IRB Intro Post #2

For this marking period, I have chosen to read Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom. I first explored the possibility of reading this memoir upon recommendation from a good friend of mine. After doing some research on the book, I discovered that it contains the firsthand account of a young man’s experiences learning from his dying former professor. The premise of the book immediately interested me, as I have always thought that there is something special about the advice of wise, elderly men and women. I hope to be personally affected by the life lessons that Albom describes in his memoir. I believe that everyone can benefit from the retrospective musings of those who have already experienced the vast majority of life. 

TOW #9: A Letter By Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain)

Upon suggestion of Mr. Yost via twitter, I found an interesting letter to analyze on Letters of Note for this week. This particular letter was written by Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) in Florence, Italy in 1904. Mr. Clemens penned this letter to his fans in response to an outpouring of support following the death of his wife. In the letter, Clemens emphasizes his immense gratitude for all well- wishes received during a very difficult time. Clemens’ purpose in writing this letter is very simple and clear. The author is demonstrating his gratitude for the support of his loyal fans not only during his time of difficulty, but in general. As a well-respected author, Clemens is obviously a credible source on nearly any text he might produce. In the case of a letter pertaining to the death of his wife, Clemens is virtually the only possible source.

Although this letter is very brief, many rhetorical strategies are evident. The shortness of the letter further emphasized the already notable word choice. Throughout the letter Clemens uses deeply emotional words to describe his feelings toward his fans. The most powerful example of this is when he characterizes his gratitude as “unexpressed and inexpressible”. This description is very effective in enabling the reader to feel the author’s sentiments of appreciation. The individual word choices made by the author also establish the persona of Mr. Clemens. When reading his letter, the reader does not interpret the author as being the immortal, legendary writer that he is known as. The persona expressed is that of a vulnerable man dealing with a difficult situation, and simply hoping to express his pure gratitude.

The vulnerable persona that Clemens created as well as the emotionally loaded words he incorporated in this piece definitely accomplished his goal of showing his fans and well- wishers his overwhelming gratefulness for their support in his time of need.  

TOW 8: Searching for the Sound by Phil Lesh (part two)

The second half of Searching for the Sound by Phil Lesh followed the impressive precedent set by the first half and was captivating right through to the very end. In the closing half his story, founding member and bass player for the Grateful Dead Phil Lesh described in detail the decades following the formation and initial establishment of the Dead. While the first half of the autobiography was mainly spent giving accounts of Lesh’s early life leading up through the formation and beginnings of success for the Grateful Dead, the second half covered most of the duration of the band’s existence, ending with band member Jerry Garcia’s death in 1995. The messages conveyed in the second half of Searching for the Sound took on a more serious light than those of the first half. During the early years described in the beginning of the book, youth and love were celebrated and possibilities were endless. As the band matured, sentiments grew slightly more realistic. A downward spiral into hard-drug addiction as well as the passing of band members contributed to these changes of mood. Lesh’s purpose in writing the second half of this book was to encourage his readers (primarily Grateful Dead fans) to cherish the important aspects of their lives.

            One major factor that distinguished the first half of this book from the second was the author’s change in tone from whimsical to serious. The clearest example of this shift came at the very end of book, when Lesh detailed his reaction to longtime friend and fellow band member Jerry Garcia’s death. The reader was really able to feel Lesh’s grief through the remorseful tone. This served as a stunning reminder to us readers to appreciate the truly important people in our lives. I was particularly affected by this message of grief and the subsequently learned lesson. As a lifelong Grateful Dead fan, the pain of Phil over Jerry’s death was heartbreaking to me, and the prompting to cherish those who are important to me was very potent. 

Tow 7: "The Fruit That Really Does Keep the Doctor Away"

Most children have heard the expression “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” repeated by parents and other adults, and have simply rolled their eyes while allowing this cliché saying to go in one ear and out the other. However, according to “The Fruit That Really Does Keep the Doctor Away” by Linda Collier Cool of Yahoo Health Online, multiple recent studies prove that there are numerous reasons to actually abide by this common parental advice.

            This attention-catching article cites reputable sources such as a study published in the British Medical Journal and a novel written by the executive editor of Reader’s Digest to provide evidence for the claim that apples are one of the most health-benefiting foods. According to the long and varying list of health perks provided by Cool, apples seem to in some way assist nearly every aspect of human health. The author’s purpose in writing this article was to inform the general American public of the many widely unknown healing qualities of a very common fruit. By doing so, Cool is implicitly encouraging people to include this food in their diet as much as possible in order to reap these benefits.

            The author was able to communicate her purpose very clearly in this article through use of a list as a structural format. Instead of throwing all of her knowledge on the subject into a few paragraphs, where certain important pieces of information might have been easily missed among a sea of facts, Cool was very careful and clever in her structural organization. By breaking the article up into a list of very short paragraphs, each detailing one specific health benefit of apples, the author was able to effectively hold the reader’s attention for the duration of the article.

