In his bestseller, Blink, Malcom Gladwell digs deep into the
human conscience and discovers the true reasoning for why we think the way we
do. In his 2nd nonfiction book regarding psychology, he discusses the quick
judgments that people make and why they occur. In response to his first novel,
The Tipping Point, many people have wondered why the sociological changes in
everyday life happen, and he addresses these people and enlightens them with
facts, stories and questions to think about, dealing with human intuition and
its effect on the world. He then wants his audience to act in response to their
judgments, whether it be a change in mindset or a change in perspective. In
order to educate his audience about "the power of thinking without
thinking", Gladwell uses anecdotes and quotes from credible sources
throughout the entire text. The anecdotes really made the entire book quite
intriguing and he talks of a variety of different things, including marriage
counseling, food tasters, and the seemingly never-ending Coca-cola vs. Pepsi
battle. One towards the end of the book talked of gender equality in symphonies
and how in the past, conductors believed that men just sounded better than
women. He says, " Musicians were identified not by name but by number.
Screens were erected between the committee and the auditioner… and as these new
rules were put in place around the country, an extraordinary thing happened:
orchestras began to hire women" (250). This is a prime example of how the
snap judgments of others have a major effect on society, one of Gladwell's
central arguments. He quotes various sources, thus appealing to ethos.
Regarding the symphony anecdote, he uses quotes from established musicians,
quoting, " 'The very first time the new rules for auditions were used, we
were looking for four new violinists,' remembers Herb Weksleblatt, a tuba
player for the Metropolitan Opera in New York… 'And all of the winners were
women. That would simply never have happened before. ' " By using quotes
from those with firsthand experience, he establishes his credibility and
appeals to ethos throughout the entire text. I found this entire book very
interesting, and I do believe Gladwell achieved his purpose. His countless
examples made it easier for the reader to relate and I found myself
reconsidering my intuition and snap judgments. Throughout Blink, Malcolm
Gladwell encourages readers to consider their mindsets and discusses the
importance of acting if a change needs to be made.
Sunday, October 26, 2014
Sunday, October 19, 2014
Tow #7 - "Meet Joko Widodo"
In the profile piece
of Joko Widodo, Hannah Beech introduces the new leader. The recently elected
7th president of Indonesia, Joko Widodo or Mr. Jokowi for short, will be sworn
into office on October 20th, 2014 and in this piece, is described in great detail.
Hannah Beech, an established journalist and the Southeast Asia Bureau Chief for
Time Magazine, appears to be introducing Mr. Jokowi to the entire world, in
order for everyone to become familiar with the new leader and his practices.
She uses direct quotes from the president himself and other credible sources in
order to establish credibility and intense diction to emphasize the seriousness
of the role that he is taking on. She uses these strategies to present the new
president to the world. One important quote from the president was his
description of his life with his family. Beech quotes, " 'My family, we
worked very hard for basic human needs, like food, education, health care,' He
says. 'That’s why I know from my experience that democracy must deliver a
better life to the people.' " In this direct quote from the president,
Beech illustrates his willingness to work hard and how he really understands
what many of his citizens are going through, only increasing his want to help
them and proving him to be a man of the people. She also quotes other sources,
like Ernest Bower, chairman for the
southeast Asia studies at the center for strategic and international studies
(CSIS). He said, " ' My gut tells me history is going to call on Jokowi to
provide leadership and he will fulfill it.' " This powerful quote
emphasizes the belief that Jokowi will be successful as president and displays
the faith that many people have in him and his practices. Beech also uses very
strong words, which constantly changes the tone of the piece. When describing
many of the problems in Indonesia, she used words like, flustered, issues,
challenges, aggressively, and vulnerable, giving that section a very tense and
serious tone. These are just a few examples of her intense diction which
affects the entire tone of the profile. I think that Beech definitely achieved
her purpose. After reading, I felt much more educated not only about Jokowi,
but about the entire archipelago of Indonesia and its economy and culture. This
profile effectively introduced the new leader to the world and the world looks
forward to seeing what he will achieve as the President of Indonesia.
