Essay 2 Ad. URLs

CAR ADs
key to the city
Mustang Liberty
Toyota Land Cruiser dirty car
50's chevrolett whistle at
subaru saftey design

Group Ad Summary, Paraphrase and Quote.

Summary
Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) has come together to create an advertisement in which Colonel Sanders is featured holding a bucket of KFC fried chicken, with two women standing next to him while smiling. The advertisement is to simulate two homemakers, delighted at the prospect of less kitchen duty during the hustle and bustle of holiday season, by buying KFC chicken instead.


Paraphrase
In KFC's 1968 Christmas ad Colonel Sanders is seen standing in the center of the frame, holding a bucket of KFC chicken, with two smiling house wives at his side. All three of them are dressed in Christmas clothing. During the busy holiday season it can often be difficult to balance the daily chores and activities among the added tasks of holiday shopping and preparing holiday meals. KFC is claiming to offer an effective solution by making meals for you. Like they said, "who's got time to fix dinner during Christmas rush?"

Mad men: Still Birth of the American Dream summary that includes a paraphrase and quotation. HW

In Mad Men: Still Birth of the American Dream, Heather Havrilesky relates the story and plot lines of Mad Men to Americans desire for improvement and growth in their lives. She analyzes the relationships and behavior of the characters using them as examples of the type of behavior that represents the type of “dissatisfaction with the ordinary that’s instilled in us from childhood.” Havrilesky makes the point that in the 50’s and 60’s advertisers made a thorough effort at getting consumers to associate their products with the solutions to their problems and also as means of fulfillment to their dreams. She also points out that the show’s creator Matthew Weiner tells the story of Mad Men with the beginning of the advertising era aligning directly with the time in which the concepts of the false “American Dream” was gaining momentum (175).                                    

In Class Lab: Textual Analysis Paper

1. The publishers are PETA, Freedom For Animals, and Mercy for Animals.

2. They are intended to affect the general consumer that use products that were tested on animals in inhumane conditions, or for consumers of products such as fur coats and other animal products.

3. Each ad is directly denouncing a product or company that involves animal mistreatment.

4. To raise public awareness about animal cruelty involved in many consumer products in order to help further the cause through mass boycotting.

5 and 6. They are attempting to make the consumer feel more directly connected to the issues such as animal cruelty and animal testing. They do this through emotional devices such as a sad dog face, disgusting blood in hair, and a silently judging pug. They also use logical devices like "If you wouldn't wear your dog please don't wear any fur."

7. They persuade the general public to be less supportive of companies, products, and behaviors that promote inhumane treatment of animals

Thinking about the Text Questions 1-4 and Summary of Advertisements R Us

1.) What insight does Melissa Rubin offer about the Coca-Cola ad she analyzes, and what EVIDENCE does she provide to support her analysis? Has she persuaded you to accept her conclusions-and if not, why not?

The insight Rubin offers about coke is how its advertisements reflect the life and culture associated with the "Mainstream" and attempts to influence or persuade consumers to associate the so called positive aspects of the culture with their product. She analyzes the components of the coke ad featured in the August 1950 Coca-Cola Bottler magazine such as the setting of the ad, placement of, 

and the specific characters, and the text within the ad. She uses the history of the time in which the ad was printed and general history of the company itself as evidence to support her claims about how it reflects the "mainstream" of its day.

2.) How does she incorporate historical context, and what does that information contribute to her analysis?

She uses the history of the time to show its influence on the culture and how the Coca-Cola company "..recognized the patriotism inspired by the war and wanted to inspire similar positive feelings about their product."

3.)Rubin's analysis is driven by this question: What can we learn about the culture in which a given ad is created by closely examining how that ad appeals to particular audiences? What other questions might you try to answer by analyzing an ad?              Who is the target audience? What is the goal/purpose of the ad?

4.) This Coca-Cola ad reflects the values of its era. Can you think of a contemporary ad that projects the values of the era we live in? How do the two ads compare?  An example of an ad that reflects the values of the era that we live in can for example be the Tide-to-Go commercial. For instance there is the value of tolerance, and inclusion of other people and cultures, civil rights etc. The Tide-to-Go commercial for instance shows a happy homosexual couple on their way to the church to get married to be stopped by a woman whom says she can’t let them get married that it wasn’t right, only to find out she was referring to the stain on the shirt of one of the grooms and promptly pulls out a Tide-to-Go pen and erases the stain. The ad presented a situation that is perceived one way; which was referring to the prejudice towards the homosexual community, and of course shows the current values of the day by the woman being perfectly accepting of the couple having no issue with them but instead the stain on the shirt. The two ads both the Coca-Cola print ad and the Tide-to-Go commercial reflected the current issues of the respective eras the ads exist. In example the civil rights movement of today reflected in the Tide commercial and the war effort in the Coke ad.