            As somebody who personally loves apples, I may have already been inclined to agree with the author from the very offset of my reading this article. Nevertheless, I feel that Cool was very effectual with her presentation of facts, and likely encouraged many readers to include apples as a more regular part of their diet. 

TOW 6: Lenor fabric softener

This creative advertisement was produced by Lenor brand in order to promote their fabric softener product. Lenor is a branch of the Downy fabric softener brand that is available only in Europe and some parts of Asia. This particular advertisement  (along with others of similar content) was produced in April of 2012.

Depicted in this image is a bear, halfway submerged in a pool of liquid that is clearly meant to represent the Lenor fabric softener. The portion of a bear that is above the waterline is live and seemingly vicious, while the underwater bottom half has transformed into that of a fuzzy, cuddly teddy bear. This clever portrayal is conveying the message that Lenor fabric softener can soften even the toughest of materials. This advertisement is primarily directed at adults who might be buying household products, specifically moms, and for children who would go out shopping with their moms and would be attracted to the cute and comical ad.

Juxtaposition was very obvious in this ad. The ferocious top half of the bear pictured adjacent to the cute and cuddly bottom half has the desired effect of showing the reader how life-changing this fabric softener is. The people who devised this image also incorporated humor to great effect. The comical picture of a half live, half stuffed animal bear serves to draw viewers in and make them examine the ad closely. I would definitely say that this ad was partially effective in achieving its purpose of promoting Lenor fabric softener. The humor and juxtaposition that were used definitely drew me in and generated interest in the advertisement; however, the actual product was not truly represented by the image. Although I would definitely remember this advertisement for its entertainment value, I would not necessarily feel compelled to purchase this product.

TOW 5: Reading the world in 196 books

            “Reading the world in 196 books” was written by Ann Morgan, a writer and avid reader who contributed this article to BBC.com. Ms. Morgan’s story began one day when she was eyeing her personal library and came to the realization that the majority of her collection of novels came from British or American authors. In an attempt to change her narrow literary perspective, Morgan set herself the goal of reading one book from each of the world’s 196 recognized countries in one year. In spite of the difficult task of tracking down literature from countries where stories are rarely written down and the trials of sticking to her strict timetable, Morgan’s literary quest ended up teaching her not only about the world around her, but also in helping her to define and understand her place within that vast network.

            The enlightening effect of her “trip around the world” inspired Ann Morgan to write an article detailing her experiences. Morgan’s purpose in writing this article was to inspire her audience of average first-world citizens to do something similar to what she did, and venture into new experiences to learn about the world around themselves in ways that they would not normally. The author effectively utilized anecdotes to achieve her purpose. Using personal stories of her own experiences helped the reader to feel connected to the mission, and also made the accomplishments that she ultimately achieved seem attainable for each individual member of her audience. For me, this article undoubtedly achieved its purpose of inspiring me to involve myself in the greater scope of the world around me by partaking in new experiences. As an avid reader myself, Morgan’s own mission was an attractive option to me. Reading books from all over the globe seems like it would be extremely rewarding investment of time and energy.

TOW #4: "Save the Twinkie" by Nick Anderson

This political cartoon was created by Nick Anderson, the editorial cartoonist for the Houston Chronicle. The cartoon makes a bold response to the public’s outcry at the bankruptcy of Hostess Brands and subsequent termination of production of Twinkies. Depicted in the cartoon is a rabid band of campaigners under a giant banner bearing the words “Save the Twinkie”. Next to this furious and enthused group are two people, standing alone, under a much smaller “Save the Earth” sign.

            Mr. Anderson’s purpose in creating this cartoon was to show the American public that our efforts in standing up for our beliefs are clearly going in a very wrong direction. Anderson does this mainly through usage of juxtaposition. The members of the large gang of “Save the Twinkie” campaigners are portrayed as being almost crazed with enthusiasm for their cause. Directly adjacent to these protestors is a subdued little group consisting of only one man and one woman standing alone under their “Save the Earth” banner. These two people are looking at the Twinkie lovers with little emotion, the man resignedly saying, “We’re doomed”. The comparison between the two groups of protestors is particularly powerful. The two people campaigning to save the planet are alone and un-aided, while the group lobbying to save an unhealthy and unimportant snack food is massive in size and writhing with passion. Mr. Anderson uses the comparison and contrast between these two adjacent images to get the message across to his intended audience, the general American public, that we are not focusing our attention and efforts towards the right causes. Personally, I was really taken aback by the ridiculousness of this comparison. I could relate his depiction of people up in arms over the end of the Twinkie, while remaining completely oblivious to the declining state of our planet’s health, as I have seen these same sentiments among people I know. In this respect, Nick Anderson’s effort to impress upon the American people the consequences of our misguided efforts was achieved.