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Posted on February 5, 2015, in AP Language. Bookmark the permalink. 34 Comments.
Room 37 Online 
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/02/08/opinion/sunday/exposures-child-bride-mother-stephanie-sinclair.html?ref=opinion
Rhetorical Precis:
This article, Child, Bride, Mother, talks about the young girls who are married at a young age, and thrown into a motherhood life they are not ready for. The children, as young as 14 are married off to men who are above 20 and are physically and emotionally damaging the young women. Being married off at 14, they are impregnated around 15 and pushed into the motherhood life, a life they are not ready for. Also, because of their young age, they give birth to children who are underweight, mostly weighing between 1-3 pounds. Many hospitals in developing countries, often don’t have the resources to take care of the underweight babies, and sometimes, the mothers watch their babies die, unable to save their lives. Another situation, many young women face, is after the birth of their children, their husbands leave them, either for work, or for blaming the women that the baby is not theirs. This leads to women having to take care of their baby, at the age of 14, while suffering from the lack of sleep and ability to take care of the newborns.
Personal Commentary:
This article slightly relates to me. Born into a family of asian cultural background, I’ve heard many stories about how my ancestors who’ve been forced into a marriage at a young age and giving birth to underweight newborns. This is a national problem almost. Most developing countries and villages think it is fine for women to be married and force to give birth at a young age. Not only is this cruel, it is also dangerous. Women giving birth at such a young age can lead to unhealthy babies and often times put the young girls at risk. I feel like many people aren’t aware of this situation, and even if they are, not much help is presented to those who need it. Therefore, the importance of this article and the project that is involved should be publicly known and acknowledged, to give help to either the hospitals or the young girls who need it.
Source: http://www.sfgate.com/opinion/openforum/article/Myths-rob-rape-victims-of-full-protection-under-6041504.php
Rhetorical précis:
Carolyn Kaster, in her opinion article “Myths Rob Rape Victims of Full Protection Under the Law”, asserts that popular beliefs and misjudgements create a consensus and perspective that ruins a victim’s opportunity for protection. Kaster supports this claim by stating the three ways public misjudgements can cause spectators to chastise the victim. She claims that the idea that little inconsistencies can justify labeling the story as fraudulence, a women’s voluntarily use of drugs or alcohols forfeit her protection, or the misconception that most sexual violence is carried out by strangers burdens both the victims and prosecutors. Kastor’s purpose was to address rape as a serious matter and to make these popular misconceptions known such that ordinary people that may fall victim to rape or speculation don’t also fall victim to these fallacies.
Commentary:
I did not really enjoy how it was so short because I felt like she could have addressed a lot more with the general , but I understood that she just simply wanted to get one point across and that specific point did not need much said because she was thorough in what she did say. From the very title this article intrigued me because I believe that even though we are suppose to be unbiased and fair we can be critical of even the most vulnerable and dejected of victims. I found that her claims of the myths causing prosecutors and victims to falsely construe the situation were completely right and sadly so.
Category : Music
In the Lonely Hour by Sam Smith
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/in-lonely-hour-deluxe-version/id826860709
Rhetorical Precis:
Sam Smith, a highly admired and respected pop artist, in his In the Lonely Hour album describes his desire his love for a girl because society has portrayed being gay as a bad thing, but he knows that he won’t experience true love with a women; deep inside, Sam knows that he only like men and that is the only way to satisfy his love life. Sam Smith portrays his love for men by describing his experiences through up and downs through the relationships and the heartbreaks he went through. Sam Smith writes and sings not only to advocate and represent the gay community, but also share his experiences that he goes through in his relationships; the message he sends to us all is that “Love is love regardless of who he expresses it towards.” Sam Smith is for the general public who loves pop music, anyone that appreciates good music, anyone experiencing what Sam’s feeling, or just to relax.
Personal Commentary:
I love all of Sam Smith’s music; he’s one of my favorite artists. I think that it is brave of him to openly mention his love for men and for that, I respect him. His voice is amazing and his music is just beautiful. His music makes me happy and I could listen to it for a couple of hours. His music is brilliant and an inspiration to many.After listening to “Stay with Me,” I have been a fan of Sam Smith’s work and saw that he had the ability to make it to the top of the music industry. My favorite songs by him are Stay with Me, Leave Your Lover, I’ve Told You Now, and Like I Can.