Summarize Robin’s Essay:

In Advertisements R Us, English major Melissa Rubin claims that advertisements reveal a lot about the society or culture in which they were made. She takes as an example an ad from the August 1950 Coca-Cola bottler magazine and analyzes the components of the magazine and includes a brief history of the Coca-Cola Company. Rubin begins by talking about how Coca-Cola came about in experimentation that took place in a pharmacy in 1886. She writes about how the growth paralleled America’s industrial age. Rubin continues by talking about how the company’s product became associated with “American optimism and energy” and the efforts of the Coca-Cola company to make its product available to “every man in uniform” for 5 cents. The circumstances that surround the culture at the time are told to give context to the setting which the Coca-Cola ad is set. The ad targets the men in uniform, as at the time the nation was in a war effort and many were drafted into the war effort. She brings the information around to support her conclusion that as a result of the ads effort to appeal to the mainstream culture at the time, that the ads themselves are an good look at the values of the era. Rubin also concludes that not only do they reflect the values at the time but may have helped to shape them as well.

Class Lab & Identifying How sample essay fit criteria for analysis.

1. We all agreed that Heather's main point was that Mad Men was a ideal representation of American Society, using the revered 60's as the setting to further represent the ideal. We think that Mad Men is a stark contrast to the stillbirth that is the American dream currently. We reached consensus that this point was defined early and later elaborated on throughout the body paragraphs.

2. We can now see after reading chapter nine that she tailored her thesis to better relate to the American audience by giving brief anecdotes of an American dream that is no longer apparent. She carefully defined her main point and then analyzed the components of Mad Men that supported her agenda. During an analysis considering the audience is important and since the main readers are an American audience her narrative was polished to better relate to its readers and evoke an emotional reaction from them. Analyzing the larger context is also vital, she did this by noting the various characters that represent forms of femininity in the world and connecting their overall success in life back to this in an effort to articulate that independence is an important trait to women in the modern world.

4.)In reading the "Stay Sweet As You Are" sample essay, it is easy to identify the components that make it an analysis paper. The author takes into consideration the claims the ads are making and talks about how the ads themselves attempt to supports its claims. In analyzing the Listerine ad for example he takes what the ad is claiming and then proceeds to point out the components of how the ad attempts to support its claims using science and sex appeal, etc. He goes even further into his analysis by not only pointing out how they use that particular information to support their claim but also pointing out how everything as far as to how the ad is designed, such as the position the girl in the Listerine ad is sitting, what she is wearing etc. and how the company uses those elements of design to support or further suggest or "support" its claims. 

Mad Men: Thinking about the Text.

1.) What is Heather Havrilesky’s main insight about Mad Men? How can you tell? Point to specific passages that reflect this conclusion.

                Heather Havrilesky’s main insight about Mad Men is of how the show portrays the emptiness or “Still Birth of the American Dream” (170) and how it demonstrates the “dissatisfaction with the ordinary that’s instilled in us.”(170 paragraph 1) She does this by giving details of the characters personality and some history showing evidence of how they move from one thing to the next and seem to repeat patterns of behavior in hopes of finding the next happiness and not really finding it. Ignoring the potential beauty of things around them looking for that dream. For example on pg. 172 she writes of how “Don appears likely to be drawn in by the same manipulative style of femininity that Betty embodied.” Despite that Don is now “free to pursue any woman he wants,”  “instead of focusing on a woman whose intellect matches his own.” She writes about how “Mad Men’s detractors often decry the empty sheen of it all, claiming that it has no soul, clearly that’s the point. The American Dream itself is a carefully packaged, soulless affair.” (pg. 175 final paragraph)

2.) How does Havrilesky establish her Authority to write about the show?

Havrilesky establishes her Authority to write about the show by showing not only her knowledge of the characters and the show but also her awareness of the history of the events and circumstances from the era of which the show is based and awareness also of what others are saying about it. In other words she “has done her homework.” (pg. 10 Everyone’s an Author.)

 3.) How does she appeal to readers emotions? Identify specific passages where she does so?

Havrilesky appeals to readers’ emotions by using words such as we and our. Incorporating her audience in a more intimate way with the subject. For example when she speaks of how the American Dream has expanded beyond its original simple concepts “into something far broader and less attainable,” she includes the reader in the idea by stating “...we’re falling short, no matter what our resources, and we pass this discontent to our offspring.” (pg.171)

4.) If you were familiar with Mad Men before you read this essay, is this an accurate description of the show and its impact on viewers? If you weren’t familiar with it, do you now understand its basic premise-and has Havrilesky made you want to watch it? Explain.

I was not familiar with Mad Men before reading Havrilesky’s essay. I simply had heard mention of its name and that it was a show on AMC. Havrilesky gave a very clear insight into what the show was about and provided enough information and examples to help me understand the concept of the show. Even though I now understand the idea by the show and am intrigued by its premise, I am unlikely to watch the show anytime soon. The reason being that I tend to enjoy more adventurous/action, moving style of television.

