Reflection on My RA

I wrote my rhetorical analysis on James Baldwin’s “If Black English Isn’t a Language, then Tell Me, What Is?” In my paper, I discussed how Baldwin uses the three rhetorical appeals in the text. I felt that he used ethos through personal experiences, logos by discussing aspects of American history, and pathos by questioning the definition of “language” and the idea that a language is the common ground for different people. Also, I discussed Baldwin as an author and why he is credible on the subject, who is the intended audience for the piece, and several purposes of the text. I used about one or two quotes from the text to support how Baldwin used the different rhetorical appeals.
Before coming to NAU, I never wrote a rhetorical analysis and I never once heard of the rhetorical appeals. I found it quite difficult to grasp the concept of each appeal and how to properly identify them within a text. But after the exercises we did in and out of class, I was able to fully grasp the idea about the whole thing. I felt that watching Roger & Me helped me the most to understand the whole idea of the rhetorical appeals and why authors use and do not use them. I think it was because the piece was more visual and not just another reading. Also writing the different blogs helped me to understand the concept even more. The blogs are so informal and there isn’t as much pressure writing a blog as there is when writing a paper.
I made a few mistakes in my paper. Some were little grammar and word choice errors, while others dealt with transitions and support of my main ideas. One aspect of my paper that needs to be improved is the use of transition sentences between paragraphs. I did have simple transition sentences at the end or beginning of each paragraph, but they were not strong enough. Because of the lack of good strong transitions, my paper did not flow very well. Another aspect of my paper that needs improvement is the explanations of quotations. In my paper, I included a quote but did not really explain its significance in great detail to the overall main idea. Due to the lack of explanation, my main idea of Baldwin using pathos was questioned.
There are several things I could do for my next paper to ensure that I do not make the same mistakes I did in my rhetorical analysis. To eliminate grammar and word choice errors, I could have another person proof read my paper before I turn it in. The proof reader is able to find errors with grammar and word choice that I would not find if I was to proof read it myself. Also having someone else proof read it could help me with my paragraph transitions and the flow of my paper. On the hand, I am not sure exactly what I can do to with the second mistake I made. It seems so simple that all I need to do is explain the quotes I use more. But it is not that simple. I have always struggled with putting my thoughts into words. There was so much more I wanted to say about Baldwin’s use of pathos, but it just would not come out and I’m not sure what I can do about it. Maybe I can try writing down all of my thoughts beforehand and then later classify them into their appropriate places. Or I could try using an outline to organize all of my thoughts. I am not the type of person to use an outline, but maybe it might help with my little "problem."
Over all I really enjoyed writing the rhetorical analysis. Maybe because I was able to relate to the ideas of Baldwin's essay. Also, because it was a change from the writing that I did before in high school.

"Blotto"

Six ways I have hidden from the light: I am sometimes afraid to speak my mind and express my ideas, especially during class discussions; I have been living in my brother's shadow, I feel that I am always competing with him and I am hardly victorious; I never finished my application to attend the U.S. Air Force Academy, everything was all set and I just needed to finish two things, but I never did; I really haven't made any new friends since I've been here, I guess I'm afraid of being judge; I don't like doing things on my own, I have always had someone beside me for help and guidance; I'm afraid of my potential, I feel everything I have done was average and I never really go beyond what is expected.

A manifesto according to webster.com is a written statement declaring publicly the intentions, motives, or views of its issuer.

I try to face the world with confidence and strength. Why should I worry about what others think about me and why should I not be myself to please others?? I am me and I am perfectly fine with that. I know there will be days, and there has been days, where I question who I am and wonder what others think about me. But the ones who truely love me give me the strength and confidence I need to get through days like that. One day long time from now, I want to look back on my life and know that I did everything I wanted and I did it exactly the way I wanted to. I want to be able to leave this world with no regrets.

Response to Articles

I thought the two articles we read in class were very interesting. The articles, especially the one about the World Trade Organization and China, showed that the trade tax in one country can greatly impact the economy of another country or several other countries. Since China taxed imported car parts and treated them as whole cars, then businesses are encouraged to buy parts made in China because they are cheaper. This causes the makers of the imported car parts to wonder if they should relocate to China and leave workers in America, Canada, and Europe jobless. Leaving workers unemployed also happens when General Motors relocates their plants to different cities. The workers are left jobless and they are not able to provide for themselves or their families. It also has a great impact on the communities surroundin the plants, which we saw in Flint. I understand why China had a high tax on imported car parts. They wanted to encourage local purchasing therefore help their economy. Also, I understand why GM relocates or closes plants. They want to decrease the cost of production and also increase profit. However, I feel that there is a solution out there that will benefit everyone and not leave numerous people unemployed.

