Final Assignment

I think this photo is ironic because there is caution tape around the sign that says “Stop and think”. This image represents a problem that we have in our society today. We are too afraid to step out of our own shoes and accept reality. I think we all ignore a lot going on and we lose that sense of placement in the world when we do. I think it invokes pathos because of the representation of an unfortunate issue, logos because it presents an awareness about our fear of expanding our minds, and finally ethos because as a college student and the ad being for a university, I have a strong connection to today’s disconnected youth.

I thought this photo was interesting because by seeing only the man’s back, it invokes pathos because as the viewer you feel curious to see what the man looks like. What is his facial expression, happy or sad? I quickly thought that the scene represents that as you get older you begin to sit back and see the world pass in front of you full speed like you once were a part of. 

I think that this image has the most pathos of all my photos. I get a total sense of abandonment and isolation, even though this homeless woman is in the center of a major city. Because there are no other people in the shot, it emphasizes how alone she must feel. 

I enjoyed writing the final paper because I liked learning more specifics about my topic: the push for organic foods and primarily it’s effect on our health. When you’re able to write about something that you try to live by as much as possible, it is interesting and writing feels much more natural. It was a bit more challenging though having to find research and cite sources after all of our other papers came mostly from our own experiences and ideas. I think that overall it helped me strengthen my feelings for a social cause and be able to put into writing for someone else who maybe knows nothing about it.

Michael Moore response

Watching Moore’s documentary, I was captivated by the unfortunate downfall of the town of Flint. I felt several different emotions throughout the film as it explored all aspects of the situation. It was very sad to see the 30,000 something people of the town of Flint suddenly lose their jobs. With Flint’s pride in GM and their glorious town all crash abruptly I could feel the sense of grave emptiness that Moore was trying to convey. Yet, when the topic shifted to the cause of all the grief, Roger Smith, I became frustrated and ticked off. When Smith does not own up to what he has done and uses his assistants to just get rid of Moore, you want someone to put this guy in his place.

I think GM  is directly responsible for the economic downfall of Flint because they were the town’s source of life. The loss of 30,000 jobs is the main reason why the town’s economy fell apart and the residents were left to either scrounge for another job or be unemployed. The rest of the town’s businesses followed suit as they couldn’t survive in the town any longer.

Moore uses many rhetoric devices to get his point across and these tactics are what makes his films resonate so well. We see a ton of ethos because he is narrating the film with the information and facts that explain the clips and images we are watching. Pathos is very abundant, I think mostly when the guy is serving the eviction to the poor family in the end of the movie and the mother is screaming while the children are looking around confused. This is all happening on Christmas Eve and it keeps switching between this heartbreaking scene and Roger Smith’s joyous speech about the magic of Christmas. Logos is also used.. For example, when he speaks with all of the GM people to try to get to Smith,  he uses a lot of reasoning and lays out the clear situation for them yet they keep dodging it all.

Ehrenreich, Mantsios, and Moore share very common themes between them. They all convey this idea that the struggles of the working class are overseen by those higher up in the class system. Ehrenreich goes through a personal experience of delving into a minimum-wage life and shows how you don’t know what it’s like until you’re in it. Mantsios proves that the top 1 percent are in so much control of the economy and those at the bottom are totally ignored. Moore gives us these images when we see the contrast between Roger Smith and his CEO lifestyle and the poor people that were left in the dark by his decisions.

"Class in America"

I don't necessarily believe that Mantsios is making a case that the wealthy are exploiting the poor. It does not seem that it is the wealthy people's fault. From the quotes from the rich women in the text, it does not seem as if they really understand any correspondence between their status and that of the rest of the lower income world. I think Mantsios is trying to make awareness about the skewed sense of reality that our country has. We can turn on our TVs and see the glamorous lives of rich celebrities and reality stars and think that that is the essence of America, but it is not. In the media, we are more influenced by that top 1 percent, than the other 99 percent of people to the point where you forget about the poverty amoungst and near ourselves.