Pg.141 Prompt Looking for Analysis in Everyday Use:

In comparing the analysis from two different sites: Expedia, and Priceline. I found that the Priceline one was more useful.  The Priceline analysis was a little easier to follow. The layout made it easier to find information that I might be looking for a little easier. It was not as overcrowded feeling as the Expedia page after you click a hotel. I clicked the same hotel from both sites and the Expedia Had a general picture of the hotel and a list of rooms below with a very short description of the hotel further down along the page after the list of rooms. The Priceline page had a picture and description of the same hotel with pictures on the side right next to the description. It had thumbnails of the hotel to click on underneath with out losing your place on the page. The list of amenities was right next to a copy of the description with a link for a pop up to view separately a further list of the amenities. The Expedia website had the amenities further down and sort of spread out. In general the layout specifically is what made the difference. Both sites had reviews of customer.  The Expedia site did have one more category however for customers who have used the hotel than Priceline. Both the websites basically had the same info. The difference however was Priceline was easier to navigate. A little more organized and it was easier to find the specific info you may have been looking for instead of having it feel like it was lost in all of the other info on the site.

Pg 138 Prompt

Choices Made within the last week: Affected Health, Activity.

Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner	Movie/TV Choice	Free Time Activities
Multigrain Cheerios	Home made Chicken Salad	Top Ramen with egg	Comedy	Basic Yard Care
Plain Greek Yogurt and Almonds	Wendy’s Cod Fish Sandwich Combo	Wendy’s Cod fish Sandwich Combo	Tragedy	Barnes and Noble
Trix	Leftover Pizza	Albertsons Chicken Wings	Action Thriller	Garden Project
Raisin Bran	Subway	Random Home cooked meal. (what mom makes for grandfather.)	Television Series	Television
Cold/Hot	Microwave Burrito	Starbucks and random Grocery Item	Newly released Movie	Movie Theatre
Starbucks	Top Ramen with Egg	Grub Hut !	Netflix /Hulu	Explore Seattle (take a trip)

Choices Made within the last year:  

Career/Life Path	Save money (Reasons for, Spending etc.)	Projects?
Nursing	Trip to Florida (visit best friend)	Converting Shed to office
Engineering	Car: Cool? Practical? Both?	Garden: Expand? What to plant?
Theatre

Draft Revision ?

“A-E-I-O-U are vowels, A-E-I-O-U are vowels, and sometimes Y.” That was the introduction to an old Hooked-On-Phonics recording. I can still hear the soft but clear spoken woman’s voice on the recording whenever I think back to my early days of learning to read. I absolutely hated it. I would have preferred to be with the other kids out in the sun, running around on green grass that was in serious need of mowing. Instead I was in our second living room sitting on a red, brown, and orange colored yarn-like shaggy carpet. Behind me was the brown upright grand piano my grandmother used to practice at night. She would often play me to sleep when my brothers and I were supposed to be in bed. She was a sweet short woman with frizzy gray hair and a nice smile. She smelled like roses and was often found in her garden attending to them. It was her fault I was in the living room with a plastic red and yellow tape player and flash cards instead of outside having fun. We already had learned the alphabet in school and I could slowly read sentences like “brown bear, brown bear what do you see?” Admittedly I had some of those sentences memorized thanks to the school teachers who read the stories in the classroom and had us fill out coloring pages from the same story.

            Like most kids my age at the time, I wasn’t excited about the idea of sitting in a room learning to read as opposed to being outside.  It’s not like I never got to go outside and play. In fact that was the majority of my free time. It was the idea of having to sit still for at least 15 min each day to read. Not an easy task for a young child. I remember the timer. My grandmother bought a kitchen timer for the explicit purpose of making sure I practiced reading for 15 min. Often times I would pretend to be reading and would attempt to sneak off when she continued about her daily chores and was not paying attention. It was often a game for me to try and race back to the living room anytime I thought I heard her or if the timer was about to go off.  I wasn’t always fortunate to be able to sneak away at times when her chores involved the same space I had to be reading in. Fifteen minutes is a VERY long time when you’re 5 years old.

My grandmother was the type of person to use any opportunity to teach me something new.  I recall a memory of me as a young child playing outside when she called me over to her roses in the garden that run alongside the house.  They were beautiful pink roses, most of which were already in full bloom and with a sweet scent that surrounded them.  She pointed to one rose and as she attempted to hold back the petals of the not yet fully bloomed flower while holding pruning shearers in her hands. Holding the petals back so I can see she asked “Do you see that?” Inside the flower, falling further into the rose bloom was a small insect with tiny furry legs and black and yellow stripes along its back. “That,” she continued, “is a bee. They help the plants grow in the garden.” That was my first time seeing a bee. I remember very distinctly that memory and it was a good example of the type of person my grandmother was. She helped me to look at the world in a fun and interactive way and often encouraged me to try new things and was always encouraging. She often did not have to make much effort in gaining my attention. 