Synthesis (Rewrite)

In both the documentary Roger & Me by Micheal Moore and the article "Must the Jobless Also Be Hopeless?" by David Moberg, the issue of unemployment is addressed and shown to the world. Moore's documentary shows the effects on Flint, Michigan after General Motors closes their factories. This left almost the entire town unemployed. The former autoworkers had to move to other cities, resort to lower paying jobs, and basically doing what they had to survive. In the article by Moberg, various examples are given to show unemployment in America. Rather than giving a specific example of the issue, the article tries to concentrate on America as a whole. It discusses the definition of "long-term unemployment," how it effects the society, and different organizations that try to help the unemployed get back into the working environment.One similarity between the two sources is showing that the society/community is also affected by unemployment and the unemployed are not the only ones who suffer. In the article it is said that research has shown that unemployment is connected to higher suicide rates, declining health, more divorces, increased depression and stress, and increased crime and social violence. In the case of Flint, we did see some of the things mentioned as well as others happen. The crime rate in Flint increased so much that a new prison had to be built. Also the environment got so bad that the rat population passed the human population in Flint.Even though there are other similarities between the two sources, there are also differences. One big difference is that the article mentions different organizations and programs that help the unemployed, so they don't have to depend on government funding. These organizations help the unemployed get back into the working environment by educating and informing them about their options and alternatives they have before the lost their jobs. They also help train them in different areas, build the skills they already have, or help them go back to school. These organizations help the unemployed help themselves; they just give them the little push that is needed to start. But in Roger & Me, Moore never really shows any organizations or programs helping the people of Flint. He does show people trying to help themselves by resorting to other jobs and taking lower pay. However, most of these people end up unemployed again after a period of time. There were probably some kind of organizations trying to help the people of Flint, but Moore chose not to show that in his film. Moore did not do this because he had a purpose and message he wanted to tell his audience. So he chose scenes that were related to his purpose and that would appeal to his audience's emotion. He had rhetorical goals.Both Roger & Me and "Must the Jobless Also Be Hopeless?" address the issue of unemployment. Even though they are both from different time periods, they both show that unemployment is a continuous problem that somehow needs to be solved.

"Must the Jobless Also Be Hopeless?"

The article "Must the Jobless Also Be Hopeless?" by David Moberg, discusses unemployment in America. The article first talks about four people, who all had been released from prison and how unemployment was the cause of them being arrested. Because they were unemployed, they had to resort to theft, drug dealing, forgery, and shoplifting. The article continues on describing the people who are unemployed. These people range from non-high school graduates to people with exemplary workers and even people with college degrees. Next, the term "long term unemployment" is defined. To be officially declared long term unemployed, workers have to be unemployed for six months or more. The rate of long-term unemployment has increased since the 1970s. A suprising fact is that long-term unemployment has increased the most for workers with college degrees or experienced workers. The article next describes the affect of unemployment on the society. Research has shown that unemployment is directly linked to higher suicide rates, declining health, more divorces, increased depression and stress, and increased crime and social violence. Unemployment affects all people, regardless of education, skill level, and work history. Then, the articles talks about the middle class and how they are affected by job loss. These workers find it hard to find similar jobs and most resort to multiple jobs, lower wages and part-time jobs. Lastly the article describes various organizations and programs that try to help the unemployed. Groups and organizations like the Michael Barlow Center and Heartland Alliance help people by educating people about resources, alternatives, and options they have before they are laid off and by helping them gain more or different skills.This article about unemployment relates to Michael Moore's Roger & Me by the issue of unemployment itself and everything that comes with it. In the case of Flint, Michigan, 30,000 workers were unemployed. This had an impact on the people and the society, and this is what the article is talking about. Many unemployed people, including those in Flint, had to seek other employment opportunities. Most of them never found jobs within their community or they had to settle for lower wages. Because of unemployment, the people and community were affected. As shown in Flint, crime rates increased, there were more violence, and more and more people were getting evicted. When I read the article's title, I kind of had a different interpretation of what the article was going to be like. I thought that the article was going to discuss different examples of people who were unemployed at point but found different jobs. The article kind of hit that subject but then I thought it mostly talked about the negative side of unemployment instead of giving hope to people that they too can find another job.

Roger & Me

In the documentary Roger & Me, Micheal Moore investigates the the relationship between a big multi-millionare coporation and everyday average people. He uses his hometown of Flint, Michegan to show this relationship by making a documentary about the effects of the closing of General Motor's factories had on the the city, people, and economy in Flint.