I think Mantsios would like to see change in government and how the economy is ran. It would be beneficial to find ways to close that huge wealth ratio of 12 to 1, by initiating opportunities for lower class people to make a change in their lives and build more substantial careers.

Modern Family Response

Modern Family does a great job of breaking the barrier of making atypical family structure more mainstream in society and culture. By weaving three different family structures together in one show they are able to achieve an understanding that however a family is constructed, they all have similar issues, problems, and feelings in life in such a light and hilarious way. 

I think that the show would not have been accepted ten years ago, and maybe a bit ahead of it’s time five years ago. Society is now at a point where we are most aware of the evolution family structure is making. Gay marriage is at forefront of the countries debates and divorced couples are more present than ever. The way Modern Family conveys these emerging family structures is so equally seamless that ten years ago I don’t think people would have accepted such “alternate” lifestyles on TV as if they were “normal”. Today, the show is so popular because everyone is craving that idea of freeness and acceptance. 

I feel that the show somewhat portrays family life in America. I think that there are plenty of relatable connections that real families can make with the show like the lessons about family that come out of each episode. Though overall, the families are a bit grandiose at times. It is kind of obvious that the families are more upper-class which may make some people a bit more disconnected. A show that I think may more accurately portrays the everyday middle-class family is the show that comes on before Modern Family, called The Middle. Although they have a typical nuclear family set-up, they do a great job of showing the flaws and everyday issues that a working family has and making them so real and recognizable. From the dirty house to the broken washing machine to always showcasing the imperfections of parent-kid-family relationships in a hilarious way.

"What is Marriage?"

I thought “What is Marriage” was a good article, that showed a lot of evolution from beginning to end. At the start, it explains the very basic details of marriage and showing its roots in history. He chronicles how marriage has grown and taken place in society since centuries ago when it was barely recognized. He talks about the meaning and benefits of being married and how it makes life much easier and rewarding. Soon he gets to the purpose of the writing which is to show that the evolution of marriage is now at a stand-still as gay couples can still no longer get married. I liked how he gave a detailed glimpse into multiple gay couples who are affected by the restriction. It helped convey his message relatable and emotional in otherwise a primarily dry and informational article.

I think that this article did need more for the audience to become attached to earlier on in the text, but I understand his meaning behind writing in that style. He wanted to maximize the abundance of reasons why marriage is needed between two people in love. He wanted to capitalize on these reasons without bringing up his message just yet and get the reader conscious about the complete idea of marriage so that it would back up his purpose. Rather than opening with the couples stories immediately, he made the reader remember all the opportunities married people may take for granted when detesting gay marriage. In the end, he used an effective mix of fact and emotion to create a full understanding of the need for equal rights to marry.

Labels

I have been given multiple labels throughout grade school and high school. Primarily, I was known as the “nice guy” for many years. I tried to be friends with everyone and not cause any kind of conflict or drama that others did. This label isn’t a problem for me and I don’t try to defy it because I think that being a good person is rewarding in many ways and makes people look at you with respect. I want to continue being the “nice guy” because it makes life more peaceful and more fulfilling. I also have been labeled the “over-achiever” by friends and teachers, because for some assignments and projects I put a lot of work into it to make it the way I wanted it to be. I think that this label isn’t really accurate. I am more of a perfectionist and it sometimes can be frustrating to feel like I have to work so much when it probably isn’t required. The label has made me feel like I needed to work harder on everything in the future to stay at certain standard of my previous work otherwise. I also have also occasionally been labeled as “boring” in grade school and early high school. This would hurt me a bit because I know that isn’t true yet I was shy and that sometimes restricted me from loosening up around new people that I hadn’t been close with. This led me to at certain times try to stand out and be crazy just to show new people that I am fun to be around. But, when I tried doing this, it wasn’t natural and didn’t work. All of these labels have definitely formed my identity and probably are large chunks of it. Furthermore, I think they have currently helped me recognize who I am and become aware when I stray away of just being me and doing what I want to do.