It was her desire to help me learn and teach about the things around me that inspired the sense of wonder that fueled my imagination and enthusiasm. I was usually willing to volunteer and try new things in class as a result. I was just as excited to see what the teachers may have demonstrated as I was whenever my grandmother called me over to show me something. In later years when it came to reading a passage in class I was always willing to volunteer to read aloud. It became a fun challenge to read and speak the more complicated words and make them seem easy to pronounce. In the classroom setting I took very little awareness to how well the other students were able to read the passages. I was always eagerly awaiting the opportunity to read it myself. Those moments of reading were different than the moments of having to read using hooked on phonics.  In first place they were voluntary. I was never a fan of having to do something otherwise. Another reason they were different was because I was older.  When you are younger anything you are not initially interested in requiring your attention for more than a minute can seem unbearable. Even today most adults are not very keen on the idea of chores; a task of what has to be done as opposed to what we would like to do.

It was not until my junior year in English class that I realized how much of an advantage those early days of Hooked On Phonics had given me. I was inside a class room that had green, blue and gray dotted patterned carpets, and white walls littered with posters and quotes from famous authors and people in history. The class room had 30 desks attached to blue chairs for the students to sit in. All of these facing the front of the class room that had large white boards for the teacher to write any important information on. My English teacher at the time was a fair skinned, slender woman with blonde hair, pulled back into a pony tail. She was a very young teacher whom was in her early 30’s; if not the actual age of 30.  At this time all of the students were sitting at their desks with their books open to a passage written by Ralph Waldo Emerson. The teacher had changed tactics that day. Instead of asking for volunteers to read the passage aloud she decided to pick students at random. The truth was she had the same students volunteering to read each day and wanted to get the other students more involved.

That day she picked a few people in my class who never volunteered to read a passage out loud. I remember one specific boy she picked. He was a husky guy with brown hair that was combed to the side. I remember the boy specifically because he seemed very uncomfortable. I had seen the boy in passing periods and other classes. He was usually a confident and humorous kid. It was in this incident I noticed how he seemed to have a hard time reading the passages. It was almost as if it was his first time reading.  I noticed it seemed to be a pattern among the students picked who never volunteered to read. They reminded me of myself when I was little. They didn’t enjoy reading and it seemed to be a chore for them. As I took real notice for the first time, I recalled the memories of Hooked On Phonics and the fifteen minute timer which I abhorred. I then realized how easily and often I read. I had no trouble understanding what was being said or how to pronounce what was written. I was able to understand unfamiliar words and terms through context in my readings. I took no notice at how an important skill it was within my daily life.  Yet there I was in the classroom watching myself again as a child by looking at these students reading and attempting to discuss and comprehend the passages we were examining in the classroom.

I’m not quite sure why I took extra notice in the classroom setting that day. It was like most other days to be honest. But for some reason it all seemed very familiar and reminded me of my early days of reading. I had later found out both my mother and grandfather had dyslexia. It turns out my grandmother’s deviation from teaching me through my natural curiosity and interest with the forced structure of a timer and flashcards had been to help make sure I never had the same kind of trouble in the class room I saw those other students have. I think now very fondly on those early memories of learning to read. I came to appreciate my ability much more in general when I wanted to know anything others around me had no understanding of.  It is because of my grandmother that I now realize the importance of learning to read. I never had to go through the struggles of failing to understand or comprehend because she had taught me to read. In essence she taught me my independence because I didn’t have to rely on the people around me for information because I could read. My path to literacy and my association with it have been one I didn’t always appreciate. I now understand how important it was. It is because of that literacy she nurtured within me that I am able to attend school and purse a higher education. A higher education which will help me to have the resources I need to have a good career. I will always appreciate now the value of those “unbearable” 15 minutes doing Hooked On Phonics.

Taking Stock of your writing questions

   1.   What was your main point (thesis)?  “The Moral of the Story”?

The story was about the process of learning to read (something I didn’t appreciate at the time.) Ended up being a skill I use in my daily life and how moments we are not fond of can have a better impact in our lives than we may be aware of at the time.

   2.   Who was your audience?  What did you assume about them?  What “audience needs” did you have to consider in writing the paper?  How did you tailor your writing to them? The audience are those whom have no awareness of me or my life. None of them know about my personal history or how much I didn’t like learning to read. I had to give them a little insight into whom my grandmother was so they could understand why the specific event in the beginning was happening.

   3.  What feedback or reactions did you get at various times while composing this paper, and how was this helpful?  What other kinds of input or support did you get from classmates, teacher, tutors, others?  Were you able to make use of it?  How, or why not? I didn’t ask for much help on writing the narrative. I talked about how I intended to use the 5 characteristics in my narrative.

   4.   What did you find interesting about the process you went through in writing this paper, and what did you learn from it? I had a hard time more figuring out what information to include or not include to in the narrative. I felt the events of reading and what happened in the classroom were very subtle yet powerful experiences that I felt may have not been as well expressed in the narrative as it was to experience them.

