimate destruction of natural beauty around the world, joined by the overpowering and ever increasing global debt, and the peaking of global population (now over 7 billion), are a greater means of fear than any dinky little store-bought costume. Many do not take into the consideration the severity of these issues, which is why cartoonists like A Zillion Dollars Comics, play a large role in spreading awareness.
        This image calls for a great amount of attention, and the mockery of human behavior and supposed "fears"in regards to Halloween sends a greater message towards the public, ultimately opening their eyes up to the greater issues of the world. Halloween is a holiday for both celebration and superstition- combined with loads of candy and hyper children, it is a favorite of many. But what is truly scarier... a little girl in a witch costume or the fact that our planet's resources will soon be unable to keep us all alive and well? The choice is yours.

TOW #15- First World Problems

        Left with a difficult realization damaging the creativity and willingness of his clients, New York Times writer Joseph Burgo is left with the task of digging beneath a recently popularized expression, "first world problems." This saying is often referred to mock problems of wealthy, industrialized nations that would cause extreme exasperation from third world countries, but it has become evident that deeper reasons are present underneath. Through the usage of numerous anecdotes from the workplace, and intense inspection of his client's behaviors, Burgo discovers that the reluctance behind suggesting article topics in lieu of recent, disastrous events in the media is actually due to overwhelming empathy.

        By observing the behaviors around the office and among his client's personal lives, it becomes clear to Burgo that the reason for this behavior has much to do with the fact that Americans are confronted with an overwhelming amount of terrible news in the media. One specific anecdote dates back to 2001 from a woman named Sana, who was scared to face the reality of her own personal issues in fear that she would be labeled as "selfish" or "ignorant" for not caring more about those injured during the 9/11 attacks. She became obsessed with expressing intense emotion over the attack, instead of resolving relationship issues with her husband that many of the other clients knew she was upset about. The usage of this anecdote proves the reason behind Burgo's desire to dig deeper behind the real cause of "first world problems", and why this saying is so shamefully used. 

        After understanding the behaviors of his client Sara, Burgo tries to find meaning behind them. He suggests multiple causes of narcissism among Americans, such as the "rise of social media, intensified celebrity culture, helicopter parenting, and the breakdown of traditional values," but none of these include the most important factor- empathy overload. By narrowing down the possible causes behind these behaviors, Burgo realizes that the overwhelming amount of pain and suffering discussed in the media has caused many to close their eyes to their own problems. Being open to such  immense distress is proven to have a toll on our own lives. Empathy has always been thought of as a good thing, but perhaps Burgo has discovered that TOO much empathy can cause many to end up having no empathy at all. 

       Citizens should not be ashamed of their own issues, no matter how big or how small. Yes there are going to be others around the world dealing with greater things, but in the face of individuals, these problems still exist and still have an impact over their lives. Burgo does a great job at delving deeper behind the empathy issues of Americans. Through usage of anecdotes and intense investigation of emotions among his clients, he has concluded an interesting theory that makes many reconsider how they view both themselves and the world around them. 

TOW #14- Obama on Gun Control

        In a recent speech given by President Barack Obama, the importance of controlling guns in a responsible way in order to better the future for the children of America was addressed. Through usage of anaphora and comparison of events, Obama is able to rally citizens from all different backgrounds towards one common concern- gun violence. He addresses all Americans, proving to them the significance they hold in this cause towards a safer, happier United States of America. As he grasps the reins on the country he places a responsibility on citizens and the government alike, enforcing the seriousness of guns and what needs to be done in order to save the lives of many.

          By appealing to the country as a whole, and not a specific and individual group of people, Obama is able to grab the attention of a much wider audience. By repeating the words "All of us" several times throughout the speech, it is clear that in order for gun violence to be stopped it will take the power of millions of hard-working Americans. Whether they are white, black, mixed, gun users, or gun manufacturers, it is going to take the cooperation of all in order for a change to be made.

        Additionally, Obama compares the issue of gun control to several other important events in American history in order to further appeal to different groups and gain their attention. He is aware of the fact that change is not going to happen overnight, just like how change didn't happen overnight for other events in our history. "The liberation of African-Americans didn't happen overnight. Advancing the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans has taken decades' worth of work," and meeting the crisis of gun violence will require the same determination and focus. He highlights different key moments in history that represent American democracy, illustrating the need for everyone to come together once more and battle the issue on gun control.

         President Obama recognizes how heavily this issue relies on the support of the country; without their support nothing can possibly be done. Every single individual citizen has a role to play. It is their job to acknowledge their part in making the country a better place. In appealing to their passions and backgrounds through repetitious anaphora and comparison, Obama takes a strict stand against the unruly powers of guns.

Obama, Barack. "Barack Obama: Guns Are Our Shared Responsibility." The New York Times. The New York Times, 07 Jan. 2016. Web. 10 Jan. 2016. 

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.