Andy Li
http://www.sfgate.com/opinion/editorials/article/Muni-can-t-afford-to-give-away-rides-5997824.php
Unknown Author, opinion writer of ‘Muni can’t afford to give away free rides’, argues that if the policy of giving away free rides to low income youth, low income senior citizens and disabled passes; Muni will slowly go into debt as they lose millions of dollar each year from giving free rides. The Author proves this with the cost of giving away free rides to youth last year, costing the Muni “$4.4 million pear year in incoming budgets”. Not only stating that, but also, stating the fact that the free parking on meters on Sundays has affected the Muni. His/Her purpose is to prove that this will damage the Muni Company in order to benefit the low-income youth, seniors and disabled. Her/She is altering this perspective to the public and their decisions on whether it’s best to benefit the public or the Company.
I personally thought this was an interesting article. It has made me a bit confused on whether this is a great idea or a bad idea. This article has a benefit and effect to it for whether the policy passes or not. It will either be hard for the Muni Company but will be great for the citizens or great to regain the company’s money and effecting the low income youth, seniors and disabled.
Eli J. Finkel a psychologist writing for the NY Times in her opinion piece argues that tinder, other smartphone dating apps, and online dating don’t have a perfect algorithm to match you with your soulmate, but are very useful in meeting new people which can lead to a longer relationship or a one night stand. Finkel develops her argument first by describing online dating and how they use an ‘algorithm’ to match you up with someone, then delves into the psychology behind someone viewing others profiles and how this doesn’t work to find a compatible partner, and ultimately describes the benefits to tinder and other smartphone dating oriented apps, saying that a quick hook up or holy matrimony could be the result it all depends on the face to face interaction. Finkel’s purpose is to describe the benefits of smartphone dating. The intended audience is anyone single with a smartphone.
Commentary:
In my opinion, people should meet and strike up relationships in person. Tinder is good for judging someone purely on looks, which definitely factor into a relationship. However, anybody can write anything online and you get a much more genuine experience face to face. Using tinder or match.com or just meeting people in person depends completely on the people involved. But for me, I rather stay offline.
http://blog.sfgate.com/opinionshop/2015/02/02/what-counts-as-a-home-and-who-is-really-homeless/
Rhetorical Précis:
Lois Kazakoff’s opinion article, What Counts As A Home And Who Is Really Homeless?, asserts that there hasn’t been enough effort to help the homeless, whether it’s the ineffective city policies or the inaccurate counts that determine how much government funding cities receive to alleviate the issue of the homeless. The author develops his claim by explaining how the problem isn’t addressed effectively through showing that the counts are under the real value which leads to insufficient funding and only 10% of homeless children are eligible for federal housing assistance. Kazakoff’s purpose is to reveal that the seriousness of the problem with homeless people is not acknowledged in order to urge the government to take further action to assist the homeless. The targeted audience of this article is everyone in the country who is not homeless because they have the power to push for more effective help and support for the homeless.
Personal Commentary:
This article raised my awareness about the seriousness of problem of homeless people and showed me the inadequate assistance the government provided for the homeless. I was never too concerned about this topic, however, I do think that something more has to be done to help the homeless. It could be more funding, more housing assistance, or programs that will benefit people who don’t have a home. I believe that with just a little bit more support from the government, a lot of homeless people could possibly be able to pull themselves up and build a new life.
Article: http://www.sfgate.com/opinion/saunders/article/Smart-medicine-foolish-politicians-6063007.php
Précis:
Debra J. Saunders, a conservative columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, in her article “Smart medicine, foolish politicians” suggests that many Republican politicians are unwisely against vaccination but are right about giving parents options. Saunders quotes Republican Senator of Kentucky Rand Paul saying that vaccines are to blame for many medical disorders along with other things which she points out is discredited misinformation while also adding that both Paul and Chris Christie of New Jersey are right about giving parents the choice whether to vaccinate their children or not. Saunders’ purpose is to explain how the effectiveness of vaccines has created a false sense of security which backlashed this year with the measles outbreak in California and how politics has much to do with vaccination laws and requirements. Saunders reassures parents and informs many others about the opinions about vaccinations as well as their effectiveness.