   5.   What questions do you have for me about the paper?  (What part(s) of the paper would you like me to focus on?  What do you see as the paper’s strengths, and what areas are you unsure of?)

   I think the beginning story of hooked on phonics and memories of my grandmother were good strengths to telling the narrative. The other areas I was unsure of were how to tie it in with the moment of realization of how it was important. It was a very subtle experience in terms of specific events but a very impactful one on to how things could be different if I had not had those earlier experiences of learning to read through hooked on phonics.

Reading Narrative Rough Draft.

“A-E-I-O-U are vowels, A-E-I-O-U are vowels, and sometimes Y.” That was the introduction to an old hooked-on-phonics recording. I can still hear the soft but clear spoken woman’s voice on the recording whenever I think back to my early days of learning to read. I absolutely hated it. I would have preferred to be with the other kids out in the sun, running around on green grass that was in serious need of mowing. Instead I was in our second living room sitting on a red, brown, and orange colored yarn-like shaggy carpet. Behind me was the brown Upright Grand piano my grandmother used to practice at night. She would often play me to sleep when my brothers and I were supposed to be in bed. She was a sweet short woman with frizzy gray hair and a nice smile. She smelled like roses and was often found in her garden attending to them. It was her fault I was in the living room with a plastic red and yellow tape player and flash cards instead of outside having fun. We already had learned the alphabet in school and I could slowly read sentences like “brown bear, brown bear what do you see?” Admittedly I had some of those sentences memorized thanks to the school teachers who read the stories in the classroom and had us fill out coloring pages from the same story.

                Like most kids my age at the time, I wasn’t excited about the idea of sitting in a room learning to read as opposed to being outside.  It’s not like I never got to go outside and play. In fact that was the majority of my free time. It was the idea of having to sit still for at least 15 min each day to read. Not an easy task for a young child. I remember the timer. My grandmother bought a kitchen timer for the explicit purpose of making sure I practiced reading for 15 min. Often times I would pretend to be reading and would attempt to sneak off when she continued about her daily chores and was not paying attention. It was often a game for me to try and race back to the living room anytime I thought I heard her or if the timer was about to go off.  I wasn’t always fortunate to be able to sneak away at times when her chores involved the same space I had to be reading in. Fifteen min is a VERY long time when your 5 years old.

My grandmother was the type of person to take any opportune moment and teach me something new. As a young child I recall a memory of me playing outside in the yard when she called me over to her roses in the garden.  They were beautiful pink roses, most of which were already in full bloom and with a sweet scent that surrounded them.  She pointed to one rose and as she attempted to hold back the petals of the not yet fully bloomed flower while holding pruning shearers in her hands. Holding the petals back so I can see she asked “Do you see that?” Inside the flower, falling further into the rose bloom was a small insect with tiny furry legs and black and yellow stripes along its back. “That,” She continued “is a bee. They help the plants grow in the garden.” That was my first time seeing a bee I remember very distinctly that memory and it was a good example of the type of person my grandmother was. She helped me to look at the world in a fun and interactive way and often encouraged me to try new things and was always encouraging. She often didn’t have to take much effort to have my attention. 

It was her desire to help me learn and teach about the things around me that inspired the sense of wonder that fueled my imagination and enthusiasm. I was usually willing to volunteer and try new things in class as a result. I was just as excited to see what the teachers may have demonstrated as I was whenever my grandmother called me over to show me something. In later years when it came to reading a passage in class I was always will to volunteer to read aloud. It became a fun challenge to read and speak the more complicated words and make them seem easy to pronounce. In the classroom setting I took very little awareness to how well the other students were able to read the passages. I was always eagerly awaiting the opportunity to read it myself. Those moments of reading were different than the moments of having to read using hooked on phonics.  In first place they were voluntary. I was never a fan of having to do something otherwise. Another reason they were different was because I was older.  When you are younger anything you are not initially interested in requiring your attention for more than a minute can seem unbearable. Even today most adults are not very keen on the idea of chores; a task of what has to be done as opposed to what we would like to do.

It was not until my junior year in English class that I realized how much of an advantage those early days of hooked on phonics had given me. I was inside a class room that had green, blue and gray dotted patterned carpets, with white walls littered with posters and quotes from famous authors and people in history. The class room had 30 desks attached to blue chairs for the students to sit in. All of these facing the front of the class room that had large white boards front for the teacher to write any important information on. My English teacher at the time was a fair skinned, slender woman with blonde hair, pulled back into a pony tail. She was a very young teacher whom was in her early 30’s; if not the actual age of 30.  At this time all of the students were sitting at their desks with their books open to a passage written by Ralph Waldo Emerson. The teacher had changed tactics that day. Instead of asking for volunteers to read the passage aloud she decided to pick students at random. The truth was she basically had the same students volunteering to read each day and wanted to get the other students more involved.

