TOW #23: Stairway to Heaven

            The Haiku Stairs in Oahu, Hawaii (nicknamed the ‘Stairway to Heaven’) were built during World War II so that the military could access a radio antenna 2,000 feet up in the mountains. Today, this former military vantage point has become something of a quest for ambitious hikers and sightseers in Hawaii. The ‘Stairway to Heaven’, as reports the travel section of the well-respected Huffington Post, offers one of the most unique and beautiful experiences that Hawaii has to offer. The fact that the 3,922-step climb is technically illegal only serves to add to the mystery and allure of the Haiku stairs. The last paragraph of this article describes with vivid imagery some of the scary and dangerous moments of the otherwise beautiful climb. The author’s purpose in juxtaposing the riskiness of the hike with the beauty and splendor of the payoff is meant to show the reader that sometimes it is worth taking a risk to enjoy the reward.

The previously mentioned vivid imagery is one of the main rhetorical devices used to achieve the author’s purpose in this piece. The author describes the terror caused by the early part of the journey, going up a steep mountain and over a highway: “Soon thereafter, however, the stairway takes you above the noisy highway below, and meanders its way along the ridgeline, balancing between terrifying and exhilarating.” Such powerful writing really enables the audience of potential travellers to feel the emotional journey of the climb. The author then uses juxtaposition to contrast this piece of imagery with another description, this time of the tranquil beauty that you will see once you have completed the hike: “Thankfully, several viewing points throughout remind you to look up and around at the green mountains above you, the glistening water below you, and the sharp sunlight bouncing off the clouds all around you.” The two juxtaposed images are extremely effective in showing the reader why the stunning beauty of the Stairway to Heaven will be worth the risks it takes to get there, and in a larger sense, why it is often worth it to go through something difficult for the sake of the positive end result.

Goals:

·      Smooth transitions between components

·      Prove author’s purpose with description of devices

TOW #22: Sour Patch Nutrition Facts

Nutrition facts can be found on the back of any publicly marketed food or beverage. For such a commonly found and taken for granted piece of text, there is actually much more there to analyze than what initially meets the eye. This week I chose to rhetorically analyze the nutrition facts on the back of a package of Sour Patch Kids candy that I had lying around my room. Featured in the neatly organized boxes on the nutrition facts label there are various pieces of information regarding the contents and nutritional value of the candy. The speaker of the nutrition label (as well as the rest of the packaging) is Maynards, the British confectionary company. The audience that the nutrition facts reach encompasses all consumers of the Sour Patch Kids product, being that the nutritional information is prominently featured on each package. The purpose of the nutritional facts column is to satisfy the need to inform the consumer about the contents of the product, while also organizing and proportioning the data in a way that is appealing to the consumer. This is done mainly by breaking up the total calorie and fat count of the product into “serving sizes”, which give the illusion that the product contains fewer calories than it actually does.

The main rhetorical device utilized in the nutrition facts column of Sour Patch Kids is precise organization. The step-by-step listing of each different nutrition aspect is very easy to interpret and accessible for the consumer. The usage of serving sizes also makes the nutrition information more attractive to the consumer while still being honest. In my opinion, this particular nutrition label is very effective in making its information clear and appealing to the consumer. Though this is a very big package of candy that contains a lot of calories, breaking it up into serving sizes of 10 pieces and listing the nutrition information based on that portion makes it much more enticing to possible consumers. 

TOW #21: The Godfather DVD case

            The Godfather, based off of the novel by Mario Puzo and directed by Francis Ford Coppola, is arguably one of the greatest cinematic masterpieces ever created. The intriguing backdrop of New York City in the 1940’s and the brilliant acting performances of Al Pacino and Marlon Brando accent the classic and timeless tale of a struggle for power. Being that The Godfather is my favorite movie of all time, it is only natural that I should own the DVD and keep it sitting on the desk in my room at all times. Accordingly, when I was casting about for inspiration for my TOW post this week, I was suddenly stuck with the idea to rhetorically analyze the front cover of The Godfather’s DVD case. The most prominent of the images on the front of the movie case displays a large photograph of Don Vito Corleone, the Godfather and patriarch of the Corleone crime family. Superimposed in the bottom right corner of the cover is a faded image of the Don and his three sons: Sonny, Fredo, and Michael. Next to the Don’s head is the original Godfather logo that was also featured on the front cover of the novel. The DVD and its packaging were produced by Paramount Pictures, and based off of the ideas of story of Mario Puzo. This movie appeals predominantly to adults who will understand the mature themes and can connect to the ideals of the time period. The chief function that is served by the front cover of any DVD case is to provide a snapshot of the movie’s highlights that will entice consumers enough to buy the movie.

            Colors are used to great effect on The Godfather’s DVD case. The dominance of neutral colors (mostly black and white) creates a simple yet intriguing tone. Also, the absence of any color draws all of the viewers focus to the picture of Don Corleone, who looks formidable and intense. As is true with everything else about The Godfather, I like this case. The simplicity and absence of color on the front is definitely stark and interesting. If I were an objective consumer, this case would definitely spark my interest in the movie. 

TOW #20 Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

            The Oxford American Dictionary defines an “outlier” as something that is situated away from or classed differently from a main or related body. In other words, an outlier is something that is different from the masses, an exception to what is considered normal. Malcolm Gladwell, author of Outliers, sets out to analyze and explain one specific type of outlier in this book: the success story. The common perception of extremely successful people is that they have achieved their success through personal determination and merit. Highly respected author Gladwell sets out to disprove this belief in Outliers through showing the array of favorable circumstances and lucky opportunities that have allowed some of the most successful people of our time to reach their position. Gladwell makes it abundantly clear through each success story and subsequent breakdown of events, that success owes much more to environment, circumstance, and opportunity than it does to personal grit or ambition. The ultimate message that the reader can take away from Gladwell’s analysis of success is that it can be extremely beneficial and enlightening to look further into certain inevitable trends of humanity that most people take for granted, such as the reasons why there are always some people that blossom into great success stories while others of similar ability are doomed to remain average. 

            Gladwell’s consistent arrangement throughout this book is every effective in tying together his message on success and human behavior. First, he presents the reader with a seemingly perfect story of success (examples from the book so far include the Beatles, Bill Gates, and Bill Joy). He then backtracks and breaks the story down from the very beginning, pointing out every avenue where environment or coincidence played an enormous role in the person’s eventual success. This arrangement is continuous throughout each chapter and different success story. This is highly effective in that it shows the consistency of the way that success is NOT based primarily on individual merit or intelligence. Gladwell’s dissection of success stories using this organized arrangement shows that success, an innate human trend, is based largely on the factors that are out of a person’s control.