Commentary:
I have always been up-to-date with my vaccines (the only vaccine I don’t get is the flu shot). I think the fact that I am always fully vaccinated is due to my parents. They’ve never really been the type to question science, or mainly, doctors. I’m sure they’ve both heard of what Senator Rand Paul was talking about when he brought up the medical disorders associated with vaccines, but, whether it’s true or not, my parents never doubted the use of vaccines. I think the science is completely valid when it comes to introducing a small dose to create memory cells that can easily help fight off the disease in the future. But many don’t even know how vaccines work, yet they still trust them and still fully believe in their effectiveness.
Opinion Ed – In Defense of Annual School Testing
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/07/opinion/in-defense-of-annual-school-testing.html?ref=opinion
Rhetorical Précis:
In his article “In Defense of Annual School Testing”, Chad Aldeman argues that annual school testings are beneficial because it lets schools follow students’ progress closely and it allows for measurement of how much students learn and grow over time. Aldeman supports his thesis by presenting examples of how annual testings track progress and growth of students and by providing statistical evidence of students improving after identifying problems in their performance on the annual testings. Alderman’s purpose for writing this article is to show the importance of annual testings and how it can help identify students who are behind in order to encourage more annual testings and help students who are struggling. Alderman establishes a formal tone with an audience of educators and teachers.
Personal Commentary:
I agree that annual testings are important for keeping track of student progress and holding students accountable for learning the materials taught in class. Schools should continue to test students, but they should change up the test to test students’ critical thinking skills and not so much memorizing skills. I do believe that standardized testing are helpful to teachers because it allows them to see what their students are struggling with and what they are doing well. This will help them pinpoint what they need to teach.
– Guan Li
Visual Art Piece
http://www.moma.org/collection/browse_results.php?criteria=O%3AAD%3AE%3A2963&page_number=3&template_id=1&sort_order=1
Frida Kahlo, a world renown artist, implies that some people fall in love solely on how a person looks. In the image you see Frida holding a pair of scissors,with a haircut, and she is dressed like a man. If you look closer in the picture you can see the lyrics to a mexican song that says,”Look, if I loved you it was because of your hair. Now that you are without hair, I don’t love you anymore.” The purpose of the image was to make people think about how they saw others and if their love is based on looks or actual feelings. I this the main audience is men because stereotypically men go for girls based on looks. Not every man is like that but most are.
My Commentary:
Ive always been a fan of Frida. Her artwork has been controversial. She was a damaged soul and her freedom was her art work. The messages in the paintings were very powerful. She was one of the few people to be universally understanding of others. I enjoy her work and look forward to getting into more art.
Rhetorical Precis
Jhon J. Mearsheimer, Ukraine and Russia. Jhon J. suggest that the
U.S. arming Ukraine will only lead to escalating the fighting. The author
points out that sending weapons is especially dangerous because Russia has
many Nuclear Weapons. Proponents of arming Ukraine have a second line of argument,
to increase the cost of fighting which in turn would lead to Putin to withdraw his troops, and
for Ukraine to join The European Union and NATO and become an ally of the west. This
is unlikely to work as Ukraine is an asset of Russia, meaning they are unlikely to give
so easily.The only way to solve this problem is not militarily but diplomatically said the
author.
Commentary
I agree with this article, sending weapons to Ukraine will only escalate the fighting.
The attempt of the U.S to try and make an ally of a country near the russian border, would
not sit well with them.
Movie: Melancholia
Written and directed by Lars von trier, Melancholia follows sisters Justine and Claire who both have respective parts in the movie. The first part opens with Justine and her marriage held on the golf course where her sister and john live—in which she is still unhappy with any turn out. Even at this wonderful moment in her life, Justine remains uncooperative and depressed, seemingly given that she has been like this over time. In the end, Michael abandons her and she falls into depravity. In part two where it focuses on her sister Claire, it shows the rogue planet Melancholy is going to fly by Earth, and John(Claire’s husband) is particularly excited. Oddly, Justine—who is living with Claire now because of her unstableness—is completely calm and tells Claire the Earth is evil. In the end, John commits suicide knowing the planet is not a flyby and Claire in return becomes comically panicky; which Justine solves in a timely manner as they sit under a rickety formation of branches and die anyways. It shows that the worse situation imaginable seems the only way to cure depressed people, since it’s possibly the only way to show them that life is real and horrible, which in turn satisfies Justine’s look on the evil Earth and made her ironically calm.