That day she picked a few people in my class who never volunteered to read a passage out loud. I remember one specific boy she picked. He was a husky guy with brown hair whose hair was combed to the side. I remember the boy specifically because he seemed very uncomfortable. I had seen the boy in between and in other classes. He was usually a confident and humorous kid. It was in this incident I noticed how he seemed to have a hard time reading the passages. It was almost as if it was his first time reading.  I noticed it seemed to be a pattern among the students picked who never volunteered to read. They also reminded me of myself when I was little. They didn’t enjoy reading and it seemed to be a chore for them. As I took real notice for the first time, I recalled the memories of hooked on phonics and the fifteen minute timer which I abhorred. I only just then realized how easily and often I read. I had no trouble understanding what was being said or how to pronounce what was written. I was able to understand unfamiliar words and terms through context in my readings. I took no notice at how an important skill it was within my daily life.  Yet there I was in the classroom watching myself again as a child by looking at these students reading and attempting to discuss and comprehend the passages we were examining in the classroom.

I’m not quite sure why I took extra notice in the classroom setting that day. It was like most other days to be honest. But for some reason it all seemed very familiar and reminded me of my early days of reading. I had later found out both my mother and grandfather had dyslexia. It turns out my grandmother’s deviation from teaching me through my natural curiosity and interest with the forced structure of a timer and flashcards had been to help make sure I never had the same kind of trouble in the class room I saw those other students have. I think now very fondly on those early memories of learning to read. I came to appreciate my ability much more in general when I wanted to know anything others around me had no understanding of.  It is because of my grandmother that I now realize the importance of learning to read. I never had to go through the struggles of failing to understand or comprehend because she had taught me to read. In essence she taught me my independence because I didn’t have to rely on the people around me for information because I could read. My path to literacy and my association with it have been one I didn’t always appreciate. I now understand how important it was. It is because of that literacy she nurtured within me that I am able to attend school and purse a higher education. A higher education which will help me to have the resources I need to have a good career. I will always appreciate now the value of those “unbearable” moments of learning to read.    

Annotation of Literacy: A legacy

The Author starts by telling how her path to literacy begins with her father and tells a specific memory she has with him.pg.132 paragraph 1
 She describes the park and her home life as the setting for her narrative. Luken gives details of her dads background painting a picture of his character and how it caused him to be her influence and guiding force in literacy. pg.133 paragraph 2.
Luken tells the story from her perspective and being a part of the story. "..I vividly  remember as a child  is spending quite a bit of time in public libraries." pg.134 paragraph 5
The point of the narrative is made known in the final paragraph when she describes how her father passed on to her his love of literacy. (pg.136)

How the 5 characteristic features of a narrative will be used in the first essay topic.

For the essay topic I chose to write about my grandmother teaching me to read.

The essay will be a personal narrative that begins with my grandmother encouraging me to do hooked-on-phonics. This is a specific event that illustrates the beginning of my literary education. The story takes place in our second living room where I am learning to read and then moves forward into a class room in English class my Junior year. I will use dialogue and descriptive details of where I was and how I was feeling to make the imagery to come alive. I intend to tell the narrative in the first person from my perspective. The main point of the story will be made apparent as it moves to a moment in English class when I realized how much of an impact my grandmother’s efforts to make sure I knew how to read had helped me more than I was aware up until that point.

The Five Characteristics: (As stated in Every's An Author)

1,) A clearly identified event : What happened? Who was involved ?

2.) A clearly described setting: Where does the story take place?

3.) Vivid, descriptive details : What makes the story come alive

4.) A consistent point of view : Who is telling the story ? (the perspective)

5.) A clear point : Why does the story matter ?

In Class Lab: Literacy Narrative

1.) “Each time I arrived under the bells, I would recite the poem to myself, even when the weather was cold and my breath made the air foggy.” Pg.133 paragraph 2
2.) “But it’s Lydia’s story that stays with me most, probably because it represents the essence of hope and determination in the face of terrible adversity.” Pg. 131 paragraph 12
3.) “Her tongue became dry and her lips were cracked, but she only was aware of being terrified of the water.” Pg.130 paragraph 9

4.) -Reading as a way to learn new things (stuck in the house with limited resources.)                                - Unaware of the impact of learning to read (hooked on phonics, languages, etc.)

5.) The first item on the list shows how access to books and information allowed me to learn a lot about different subjects not easily answered at home. The second idea has to do with my grandmother making my brother and I do hooked on phonics and practicing to read and how later I discovered that not all people had the same level of literacy I developed as a result and how it helped me in ways I was unaware of.

6.) Some audiences may have similar experiences not specifically about learning to read but about education of a particular thing in general that they were not happy about, and how those things they learned had helped them in the long run and may have been something taken for granted. I’d have to explain about my dislike of hooked on phonics etc. and how I came to the awareness that it was something that did help in the long run.

7.) I’d like the audience to see me as sincere. In the narrative I would be attempting to communicate how sometimes things that may be underappreciated can come to be one of the most important parts of their lives.