Social Class Response

It makes perfect sense that amongst these different schools, kids come from a certain economical background in which they grow up in relation to their surroundings and parents. The teachers treat these kids with as much mental and physical independence that they believe they can successfully handle in relation to the world they live in outside the school. If students are encouraged to express creativity and free-thought, this would most likely mimic the abilities of people within their social class who use these abilities to go after their dreams and have an enlightened attitude of the world. Whereas students who are taught rote memorization most likely come from a lower social class where the basis of supporting one’s self relies on a job and outlook on life where they are told how to do something and need to memorize and practice until they can repeatedly do it very well. There is no idea of breaking down the barriers to strive for something beyond.

At the conclusion of Anyon’s writing, she states how the differences in schooling help to reproduce the certain systems of relations in society. I had been thinking that that was the purpose of the passage the whole time I was reading it. If a student in the working-class school is growing up in near poverty with parents working full-time minimum wage jobs, possibly without the consistent attention and care of their parents, the teacher caters to that lifestyle by restricting the student to what she thinks is attainable and realistic regarding his upbringing. Thus, he would probably grow up having only the capacities to achieve the same or little more than what his parents were able to. On the other hand, in the executive elite schools, the children are taught with extremely profound thought and awareness from obviously an early age, not just learning but analyzing and applying their knowledge, initiating a path for them to be able to have a superior edge in the working world, just like their parents who expect them to achieve as they have themselves. I think that this is a generally accurate approximation of education’s influence on society, which is why it is so poor in the country right now. There needs to be more balance, with equal opportunity presented to all students regardless of their current economic background. 

Memoir Reflection

Writing the memoir was not an easy thing to do. It was a challenge to try and go back in time, trying to identify the significance in past events and determine how they have influenced me. I think that I tend to brush off certain events and think that they are no big deal when they really do affect me deep down. It takes some effort to come to terms with these feelings and then write them out. In the end though, this process has made it very rewarding. I can see myself in a bit of new light by dissecting all of it in a memoir. When memories are written out in front of you, they suddenly become existent again. When it is just in your head, it’s almost like you can just pretend it didn’t happen, but in words it is concrete and present. Writing the memoir has helped me be more direct in opening my mind and thoughts. I’m not as nervous, yet more curious in connecting my memories to my current personality.

"I Just Wanna Be Average" Response

I have definitely come across teachers like those that Rose discusses in “I Just Wanna Be Average”. The teachers that have little interest in making education meaningful, and instead make it continuously dull. My high school history teacher, Mr. Banwart is a good example. None of us had the mental stamina to pay attention as he’d turn off the lights everyday and turn on the meaningless daily flow of usually sixty powerpoint slides that he admitted he stole from some other teacher on the internet. He was sort of a funny guy but was extremely conceited. He found enjoyment in listening to our ideas of activities to do in class and then shooting them down with a demeaning smile. Since he couldn’t understand that we were so bored and didn’t have the mental stamina to pay attention to his lectures, we’d get poor grades and skim by anyway we could. It was sad that we were craving enthusiasm that he wouldn't give, leaving us to believe that we just weren’t disciplined enough to follow our “grade-level curriculum”. We easily could of learned all he taught but his mindset wasn’t on what’s most effective, but what takes the least amount of effort for him. If he wasn’t going to try, why should we? Teachers don’t always care about how they teach or who they’re teaching to, even though it’s their job.

Students like Ken Harvey cope with the pressures of high school by ignoring them like they don’t care and it’s not important. Because they have never been able to make that connection with what they’re learning they are left in the dust, year after year. After so many failed attempts at learning, they feel like the don’t belong or don’t have a reason to be there and stop caring. They begin to just plan out getting a mediocre job and living an average lifestyle. They become so content with that and teachers misjudge all of it as laziness or carelessness. There is always reasoning behind everything people think about themselves and teachers like Mr. Banwart, that you encounter since first grade, don’t realize that they are the ones to blame!