Personal Statement:
this movie was probably one that only mature people understand, it seems that way for me because throughout the whole thing I found it ridiculously idiotic in the way people miscommunicated and tampered with one another. I repeatedly regarded Justine as annoying and Claire undeniably ugly in her actions as a mother. I don’t think this was a movie for me.
Category:
Opinion-Editorial
Rhetorical Precis:
In her article “The Best Way to Address Campus Rape,” Judith Shulevitz claims that the United States government and the Department of Education is to partially to be blamed for the unstable and ineffective proceedings following sexual assaults at colleges. Shulevitz creates a strong argument by detailing how the Government and D.O.E. forces to schools to follow a rather weak due process as well as describing the consequences of not doing so will result in revocation of federal funding. She then points out that some of the steps taken strip the basic American civil rights from the parties involved and therefore actually offers some possible alternatives for a better disciplinary system following accusations. She appeals an audience of Americans who wish to keep their civil rights but mainly appeals to students of higher education.
Commentary:
Shulevitz did an excellent job describing the current due process and its flaws from many different perspective. I agree with her when she says there is no true way because every situation and incident involving sexual assault is different. One party may be at fault. Both parties can be blamed. These are young adults trying many drugs and alcohols that will alter how they think and act. There are too many questions and possible scenarios to question. It is interesting, because this controversial topic came up in my Debate class with Mr. Scheer last year. We were to come up with a way to help campus rape issues. It was very difficult for the same reasons Shulevitz enlists in her well-written article in the New York Times.
Source:
Rhetorical Precis:(Lil toro:realest they come) this song is about how people leave and new people come .
personal experience : this song really get to me because, this express all the people that i had in my life and they decided not to hang out with me no more and just leave me . this song shows how you lose all kind of respect from the people that betray you and that you can’t do anything to win that lost respect back .
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/08/opinion/sunday/the-pentagons-excess-space.html?ref=opinion&_r=0
Précis
In the article “The pentagon’s excess space “by the editorial board argues that the US military has too many excess space/buildings not being used. The way the author comes to his conclusion is by giving examples and facts about the case and showing how they could save money by getting rid of these excess space. The author’s purpose of writing this article is to inform the public about the militaries “use” of these excess space and for the public. The intended audience for this article is anyone in the public.
Personal commentary
I think that the extra space the military has could be put to use for other jobs to help the economy improve other than having it sit for no use. In the article the author says the military argues a lot of job will be lost but if you would use the space to create a building that could be turned into a company it could actually create more jobs than have 300 hundred building being used out of the 700 available.
In the book “It’s Kind of a Funny Story” author Ned Vizzini illuminates the struggles of mental illness, particularly depression, in a teenager who is surrounded with people who are clueless to his problems and emotions. Vizzini does this by convey through the depressed teenage character his suicidal thoughts, constant worries and anxiety and helpless feelings due to his parents not recognizing his disease as important and obnoxious friends and love interests. With this book Vizzini aims to help those who may feel lost and alone whether they struggle with a mental illness or not and provide those without a mental illness an insight into the life of those who do. The intended audience for this piece of writing is youth.
I have read this book twice and the second time I noticed things that I did not notice before. After my first read I discovered that the author, Ned Vizzini, had struggled with depression his whole life, was put into a mental institution (where he wrote this book), and recently committed suicide. When I read this book again everything was more surreal. Every detail I read I connected to what Vizzini really felt and experienced. That fact made it a little more depressing – ironic, huh? – but I am glad I had the opportunity to learn what others may not know about mental illness and how a teenage boy may be affected.
Rhetorical Precis
TLC, a successful R&B girl group in the 1990s, in their second album “CrazySexyCool” (1994) portrays a funky and calm tone that soared above the groups problems at this time. Though the girls are not the best vocalists, the soft and effortless sound of the album made the girl group a model to look up to for upcoming groups such as Destiny Child’s. The group’s purpose of this album was to prove their talent and their ability to surpass their past hit album in order to stand up for themselves to their management during this time. This album crosses over to an audience that would usually never gravitate to anything like this, making “CrazySexyCool” and TLC a classic.