8.) My narrative will be in print. A picture or two may help in showing how I or another involved may have felt.   The narrative takes place at home and at school. I remember how much I hated the 15 min. timer my grandmother had in which we had to sit and practice reading. I remember how I became aware of how little struggle or issues I had with reading and how I was able to pronounce strange seeming words correctly easier than most (of course some were not always spot on.)  

9.) There were red, orange, and brown carpets with yarn like noodle textures. The colorful tape player with a plastic red and yellow microphone. (it was not for play.)  In the classroom there were white walls with grayish blue and green carpet. Desks with blue chairs attached.

10.) I can still hear the lady on the recording repeating “A-E-I-O-U are vowels, A-E-I-O-U are vowels, and sometimes Y” before the beginning of every hooked on phonics recording.

11.) I can smell the air conditioned air blowing slightly faded perfume from my English teacher.

12.) I feel bored and annoyed (I’d rather go outside and play.) I felt appreciation when I realized how lucky I was to have a grandmother who wanted me to learn to read.

13.) I taste the snack I had in between classes.

14.) My Grandmother was a short frizzy haired lady with a nice smile and smelled often of roses. She worked out in the gardens a lot. She spoke very kindly but also efficiently. The student in my English class had short straight brown hair and was mildly husky. My English teacher was an average height, slender woman with blonde hair. I was small with curly hair and then later average sized with curly brown hair that had some blonde hair mixed in with the brown towards the front of my forehead.

15.)”I don’t want to do this, its boring.” “You just have to do 15 min.” I became aware of how all the extra reading my grandmother attempted to make me do had helped me a lot more than I had previously realized. I assumed most had a certain level of proficiency in reading and comprehension and that I was the average.

16.) In the beginning of being taught to read I was resistant to doing any extra stuff we didn’t learn in class. I had a grandmother who insisted I needed the extra help. Later on it wasn’t until I was in and English class my Junior year that I realized not everyone had the reading comprehension and ability that I had.

17.)  The significance of the story is very personal to me. It not only brings to mind memories of my grandmother who has since passed on, it also reminds me of the significance of appreciating the small moments we often have. Sometimes we may not see the significance of something right away, especially if we are resistant to it. In fact it was many years later, late into my teen years before I realized the significance of those small moments which I resisted so much as a child.

Redefining Rhetoric

After reading the different definitions of rhetoric I discovered that all had in common the theme of communication in their definitions. There was however a definition of rhetoric that brought my attention to rhetoric in relation to the language in which it was used. In giving explanation for my definition of rhetoric I failed to take into account the awareness of other cultural perceptions of things as well. In the definition of rhetoric I gave, I did speak generally about awareness of others thoughts about the subject. While that general definition can technically cover the aspect of cultural awareness in rhetoric, I myself did not think about rhetoric beyond communication in my own language.

Definition of Rhetoric

Rhetoric: effective communication of an idea or concept of a subject; arrived to by the communicator through careful study, thought and consideration of the subject.

       The first part of my definition for rhetoric “effective communication” makes point that in rhetoric one has to take into account whom they are communicating too. Effective communication can only take place when the writer or speaker etc. takes into consideration whom is being spoken too and how to approach or meet that person from their current place of understanding. Knowing where the audience is coming from allows the author to create a path of understanding starting with where the audience is to the point the author wishes to communicate. 

       The second part of the definition for rhetoric involves the process of arriving to the understanding of the subject in which the author communicates. In order to effectively communicate upon a subject one has to first be knowledgeable of the subject. This includes what is understood by others about the subject. The awareness of the diverse opinions and viewpoints of others about the subject allow a person who is thinking and acting rhetorically to have a number of options in tackling a particular subject. That awareness is mentioned in Everyone’s An Author as a part of the process of thinking and acting rhetorically. They summarize a number of steps for thinking and acting rhetorically. The first part “To Listen,” the second “Hear What Others Are Saying-and Think about Why,” the third “What Do You Think- and Why,” the fourth “Do Your Homework,” and the last part of the process “Put in Your Oar,” all call for the careful study, thought, and consideration listed in the definition. 

Class Discussions on Narratives

1,) The similarities of all our blog posts was that seem to all lie within the idea that the main point of Lydia's story was made apparent in the final paragraph/conclusion. We all agree that the story incorporated both first person point of view, and third person point of view as Lydia explained her account of the affects of "the two storms" Brideau made it come alive by using descriptive language of the situation. We agree that the audience was towards health professionals, and the tone suited the audience because she described her observations in a professional way.

2.) In regards to chapter 2, Brideau took into account her audience, who she was writing to, and her purpose for writing the story. The tone could be considered a first person narrative, and the genre is an essay published in a magazine. This was all discussed in chapter 2, as means for rhetorical situations, therefore relating. I.e. she took into account her audience in relation to her purpose which affected her tone thus influencing her to use Lydia's story in the context of the health care field.

