Two Sisters Tragic Story Summary and Analysis

In the video the Parents of Shauna and Megan Murphy detail the tragedy that happened to their daughters. They explain that they had gone to a party and gotten drunk, afterwards deciding to drive while incapacitated. The two sisters and their friend got into a car crash, only the friend survived. Finally they promote their organization that gives free rides to drunk people in order to promote safe driving.

This video was designed with the purpose of persuading watchers to never drink and drive and to also make sure their family and friends do the same. The video mostly utilizes Pathos in order to sway the hearts of the watchers. Some examples are how the parents are always on the verge of tears, a sad looking dog sits between the two parents, the only survivor appearing regretful, and dramatic black and white transitions. Ethos is also used to make the two sisters seem more real to the watchers, making their story seem like it can happen to even the average person. Ethos is built through anecdotes on the sisters, home videos of them as children, and photographs of them not long before the crash. All of these make the sisters seem like people you could have known, making the tragedy seem like it could happen to you and those around you. Some Logos was also included at the end when  describing their company. They explained that it gave free rides, no questions asked, in order to keep drunk people from driving and putting people's lives in danger.

In Class Analysis 11/9

Thesis: Advertisements generally strive to bring groups of people to consensus, appealing strongly to their emotions.
Peace Symbol Analysis.
The overall statement of both buttons is to reject war, and provide support for peaceful means of reaching agreement.
They make their statement through visual representation.
Left Button
· The “melty” font of the statement creates the allusion of a melting heart, or one open to suggestions.
· The circular peace symbol could represent the world, further explaining the buttons point for world peace. The outside ring is circular, meaning that it has no endpoints. This can be related to an eternity symbol.
Right Button
· The peace symbol stands out against the black background. Putting down any thoughts of war.
· The bold font makes their statement more prominent and credible.


Symbols of Patriotism
Eagle
· The bald eagle is the nation’s national mascot.
· The flag coupled with the eagle creates an even greater plea for patriotism. Seeing that the flag has been known to represent our country for ages. It an added sense of loyalty and pride.
· The piercing eye is ever watchful. In protecting its citizens and holding them accountable for their loyalty.
Bulldog
· The English bulldog is Great Britain’s National mascot.
· The dog standing on the flag is expressing protection.
· Seems larger than its surroundings making it a more dominant force in the world..
French Wall
· It’s the national motto of France.
· Set in stone.
· Camera gives the effect that they are watching over their people and keeping an eye on other countries.
· The parallel line create a feeling of steadiness and reliability.
· Brotherhood sets the image that they are all equal.

Reading Sources Critically

The argument the author makes is that white people cannot say the n-word. He uses examples of how other races i.e. jewish comedians may use “derogatory” jokes about themselves but if someone whom was not of that culture made those jokes they would be considered racist towards that particular community.



I find the argument to be quite persuasive. The arguments he makes are very clear; you can talk about your people, but no one else should. essentially saying jokes towards your group doesn't necessarily mean that other people from outside your group can make the same jokes toward your group.



The author’s stance is mainly towards common group relations and the use of certain language and speech toward other groups. Author also acknowledged rednecks and jewish people and the humor related to those two groups and how they can be considered offensive if miss used.



The publisher brings the stance of cultural diversity to the college at which he is presenting (Boston College.)



I do recognize the idea that you shouldn’t joke about a community that you’re not a part of. If you aren’t Jewish, you shouldn’t make Jewish jokes, etc.



This source supports my position because I personally feel that if you aren’t part of that community, or have not been personally slighted, then you have no right to try to reclaim words that have been used as slurs.


I can tell that the intended audience are those of different cultural backgrounds other than those of the African American community, and the purpose is to bring awareness of the cultural diversity and etiquette.

Pg. 66 Lab

This ad appeals to me because it makes its point through provoking thought instead of explicitly stating its position. This gun control ad states "One child is holding something that's been banned in America to protect them. Guess which one." The purpose of of the text is to make people immediately assume it is the gun that  has been banned since it  is clearly more dangerous than the dodge ball, but after thinking thinking they will realize it is the other way around and question why that is. The shocking image of a child holding a gun draws the eyes to the image and encourages people to give attention to it. The high contrast of the children's clothes in comparison to the drab background brings attention to them and the green on the left and orange on the right gives of a sense of duality just like the argument for or against gun control. If I were to revise it for an audience of academics I would incorporate statistics in order to give supported logic to the ad. If I were to revise it for a video format, I would narrate the text instead of having it on the screen and I would add a slight amount of motion to the ad to keep peoples eyes focused on it.

"Guess Which One," Moms Demand Action, 15 Apr.
       2013. JPEG File. Web. 5 Nov. 2015.


This ad is appealing because it uses repetition of a powerful sentence to get a point across. The prominent gun in the center draws the eyes and the constitution behind it gives credibility to the ad, if the audience is american using the constitution to back up your argument will be very effective. Having We the People in large text in the upper left also has a powerful effect. The use of red text after 4 lines of white text helps to bring attention back to the thesis of the ad, which is gun rights shall not be infringed. The final line is also very powerful because it directly challenges any dissent among the audience. If this ad were for an audience of mothers I would make it less insulting and not feature a threatening looking gun in the center. If this were in video format I would have close up shots of the 2nd amendment, highlighting "shall not be infringed."