Personal Commentary
I’ve seen the movie based on TLC so I do know some of their background. This album, or old school music in general, are so different than the music today. I’ve only ever listed to a few of TLC’s greatest singles and was not disappointed when I listened to this album. Even though they were facing difficult times, like one being arrested for burning a house down and the other dealing with a disease, the group was surprisingly able to conduct a great album through it all.
Rhetorical Précis
Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh painted one of the most iconic paintings in the world, Starry night, no one truly knows the true meaning behind it but the main speculation is that it was his image of an idealized village. Many claim this because at this time Vincent was in an asylum he had put himself into, there he painted many similar versions of starry night representing the false impression of the small town outside his window. This shows the painter’s emotions to which a city should look like and the tall dark structure showing the isolation he had in the asylum. Vincent’s Starry Night had no true audience, it seemed as it was just a pastime for him whilst he was in the asylum.
Personal Commentary
This painting has always caught my eye and never knew the true meaning behind it. Also I remember learning about it but didn’t understand what the dark structure represented. It is truly amazing the history behind this painting.
Article- http://www.vangoghgallery.com/painting/starry-night.html
-Ulysses Gonzalez Pd.4
Precis: In his article “Good Lovers Lie”, Clancy Martin claims that if you want to be in love you have to be able to handle lies and to tell lies. Martin supports his claim by providing evidence that talks about children lying because they’re scared of getting in trouble and losing the love of their mom, how lying is not bad because you’re trying to keep them happy, and how him and his wife trust what the other has to lie about. His purpose for writing the article is to show how lying isn’t always a bad thing and how lying is needed for love. The intended audience would be everyone because everyone eventually falls in love at some time in their lives.
Commentary: I enjoyed reading this article because it talks about how lying isn’t really a bad thing, you tell them what they want to hear so they can be happy. It also tells why some people lie about their actions which can be bad but people still do it. He also talked about how if you embrace honestly then its gonna be hard for you to find love and I thought that was interesting because I thought being honest, it would be easy to find love but not true according to the article.
Opinion
Rhetorical Precis: The opinion article “Good Lovers Lie” written by Clancy Martin, a professor of philosophy at the University of Missouri-Kansas City argues that in a any healthy relationship people will have to lie, because we lie the most for things we love. Martin supports his argument by providing evidence, such as the quote from Jean-Jacques Rousseau “It is the law of obedience which provides the necessity of lying in children,” this quote suggests that when we were children we lied to our parents to stay obedient so that we wouldn’t get into trouble and be loved less by our parents, as children our parents’ love was important to us; he also gives the audience personal experience when he had cheated on his wife. His purpose of the article is to show that lying is a normal thing and should be done in moderation in order to let the audience know that they shouldn’t feel bad for lying, when lying can be done to protect the ones we love and to show that it’s human nature. The intended audience for this article is anybody because this can help show people that lying is normal and they shouldn’t feel bad.
Personal Commentary: I really enjoyed this article, the author’s personal experience was very interesting and his evidence was really good. The points he made were well done. This helped me realize that lying is normal and that I shouldn’t feel guilty for doing it. To me honesty is important so I tried my best to stop lying but we can’t always tell the truth because it can break relationships and hurt people. Telling the truth has a price but so does lying. Also I feel like I’d rather be told the truth and be hurt, then find out that I was lied to unless the person had good intentions.
Rhetorical Precis
The article “In Defense of Annual School Testing” by Chad Aldeman argues that annual testing is more beneficial to the majority of school demographics. Aldeman develops his argument by stating that testing every couple years determines a student’s academic level at that moment, it is a lot of pressure at once, and that it doesn’t contribute to “No Child Left Behind” law. His purpose is to address the reasoning behind annual testing of students and to justify how it helps a student’s academic development. The audience that Aldeman is address is everyone because most people have questioned the reasoning behind testing.
Personal Commentary
I’m still not very sure about how I feel about this article because I’m not exactly a fan of testing, especially since it takes up so much time and is so important. I understand that tests are assessments of what students have learned but I feel like the pressure of tests make it so students forget what we learned right after.