Sunday, October 12, 2014
Tow #6: "Asphaltisation" - visual text
In
this powerful advertisement, titled "Asphaltisation", SAMU social
displays the biggest struggle that homeless people face, trying to get off of
the streets, in a very literal way. This French humanitarian emergency service
company is active in cities all over France and the rest of the world,
providing care and supplies to homeless people or those who are in "social
distress". Through this advertisement, they address those who may be at
risk of becoming homeless and those who have the potential to help people who
are in living on the streets. SAMU social appeals to pathos and dark coloring
in an attempt to illustrate the severity and the struggles of living life on
the streets and to inspire people to lend help to these less fortunate people.
Pictured in the ad are an old man and a dog, both embedded in the cement of a
sidewalk, looking very depressed and tired. In the corner, it says in French,
" The longer you live on the streets, the harder it is to get off
it.", thus explaining why they are pictured, enveloped in the concrete.
Both elderly people and dogs are groups that people tend to feel emotional
towards and to see them struggling is very sad to look at. The elderly man is
not wearing proper shoes and appears to be struggling to keep his eyes open.
The image of them sinking into the soil is very powerful and quickly grasps
people's attention. This strategic use of pathos is an attempt to evoke
sympathy in those who see the ad and it makes them want to help the unfortunate
man and dog. They also use very dark colors, giving the advertisement a gloomy
and dark vibe. Both of these strategies used in the ad help SAMU social's
attempt to achieve their purpose, by grasping the attention of their audience
and by giving the entire ad a sad feeling. I think that the service company
definitely achieved their purpose. When I saw this ad, I immediately felt bad
for both the man and the dog and I wanted to help them, no matter what. In
Asphaltisation, SAMU social effectively depicts a major struggle of the
homeless and inspires people to lend help to those on the streets.
Sunday, October 5, 2014
Tow #5 - Now Arriving - The Deadly Ebola Virus Lands in America
In
Now Arriving - The Deadly Ebola Virus Lands in
America, David Von Drehle highlights the frightening fact that Ebola has
finally come to the United States. A successful author and journalist for Time
Magazine, Drehle explains the outbreak story in vivid detail and its potential
impact on the rest of the country. Addressing American citizens, he writes in
an attempt to educate them about the deadly virus and its side effects, and to
explain how it found its way to the U.S. In this piece, David Von Drehle
appeals to logos and ethos and uses figurative language in order to achieve his
purpose. Throughout the article, he appeals to logos and uses various facts and
statistics, explaining the significance of the virus. He says, "With more
than 3,300 people dead in the growing West African epidemic, the arrival of
Ebola in the U.S. is indeed unnerving news". This number illustrates the
effect of Ebola on people in other countries and how it has the potential to
majorly affect the U.S. He also gives basic facts about Ebola, including,
" Patients are contagious only when they are suffering symptoms: fever,
muscle aches, vomiting and so on." By stating basic side effects, he
attempts to educate his audience about what cases of Ebola may look like and
what they should look for. He also appeals to ethos, by using many quotes, from
very credible sources, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC), Texas Governor, Rick Perry and even President Obama. These pieces of
information used by Drehle, help him establish his credibility and
trustworthiness to his readers, giving his argument more weight. He also uses
figurative language, including metaphors, in an attempt to achieve his purpose.
When talking of containing the case, he says, "It can be tedious work,
though, and it is only as good as the front-line caregivers who are the point
of the spear". The author seemingly compares the containment of Ebola with
fighting a tough battle, with "the front line caregivers", being
doctors acting as soldiers fighting the virus, and "the front of the
spear", being the direct attack of the issue. This metaphor helps
illustrate the importance of Ebola and the difficulty it will take to
extinguish it from the United States. I think that Drehle achieved his purpose
during this piece. Before reading, I did not have a great idea of what kind of
virus Ebola is and what its side effects are. Now, I am much more educated on
the subject and I know what to look for, in the case that Ebola spreads
throughout the country. In this Global Health Article, David Von Drehle
effectively describes Ebola to American citizens, and discusses the importance
of the problem it proposes.
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