3.) Some everyday narratives:

• Coming home from school with a pleasant surprise of a B on a math test you thought you bombed. 
• The car that suddenly tried to pass you as you began merging into the left lane. 
• The phone call that rudely interrupted the nap you took in celebration of your first class being over. 
• The customer you encountered at your job that was just significantly elated to share their own personal stories with you...or vent about the poor service...
• The recount of the quiz you actually didn't have to take. 

4.) Discussion summary: Throughout the day we unknowingly narrate personal stories about out own experiences that occur as or after it's happened. They may also include the purpose of why we did said activity. 

5.) I watched two videos: Tanner Williams on coming out in high school in a very conservative community, and Rosie O'Donnell on coming out, following many life details. 

6.) Discussion summary: Red Carpet Roxies had many people in the video interviewed to tell one narrative about how it gets better, and the "about us" page, was interesting recounting the story of how the project began. A video of Rosie O'Donnell was compelling, as it told about the many milestones she encountered in her life from her mother dying, to the many other influential people who entered her life later on. A video of a teacher was shown, who, while begin gay, the focus on the video was about helping other people, not about how she was helped. 

7.) Discussion summary "comparing narratives:" The intent of narratives is upon bringing awareness to the audience, or bringing them into the reality of a story you're telling. The media effects it in many ways. For example, each person has a different interpretation of writing, whereas in movies, some people may not be able to picture it as well as others, who may for example need the extra visual or audio help. In summary, the approach involves different rhetorical situations. 

List of Narrative heard or told in one day

There are numerous narratives told throughout the day i.e.:
1.)stories of what happened to someone at a grocery store.
2.) what someone watched on tv last night and how they are upset a character died.
3.) Something I accomplished.
4.) Something I remembered or accomplished.

Lydia's Story Questions 1-4 after the text.

1.) What is Brideau's main point, and where in the essay is it indicated ?
The point of the story was to show the conditions and experiences of those whom had been affected by the hurricanes and to make them more personal and real to the reader by telling of one particular story that stuck with her. This is indicated in the final paragraph of the text.
2.)What is the primary point of view from which Brideau narrates "Lydia's Story"? What impact does that point of view have on you as a reader ?
Lydia's story begins in the first person from Brideau's perspective and later in the third person when she explain's the events that Lydia had went through. This impacts the way I experience the story so that I am able to see it through Brideau's eyes and understand the reason she felt privileged to help those whom she was working with.
3.)How does Brideau make the narrative "come alive"? Make a list of words she uses to describe the setting and the characters. How do they appeal to the readers emotions?
Brideau makes the narrative "come alive" by using descriptive language. She uses words like dry, cracked, and cramped to describe Lydia's physical condition and situation. She also uses the word terrified to describe Lydia's feeling as the water came into her house. These descriptive words create a picture that allows the reader to experience in some way the conditions which Lydia went through and feel a part of it.
4.)This was first published in Health Affairs, a journal of health policy thought and research. Who would be the audience for this piece, and how does Brideau's tone suit those readers? Point to specific words and phrases that create that tone.
The audience for this piece would be the readers of Health Affairs, whom are most likely those whom influence and work in the formation of health policy and the study of its effects. Brideaus's tone suits the targeted audience by taking an observational approach as she states the conditions of the surrounding environment which she observed and those whom are involved. In example she writes " Entering the large VFW hall, we were struck by the chemical odor of a cleaning solution so strong that it seemed toxic. The hall had no windows; only fluorescent lighting illuminated the large space." This narrative approach gave the readers an better awareness of the situation in how these people were living and being taken care of in these wards.

Chapter 2 prompt

Within the last week I’ve written a reflection paper for an orientation class, a facebook status update, and completed math homework assignments involving word problems.  Each of these genres of writing all involved different rhetorical situations. For the reflection paper, the assignment required me to consider my thoughts, fears and expectations of going to college. The assignment asked me to write at least 300 words and to relate my college experience for the first week with strategies for tackling college discussed in the class. In this situation I had to communicate to the instructor where I had been, and how I came to where I am to give the reader an understanding of what my personal journey at the college had been like so far. This influenced the tone to be like a personal narrative and give insight into the way I had been thinking. The facebook status update was an open situation. The approach to a facebook status is less formal and structured. A facebook status lets your writing find its own audience amongst your friends or acquaintances. In this case the situation simply requires that I know what I want to speak about can present it in any way that seems fun to me. I can post a picture about something exciting I found, write a poem, or post a video. The audience in this case are the friends I have met. The tone is affected by this genre by causing it to be very casual and informal; such as a quick commentary or thought to a friend. In the case of the math homework my audience was the math instructor. I had to translate the word problems into the mathematical language and explain the logic of my response (answer) to the question using math formulas and strategies. This required me to write in a sequence of events and show a step by step approach to how I arrived to my conclusion. Later I was required to translate the answer I arrived to back into the context of the hypothetical situation presented. The different rhetorical situations influenced the way in which the writing was expressed and influenced its tone, medium of expression, and genre.