“The Persistence of Memory” by Salvador Dalí
Rhetorical Précis: Salvador Dalí, the surrealist painter, in his painting “The Persistence of Memory,” suggests that time may not be all that it seems. Dalí shows several clocks in the foreground that seem to have no shape to them at all, with one beginning to envelop a fleshy creature that resembles Dalí himself, as well as a stopwatch that has been infested with ants as it rots away, and a calm, unchanging background. His purpose in this work is to challenge common ideas about time and argue that, though the world still goes on, the way one interprets time has a huge effect on how they navigate their life. Dalí attempts to surprise viewers with a surreal yet strikingly realistic scene that takes some thinking to understand.
Personal Commentary: The deeper message in Dalí’s work is hard to find, but the idea that time is not as tangible as we make it seem is something that I can relate to. I’ve heard that time moves differently when you move faster and, though I haven’t experienced this phenomenon, I have found that time feels different when I’m concentrating intensely on something, like running. The title of Dalí’s work intrigues me, and I think that he was hinting at one of the ways time morphs: memory. When we think about our memories, separate times merge together into one and the time on the clock doesn’t matter anymore. Whatever intentions Dalí had, though, his painting is still quite interesting to look at and let your mind wander over (indeed, maybe this was his intention).
Source: http://www.moma.org/collection/object.php?object_id=79018
Charles M. Blow, New York Times Op- Ed Columnist, in his article “The Complexity of Deadly Force” claims that police officers do dangerous work but if they overwhelmingly see the bad in people, it diminished their impulse to search for good. Blow supports his claim by including the stories of Grant Morrison, a young police officer who accidentally killed an unarmed man, who was high on methamphetamines, and failed to follow his instructions on multiple occasions, which show how complicated police work can be as well as other issues such as bias and profiling. His purpose in this article is to show how there are problems in the police force involving unlawful killings, how it happens more often than people think, and how there are many factors that play a major part in cases like Ramirez’s. Blow writes this article for the general public as the issues presented in this article pertain to everyone as people should be aware of the issues in the police force and those that should be taken into consideration when dealing with cases like this.
Before reading this article, I already heard about Richard Ramirez’s case but I wasn’t aware of the many other problems presented in the article such as those involving the appropriateness of using force. There are many factors that are taken into account when situations like this occur and it seems like it happens more often that not. The issue of carry firearms is also something that I have never taken into account when listening to cases like this. I do understand where both sides are coming from but I do agree with Blow when he says how although the men that Morrison killed shouldn’t haven been on drugs nor have disregarded his instructions and deserved punishment, that punishment shouldn’t have been death.
http://www.sfgate.com/opinion/navarrette/article/Hollywood-has-a-blind-spot-on-diversity-for-6028253.php
Rhetorical Precis:
In his article “Hollywood Has A Blind Spot On Diversity for Hispanics”, Ruben Navarrette Jr. argues that Hollywood does not recognize its limited diversity for Hispanics. Navarrette mentions why this is, how the problem is worsened by whites playing non-white roles, and comparing and contrasting the similar abandonment of African American actors and actresses to support his argument. The author brings the lack of Latinos in Hollywood to light in order to show that film staff do not give them enough opportunity to play a quality role. Navarrette establishes a trusting and sympathetic relationship with his audience to display Hollywood’s “blind spot.”
Commentary:
I have never acknowledged the lack of Latinos in Hollywood until after this article. Although the author does not believe quotas should be established, I somewhat feel they should. However, that will be unfair to other races and ethnicities who have more talented actors and actresses than the quota.
RHETORICAL PRECIS:
Ross Thomas the writer of “Blood In Blood Out,” also known as “Bound by Honor” is a crime-drama which was directed by Taylor Hackford as well as Jerry Gershwin, the major assertion for this film was to show the struggles of the Chicano people as well as the true meaning of friendship, brotherhood, family and that who are isn’t based on how you look but how you think and feel. The way the director, Hackford, shows these themes is through the life of Micklo, Paco, and Cruz, how their relationship changes and grows as a serious of dramatic events take place that change all three of their lives forever, in the end Cruz and Paco are reunited and realize that there is nothing stronger than their friendship, brother hood. Miklo shows many times that culture isnt based on how you look but how you think and feel, showed the audience this when he approached “El Mero Mero,” and tells him, “I almost gave my life for a carnal, and my white skin shouldn’t keep me out! Chicano is NOT the way you LOOK it is the way you THINK and you FEEL and if you are willing to give YOUR LIFE up for a CARNAL!” Hackford, Thomas and Gershwin purpose for this film was to show the struggles of Chicano people, to show the meaning of brotherhood, and that at the end of the day, who you are culturally isn’t based just on your appearance but on how are as a person. The intended audience is for Chicanos all over the country, people from “El Barrio,” as well as from the hood, Latino people and Hispanic all over the country.