"Becoming Members of Society" Response

Devor discusses how the “generalized other” influences our development of a gender identity. The term means that we judge our own actions against those of generalized conceptions of how members of society are expected to act. With this in place, we monitor and censor our actions so that we earn social approval. I thought it was interesting how he writes the “self” is composed by the more internal and private “I” and the more public and judged “me” I agree with this idea because the characteristics of “I” are what truly make a person who they are, but we morph ourselves to create a certain “me” to portray to others because we feel that our “I” may not be good enough or perceived well by others.

The “patriarchal schema” that Devor explains is widely in use in North American society. It shows how males are highly attributed and are the dominant person in a family and in the world. They display features of innate maleness through aggression, body presence, and speech. On the other hand, women are known to be dependent on males because they are ones who have a warm and soft personality, gentleness, and motivation to care for children and work in female roles only. Furthermore, the way both genders dress is a huge characteristic that separates the male type from the female type. The schema reinforces and perpetuates the idea that when it comes to gender roles, males are superior to females.

Memoir Blog Post

The hot Florida sun was setting as my brother Mikey and I, in our swimsuits, climbed up the steps into the line for the orange, corkscrew waterslide. I was thirteen years old, which would have made him about eleven. Another family vacation, this time to Orlando for Universal Studios. We stayed at the Nickelodeon hotel which was a colorful and cheery place, surrounded by Spongebob and every other cartoon character you could think of. Mikey loved it. He’d go off walking around the whole place, laughing as he gazed up at the life-size pictures of every funny character he saw on TV.  My dad would follow behind him twenty steps back, keeping a distant eye on him since every time he’d try to catch up with him, Mikey would shake his head and shoo him away. Then keep walking as he wanted his independence as he explored the place. 

My parents do a great job of handling Mikey and not putting any stress on my sister and I. Often, that’s how it went. When Mikey wanted to go somewhere else or got upset, either mom or dad would go with him and the other would stay with us while we did whatever activity we had planned. I didn't have to worry about being stuck in a predicament with Mikey where I wouldn't know what to do. Mom and dad knew what to do, not me. In public, I admit I have anxiety when it comes to the unexpectedness that goes along with a brother like Mikey. What if he started screaming in the middle of a crowd? I’d know I’d walk away and let my parents figure it out. They tell me that’s what I should do. I don’t think that there’s anything wrong with that, I don’t what to do so why should I hover around the situation. Yet as I walk away, I wipe any feeling I have off my face as if I am not associated with the scene I am escaping from. 

As Mikey and I come to the front of the line, the lifeguard tells us it is our turn. We climb up the net crawl going upwards to the top of this monstrous playground, continuously being soaked by tipping water buckets. I laughed as I appreciated that Mikey and I were having fun together doing something exciting in a new and unfamiliar place. It doesn’t happen too often. I didn’t think he would be up for a big waterslide like this, instead maybe just floating around in the pool with my dad like usual. 

We lifted our feet from the scratchy rope climb and stepped onto the platform. We walked to the slide, gazing out to the huge pool that sat below where my mom waited at the bottom of the slide. We were on top of the world, I was proud Mikey wanted to do this. He stood at the opening of the slide, smiling and giggling, looking all around. “Go Mikey! I’ll be right behind you.” I said. He didn’t move. I kept encouraging him to go, but he stood still. He wasn’t scared, just taking his time. My heart started to race. I didn’t expect this. I looked down as the lifeguard was saying something and motioning his hand forward. The line of kids behind him just stared up at me. They were all waiting on us, what do I do? I kept telling Mikey to go, each time getting less friendly. He kept looking around and up at the sky, smiling. I nodded my head to the lifeguard, and looked away like I had it under control. The clock in my head kept ticking, and it felt like hours standing up there. The number of people in the pool watching us seemed to suddenly grow, although it was probably just in my head. Were we going to have to climb back down, come on already Mikey! I was angry at my parents that this was happening. I was embarrassed. I guess I just have no hope in any other people that they could possibly have the ounce of humility to understand anything. Finally, he slid down joyously in a split second. I breathed in deep. I didn’t wait to watch him splash into the water before I slid down behind him. I couldn't stand up there any longer. 