One major way Moore uses logos in his documentary is by establishing a "cause and effect" relationship. The cause in this relationship is the closing of the GM plants in Flint and the lost jobs of over 30,000 auto workers. There are many effects in this relationship such as higher unemployment rate, increase in crime, drop in economy, evictions, decrease in population, etc. Majority of this "cause and effect" relationship is implied. Moore never really tells that the many effects occurred because of the plant closing and people losing their jobs. The audience is expected to come to the conclusion that this and that happened because the plants closed. One example of this infered relationship is that many bunnies had to die because the plants closed. Another way Moore uses logos is by getting expert testimony on the whole situation. He interviews various people that were directly affected with the closing of the plants, which was basically the whole entire town of Flint in exception to the rich. He also interviews various employees of the GM organization.

A big belief that is shown by Moore throughout this movies is that the GM company is in debt to the people and town of Flint. Moore believes that since Flint is the hometown of the automobile company then GM owes the town and its people. That was the whole reason why this documentary was made. He felt it was his responsibility or duty to the town and people to bring Roger Smith, the chairman of GM, to Flint and get what was owed to the them. I don't think that Moore's belief is very logical. Of course, some companies like GM would have been more that happy to help the town and people if they were in the same situation. But that is not the main purpose of a company. Just like Tom Kay, a representative for GM, said a company main purpose is to make a profit and not honor its hometown. This is so true. It may be harsh for GM to close its factories and put thousands of people out of work. But they do what they do so they can make a profit. It may not seem right, but that is just reality.

"Passing Before Life's Very Eyes"

Wolfgang uses pathos in the pictures and texts throughout his comic strip. In the beginning, the pictures are pretty confusing and the storyline is hard to follw because there is no text. But as the story continues and text is given, the story and purpose become clearer. Wolfgang first uses pathos at the beginning of the text by showing several pictures of an old man dying in a hospital bed. When I saw these pictures, I became a little sad. It reminded me of several grandfathers of mine that also passed away of old age in hospitals. It also made me wonder about what kind of life this old man lived and just what kind of person he was. The next couple of pictures shows the man's spirit leave his body and take a journey through his life.

They say that your life flashes before your eyes right before you die and this is true for the old man. But instead of seeing his life from when he was young to when he gets old, his spirit travels the opposite way. This whole idea of "life before your very eyes/memory lane" special as the comic calls it is another way Wolfgang uses pathos. Many people have different ideas and feelings about what you experience right before you die and this whole idea is kind of controversial. I personally believe that it is based on your religious views and the upbringing of a person.

As the comic continues, the old man's spirit realizes that some of his memories are different and not as he recalls them. He sees a dream he had all the time as a kid then it changes to something he don't remember at all. He wonders if it's a dream or if he actually died. His younger self tells him that he is dying and the whole "memory lane" is just his mind distracting him from the fact that he soon to be dead. His younger self also tells him that everything just turns black and it's just over, nothing else happens and he doesn't go to heaven. This is also another way the author uses pathos. Once again, everyone has their own ideas about where you go after you die. Saying that everything just goes black and it's just over and you don't go to heaven would strike up different emotions of the audience. Some people would agree with this idea while others would be appalled by the fact that there is no heaven.

The comic strip ends with several pictures showing the old man and his younger self turning into different things such as bees, tap dancers and distorted disney characters. I do not understand the purpose of these pictures. But in the last two pictures the man's younger self says, "Though now that I actually consider it-it probably doesn't fade to black...more than likely, things just sort of". Leaving the audience hanging also would be another way Wolfgang uses pathos. This creates curiosity in the reader. They wonder what happens if things don't fade to black. I like that Wolfgang left the end out because it makes me able to fill the end in myself. The reader is able to fill in their own idea about what happens when you die and where you go. It also makes me wonder if finding those answers is important. Maybe just the fact that you lived your life the way you wanted is what matters the most.

"Southland"

I found it quite difficult to understand the reading. I had to read it several times and look up certain words to fully grasp the meading of the piece. But after reading "The Southland" by Henry Miller, I wanted to travel to the southern states and experience first hand what Miller was describing. I have traveled to the several of the southern states before, but I was young and really didn't know about the history and importance of some of the places we visited. Miller chooses great words that allows the reader to create various images about the vast land. The use of imagery and diction makes the reader think that Miller is a credible author about this subject. He writes as if he has lived in the south his entire life and knows about its history, places and people. Miller appeals to his readers' emothions by talking about the war between the South and the North. Everyone has different opinions and feelings toward the subject of war. Once again, Miller uses imagery and diction to appeal to audience's emotions by using words and phrases like, "...when I stand beside the graves of the dead in our own South the horror of war assials me with desolating poignancy."Miller aslo uses logos when he talks about the different battlefields and other historical places.