PERSONAL COMMENTARY:
Starting off at Skyline Freshmen year, I knew almost no one, Light-skinned, light brown hair, everyone thought I was white, white boy hanging out with all the Mexicans, but to the people’s amazement when they found out I’m Mexican speaking more barrio slang than most, having hair and features resembling Miklo from the movie, being the badass white boy trying to prove himself with the Mexicans and Latinos. My official nickname became Miklo, Everyone calling me but I never actually seen the film, after being called Miklo at least 20 times a day I decided to watch it, and fell in love with the movie instantly. Makes me think of me and my Vatos from back in the day. I got this one Vato, my brother to death, every time I see him, we scream “VATOS LOCOS POR VIDA HOMES” Our relationship resembles the movie in a lotta ways.
In her article, How to Be Invisible, Akiko Busch describes the act of appearing invisible is, contrary to popular belief, a beneficial thing to many people. She asserts, “ They also propose that becoming invisible… is not the equivalent of being nonexistent…Rather, it can be a condition of insight and endurance, a position of strength and power, a matter of knowing how and where we can be best accommodated by the exterior world. Busch articulates strong points throughout the article proving that remaining invisible allows us to see more detail and things happening around us. We become more aware of our surroundings as opposed to just ourselves. The intended audience is whomever is reading the article, especially those who have a deep need for instant gratification and attention.
I liked this article because it directly relates to my generation. Growing up in the age of the internet, my generation always wants instant gratification and to be the center of attention online and offline. People have lost the art of being invisible, or just observing their surroundings. I think it’s important for everyone to take a step back and observe what is happening around them instead of fighting for all the eyes to be on them.
Rhetorical Precis: Frederic Chopin, a famous piano virtuoso, in his acclaimed 21 nocturnes evokes of time passing by during the night from a calm beginning to a more heavy accented ending varying with techniques that give each nocturne a complex, sad, frustrated emotion. In Chopin’s Op. 9, No. 1 in B-flat minor, his use of arpeggios gives it a distinct mysterious notion, while towards the end, the tempo increases and becomes more heavily accented. In his Op. 9, No. 2 in E-flat major, the pattern is very similar to No. 1, but is melodically different. His purpose of composing his 21 nocturnes are unknown and some stories said that he didn’t want any of his composition to be published. He takes in many advance listeners that give more of an in depth mystery to how his pieces were published.
Personal Commentary: This opus of Chopin interested me because of it’s basic form of A-B-A but still having a variety of pitches that give a distinct feature to each of the nocturnes. I’ve only listened to one of his preludes which seemed out of this world at the time. Although Classical music has fallen out of flavor for the zeitgeist, it’s still fun to listen.
Entry 4: 2/ 8/ 15
A Streetcar Named Desire is a 1947 play written by American playwright Tennessee Williams for which he received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1948. In 1918, the Williams family moved to St. Louis, marking the start of the family’s deterioration. C.C.’s drinking increased, the family moved sixteen times in ten years, and the young Williams, always shy and fragile, was ostracized and taunted at school. They told me to take a street-car named Desire, and transfer to one called Cemeteries, and ride six blocks and get off at—Elysian Fields! The play, set in contemporary times, describes the decline and fall of a fading Southern belle named Blanche DuBois so the audience could be anyone.
Williams suffered from alienation and loneliness because growing up Williams was not healthy; and because of that, he did not relate to other boys his age. His father was a drunk; he did not receive much love from his father but from his mom he received protection and lots of love. Due to that love from his mom, he later on became a homo sexual which sucks because he didn’t get to live the life of a boy.
This is a zero because it was plagiarized from Sparknotes.
Pablo Picasso, in his painting Girl before a Mirror, explains the life of an innocent woman that reveals unknown herself while looking into a mirror. This womans reflection shows multiple images of herself, including her fate, which she attempts to get a hold of to unite both bodies by reaching out to her reflection. This painting is supposed to represent a womans transformations through life. In the mirrored image the woman’s image is darker, her eyes are hollow, and her body is distorted. Since the reflection is supposed to be her fate, the poor womans innocence will be stripped from her. Picassos painting shows that not everything is what it seems to be.