When I hit the water, I swam to my mom and her face was glowing as Mikey twirled around in the water next to her, probably ecstatic after what he had just accomplished. I was still calming down from what was probably in reality merely 90 seconds of what felt like torture. I looked around and business was as usual, no one looked appalled or whispered about the hold-up that we just put all those kids through. Not until now, am I able to look back and realize how much of that moment was blown up in my head. Why was I so embarrassed? Not because of him, but because of the inconvenience I thought we were causing. Because of what I thought people were thinking on the inside. Because of what I thought people would view us as: different.

Zinsser NPR Story/Memoir

William Zinsser’s thoughts about memoir helped me understand the purpose and meaning of one much more. I agree that a bad memoir whines because it doesn’t provide the reader with anything to take away from it. When writers dwell on the people and things that they feel hatred for or events that upset them, it is more of a soap opera than a memoir. But, when writers can take those harsh experiences and turn them into something deeper, both they and the reader benefit. The writer is able to use the memoir to achieve a revelation of their life. It can also be a healing process as it allows them to confront and overcome their issues. The reader is able to relate and have a better understanding of what makes this writer’s life meaningful to them. They can connect the truthfulness in the memoir and identify their own revelations.

My intent in writing this memoir is to hopefully tap into parts of my life that I may not spend enough time evaluating and recognizing the significance in. I’d like to make some discoveries into what has formed who I am. By writing honestly and wholeheartedly, I should be able to open up more and have a more freeing outlook on some experiences that I may have suppressed or ignored the importance of. I hope to come to some conclusions about life that could make me see things differently or give me new attitudes towards the future. 

Memorable Day

The sun was beating down on my backyard so much that my skin felt like it was being burnt as soon as I walked out of the house in my swim trunks. I lathered on three squirts of Coppertone sunscreen and inhaled the smell of it along with the fresh lilacs that my mom planted in the flower box. It was the smell of July that I craved all through the winter. I couldn’t stand in one place for very long because the deck was scalding hot on the bottom of my feet. I did a little hop every 20 seconds to give them relief and was happy to see my dad bring out the garden hose. He sprayed my feet with a rush of icy water and shivered as the burning went away.

My friends Jessica and Nick waved hello as they came through the swinging fence door just like they usually did most days during those summers back in elementary school. They were only one street over in my neighborhood. Jessica would have her oversized pink and purple towel wrapped around her and Nick would have his goggles in place over his eyes, ready to jump in our round, above-ground pool. 

Today we had something new to try. The afternoon before we had rode our bikes to the “Four Quarters” store and bought five packs of the balloons that had a rubber band at the end of them so you could bounce them back and forth off your hand really fast. We were going to fill them up with the hose and have a water balloon fight. I stuck the hose in the opening of the first balloon and let it fill up. Nick and Jessica held it in place as we were suddenly stunned. It just kept growing. It became the size of a large watermelon. These were no ordinary balloons. We laughed historically as all three of us collectively poked it and made it wiggle. We couldn’t have a water balloon fight as it was probably 30 pounds, so we rolled it over to where the deck met the edge of the pool and let it splash in, making the same noise we did as we cannonballed in after it. We spent the day swimming around this giant green blob floating in the water, too fascinated to do anything else.

VR Project

http://www.flickr.com/photos/59810251@N02/

"Everyday Use" by Alice Walker

“Everyday Use” by Alice Walker was an interesting story about family relationship and heritage. Walker’s style of writing made me first a bit confused at who was narrating the story but I soon came to find out, that it was the mother. I was kind of surprised because her thoughts and opinions were very real and true without any sugar-coating like most mothers. It was kind of harsh the metaphors she was comparing her children to, such as the when she compares Maggie to a lame animal. Yet, the mother’s opinions really allow the reader to understand each family member’s role and dynamic between them.Obviously, Dee is the distinguished, knowledgable, confident one who is fed up with the lifestyle her mother and sister continue to live. She wants to break free and be prosperous while her family remains at home sulking in what they’ve always known. 