Farnan, Ed. "Shall not infringe." Downing Post News,
      15 Apr. 2013. JPEG File. Web. 5 Nov. 2015



This Star Wars Meme was on Facebook as a meme about politics. I chose it because I found it interesting as it depicts the differing perceptions of those involved in the political process. The meme is appealing because it presented the topic of politics in a humorous way. It uses characters from the Star Wars franchise to make the point of the way in which individuals on differing sides of the issues perceive each other as it relates to their political candidate positions. The meme uses familiar characters from the franchise and uses their most associated characteristics to relate to the audience the point of how they may be being perceived. The third point of view that is addressed is how those whom are not directly involved in the political discussions that may be taking an outside perspective may see the issue. This is the view that is being communicated by the use of the characters from the franchise. The use of fictional characters allows the reader to to take the outside viewers perspective that the author is attempting to communicate.



Tommiesmonkies. How you See Your Candidate. September 2015. imgur


The quote about the differences between love and like to illustrate a particular perspective by
the author of the image was appealing because it uses an image to illustrate the understanding
of the the meaning between the differences based on the quote. The poster itself uses the image of the watering of a flower such as referred to in the quote by the Buddha. I like how the author of the
image used a quote from someone who explained it clearly them self as opposed to simply stating it them self. The quote is also from a well known figure. I would have made the artwork or image of the flower being watered show a little more by adding a little color to the flower that is being watered. In this way it would show more effectively the underlying meaning of how "love" nurtures what is loved as opposed to the mere collecting of the object that is liked.


The Mind Unleashed. The Difference Between Like and Love. 6 August 2015. Facebook.

Pg. 62 Post

Myself

During political discussions

Talking about which game is the best

Talking about opinions on other people

Deciding which foods to eat

Deciding which way to take to school

When writing an essay

When siding with someone in an argument

Talking about which song is better

Talking about which movie is better

Talking about which TV show is better

When deciding how to spend money

During a discussion about what the project group will do

Others

When others take a political position

When others talk about which media item is the best

When others talk about their opinions on people

When defending their point of view

When deciding the best way to spend money

When discussing what a group should do

Peer Paper #2 Review

In Response to Clifford’s Analysis

1. The opening captures the audience attention by stating the earth’s resources have been decreasing and by mentioning environmental movements we have all heard of.

2. The subject description meets what is necessary and occasionally excels past it.

3. From what I can tell the targets of the ads are the American people in general.

4. The point of the essay, which is we should all work to save the environment, is somewhat unclear in the beginning but is well defined in the conclusion

5. The evidence provided is sufficient, the analysis makes ample use of historical evidence and logical arguments.

6. The sources listed, such as “Maine Woods”, seem credible enough.

7. Other perspectives are occasionally considered

8. The tone seems to be a positive call to action, accurately conveying the stance that we should work to save the environment.

9. The analysis seems to be effectively designed, the images are clear and the body paragraphs analyze them well.

10. The analysis is organized decently but the transitions are sometimes lacking.

11. The style is appropriate

12. The conclusion is well done and fits fluidly into the analysis

13. The title states clearly what the analysis is about and the portion of the title in parenthesis, “Trendy or True?” does well to draw in readers.

Response to Joshua Rentz’s Analysis

1. There is no clear question for the analysis, although one is not necessary for its subject

2. The opening captures the audience’s attention by beginning with an anecdote. Next it defines the analysis’ stance on the environment and makes clear what it will center on.

3. The subject is described in sufficient detail.

4. The insights on the ads are stated explicitly and are well supported and completely acceptable.

5. The point of the analysis is clear, that we should attempt to conserve the environment, and is stated in the introduction.

6. The evidence provided is good. The use of historical context, statistics, and logical arguments give strong support to the essays claims.

7. URL’s and the advertisements themselves are included and seem to be credible.

8. Other perspectives are not directly stated although the analysis does seem to imply them.

9. The tone seems mostly neutral with a slight bias towards positive or a call to action. It does well to convey the stance.

10. The design of the analysis is effective although the images themselves should be moved next to the body paragraphs that analyze them.

11. The style is semi-casual. It is somewhat appropriate but it could stand to be more formal to better fit the subject.

12. The conclusion is somewhat sparse currently.

13. The title makes it clear that the analysis will revolve around a subject that will affect the future but it does not explicitly state what that subject

Taking Stock Essay 2

1. To analyze the ads I examined each line of text to try to discern the reason the advertisers included them, how do they persuade the audience?. I used a similar process for the images although I examined colors and positions of the subjects instead of text.
2. I began drafting my essay by writing down everything I could examine from the three ads. Next I wrote a general thesis for which my essay would center around. After that I began to string together all the observations into coherent paragraphs. Finally I made the introduction, conclusion, and smoothed the transitions.
3. I feel my analysis was decently organized. To improve it I could make my thesis more prominent in the introduction and also improve the overall transitions within the analysis.
4. I believe I provided sufficient evidence, although most of it was based on logic so I may include historical documents to support the assumptions.
5. I believe my overall examinations of the advertisements was well done.
6. I could improve my Introduction greatly and also my transitions.
7. My visuals were the ads, they added quite a bit because they were what most of my writing was on.
8. The reader responses made it apparent my introduction and title need to be reworked
9. Next time I would choose ads with a bit more scope because writing almost entirely on race for the analysis probably began to bore my readers.
10. Overall I am pleased with my analysis, I don't particularly want to pursue any other soap ads but I might consider reading more of Rudyard Kipling's works to better understand the perspective of the time.
11. The analyzing skills I gained from this assignment will be very useful in future jobs and the entirety of my academic career. The technical writing skills gained will be useful in the same areas.