Personal Commentary:
Pablo Picasso’s painting expresses the reality of looking in the mirror. What you think people see versus what people actually see. It can also be seen as what someones wishes they were versus what they actually are. The mirror painted in Picasso’s painting shows reality rather than fantasy.
-Zaire Alford
Rhetorical Precis: Patrick Ruegheimer’s typography art titled “I Am” uses words and phrases to use and say what we all are. There are words and like restless, big, dull, colorful, love, and beautiful to describe the well being of himself and people who are kind of scared of being themselves. This is supported by the over statement that is created which is “I Am”, and through that it shows that in a sense it says that we are who we are and we can tell ourselves what we are. The kind of audience that Ruegheimer is trying to reach is everybody in the world, but through a not so aggressive in your face to inform you kind of way but a sense of I Am. Personal Thoughts: This piece of artwork really spoke to me in how it has all these negative and positive things, but over all come out to spell I Am. It also means that we can decide who we are and how far we go to be and become the outcome of what we want to do and be in life.
Rhetorical Precis:
Category Music Album
De la Soul, a spunky lyrical American hip-hop trio from the 1980’s, in their album “III Feet High and Rising”, asserts a theme of a game show imitation and idiosyncratic DJ scratches, as well as the untamed poetic theories of the D.A.I.S.Y Age, (meaning Da Inner Soul Ya’ll) and that their style can dominate with the hip-hop/rap genre which is commonly materialized with gold chains, girls and curse words. Both De La Souls title name and debut album name III Feet High and Rising sync perfectly together when it comes to relating the inner soul and standing high above the petty curse words and basic rap verses.Their purpose is to create a sensation of rhythmical and poetic lyrics, make master beats and prove to society that hip-hop can be comical yet descent with the flow of poetic combination. their intended audience were people listening to hip-hop during the “D.A.I.S.Y Age” which was basically boundary for curse words, gold chains and talking about derogative things.
Personal Commentary: Listening to II Feet High and rising was a roar of laughter for me because the mock of having a fake game show incorporated in their own album and funny accents , is just amazing. Their rap style is basically the old version of my favorite hip hop group OFWGKTA except Odd Future does curse and talk about materialistic things. However they are as humourous as De La Soul and incorporate the same styles of quirky beats in their music. They are very Poetic too.
*III Feet High and Rising *Thier
Rhetorical Precis- Book
Mark Twain, in his novel “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” supplies readers with his view on the American experience that is portrayed in Huck’s life. The novel is set in Missouri, where Hcuk is a poor boy that has gained a lot of money, explained in Twain’s previous novel “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”. Huck’s alcoholic father, Pap, kidnaps him, his main motive to possess his son’s fortune. To escape the beatings from Pap, Hcuk fakes his own death and hides out in an island, where he meets a runaway slave, Jim. The two travel down the Ohio River, encountering many obstacles. In the end, they find out that Jim is a free slave, his owner freeing him when she died, and Huck’s father also died. Huck serves as Twain’s perspective of America’s major troubles, showing Huck’s struggles with what he thinks is right and wrong. The poetic writing and imagery allows readers to connect with the characters.
Personal Commentary
I’ve always heard of Mark Twain but never read his books. His diction is beautiful and poetic. The ending made me really unsatisfied because all of Huck and Jim’s struggles were for nothing basically. Now I’m just wondering what’s going on with Huck as he travels to the west.
Rhetorical Precis
Quentin Tarantino, accomplished screenplay writer and director implies in his film “Pulp Fiction” that in the shadows of American life, hidden in the systematic corruption there is good. Tarantino shows this with his characters by having Vincent Vega save Mia Wallace from overdose, Butch Coolidge save Marsellus Wallace from the perverse mind of man, and Jules Winfield convinces Ringo and Yolanda to leave a life of crime. Tarantino’s purpose was to open the eyes of society and show them not to judge a book by its cover. The intended audience is for anyone who isn’t squeamish.
Personal Commentary
This movie is amazing! The story is captivating and the acting is spot-on. This is the type of movie that makes you wonder if other people’s lives ever become this crazy.