Walker uses this essay very well as a vehicle for personal exploration throughout.  She seems to break everyone down so that the reader can fully understand them. Dee, the confident one, Maggie, the insecure and quiet one, and the mother, a tough working woman who only dreams of living a glamorous life and being “the way my daughter always wanted me to be.” There are many fascinating dynamics in this family and Walker makes them known and relatable. The highlight is the situation with the quilt. Dee wants to hang up and preserve the history, getting a wonderful decoration for her fabulous home she never had. The mother wants it for Maggie and her new husband, putting it to good use as it was made for. These conflicting views are presented to the reader to decide who is right, and they are definitely relatable to every family.

New Photo Project Topic

I will show our huge dependance on technology and by doing so, try to see if it is consuming us too much. I will use pathos to show the ways that we are ignoring real life when we become too obsessed with technology. I will use logos to help the viewer understand and realize how it is mostly inescapable. Regarding social context, the topic is very relevant because everyone relies on technology somehow and become attached.

World Trade Center "Dust Man"

This photo was taken the morning of September 11th, 2001. The business man seen here had just evacuated the North Tower of the World Trade Center after it had been struck. As he walked away from the site, the South Tower had collapsed, flooding the area with dust and debris. 

There is an odd feeling that this photo evokes. It portrays how the country’s daily routine had been interrupted tremendously. The clock in the background says 10:14 A.M. which allows us to relate to the man as we can all remember the morning of 9-11, where we were, and what we were doing. We get a sense of the confusion and disbelief that took place that morning. He doesn’t take on any drastic reaction, instead, still holds his briefcase at his side as if it was a typical day. 

His bright red face and mouth covered by a napkin gives us an indication of his inner struggle to comprehend all that is taking place. We can imagine that sensation he must be experiencing, where you suddenly enter a state of being where all sound and feeling is wiped away, and you only focus on the mental processing of what you see.

The photo strikes such a chord in us all because we had not been, nor are we now, accustomed to terror attacks of this magnitude on American territory. It gives Americans a whole new perception of terror. It can be very surreal watching people of catastrophes in foreign parts of the world and with so many new images circulating through the media daily we tend to become desensitized. Yet, now having a personal experience of terror so close to home, it gave us a stronger and more relatable connection with other humans across the world who witness these very real and widely impacting occurrences.

Visual Rhetoric Photo Project Idea

For the visual rhetoric photo project I’ve chosen to take pictures of environmental problems that we are facing and the reasons that they’ve come to be. From air or water pollution to the trash on the streets. I want to highlight the disrespect towards nature and the ways that we neglect our environment even when we may not realize it. I think that by viewing these photos and seeing what is wrong, it will be easier to recognize every day because especially here in the city, these problems blend in so much. 

I plan to use ethos by backing up my photos with a paper that can show truth and explanation to the photos. I will use pathos in my photos to show the unfortunate consequences of some of our actions. Finally, I hope to have logos in the photos to make awareness of and spark better actions instead of continuing to create the environmental problems. Context definitely affects the construction and delivery of my message as this is an enormous issue for this century. We are flooded with messages and signs telling us about the environment and these are problems that are only going to grow more if more action is not taken.

"Grande Hotel" Photo

When I walked up to the photo entitled Grande Hotel in the Museum of Contemporary Photography on Thursday, my eyes widened and my jaw dropped a little. I was taken aback by the beauty of the architecture in what seemed to be a spacious, round hotel lobby with a grand circular staircase, gleaming from the wealth of sunlight flowing in from some sort of open-air ceiling from high above. The sunlight is what makes the photo so fascinating. I first recognized the tranquility and peacefulness from the light and the steps ascending towards it. It appeared very lively and welcoming as if many people would normally congregate there. After a moment though, a strong contrast sunk in. The bright shining light was so opposite to the dark unfinished concrete floor and walls that soon came into focus. There were scraps of trash on the floor and a cut out in the wall for an elevator that surely wasn’t operating. The place was abandoned and desolate.

Although it seems like there should be just a feeling of emptiness, there is a sacredness that makes this place much more striking and meaningful. The photo greatly symbolizes the potential and worth of Africa, though being such a distraught land. I felt the purpose and goal of what the architect of the hotel wanted to achieve, even though there were obviously no resources and ability to cultivate it into a functioning place of business. The photographer captured a kind of a metaphor for Africa itself, highlighting both personal and social emotions. There are many people who lack so many essentials, they cannot manage life enough to be prosperous. Yet, they have faith and willpower running though their veins. I can understand that there is a connection between the African people’s belief in a better future and the hotel staircase in the photo, which if climbed, would seem to rise you up from the darkness and into the light.

Visual Rhetoric Map

When I walk to school everyday, I have many encounters with visual rhetoric. Advertisements for different restaurants and stores have the greatest effect on me, because I tend to get lured in, wanting to buy something. When I walk out of the Dwight and take a left on Clark St. I see a large Target billboard saying “Get Fresh” promoting their grocery section. It shows a delicious breakfast with eggs, bacon, and tons of fresh fruit. It always makes me hungry for a good breakfast. I still feel this way even after I’ve been to Target’s grocery section and did not exactly find all that was in the ad in stock and available.

I then turn right onto Harrison and my next encounter would be with Starbuck’s. There seems to be an aura emanating from the coffee shop. The colors, the chalkboard menus, and the advertisements all work together to make passing people think that it is more than just a coffee shop. Currently, their advertisements use imagery and pathos to evoke the sense of winter along with something like a hot caramel mocha, as if saying if you are cold then walk right in because you can’t resist this drink.

I then turn left on State and pass by CVS Pharmacy. Their signs evoke a great sense of ethos and pathos. The one image that I remember is of a friendly pharmacist helping out a customer. They want me to know that if I have a question or need something, they are experienced and are able to assist me.

Finally, before I enter the 33 Congress building, I pass my Panera Bread. They want their customers to feel welcome and enjoy tasty, comforting food. Their ads detail this by giving a close up view of their newest dish and explaining in a few words why it’s so good. 

Liberty Mutual Commercial - Rhetorical Significance

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMwoexR1evo

This Liberty Mutual commercial shows the power of caring to best represent themselves as an insurance company. The audience is really anybody who believes in the power of good deeds, though they want to target potential clients within those people. It uses ethos, pathos, and logos to express this idea. 

It uses ethos because as an insurance company they want to show their potential clients that they understand that doing the right the thing is being responsible. Just like everybody can do good deeds to help each other, Liberty Mutual realizes this and is there to give you peace of mind, knowing that you can trust them to protect you. 

It uses pathos because the everyday situations that it illustrates are so simple yet the audience may not realize how they can make such an impact on others, until weaved together. When they can relate to what is happening in the ad, they can make a strong connection that lets them recall their own feelings from past experiences. The music also assists in setting an inspirational mood that makes people feel good about what they can do for others.

Logos is also used, though more subtly. It gives the audience the feeling that Liberty Mutual would be a good choice in insurance because they believe and work upon the same morals that we strive for in life, rather than a disconnected company that wants to take advantage. Liberty Mutual wants to help you, just like you help others.

About Me

My name is Pat Bails and I’m a freshmen. I live on-campus at the Dwight. I’m easy going and just like to get out and have a good time. I’m looking to major in architectural design. I have always been intrigued by interesting buildings and places, now I hope to one day create my own. Specifically, ever since I was young I’ve wanted to design my own hotel. I guess because some of my best memories have been traveling with my family, I just seem to have taken an interest in them.

My dream is to travel around the world and experience new and exciting places and cultures. My favorite place I’ve been to would have to be Hawaii because it was like paradise for me. The ocean, palm trees, and sand are all things that I crave living here in Chicago. Eventually, I would love to go to Australia.

As far as writing experience goes, I spent a lot of time writing essays throughout high school. We spent a lot of time on formal papers that were mostly either research or compare/contrast, based on assigned topics or books. We focused less on expressing our own thoughts and ideas in our writing, so it would be great to become more comfortable doing so this semester in Writing and Rhetoric.