Nussbaum’s Argument

“I’m proud to be an American…” Is one of many songs well known to our country, but this is very true. Americans are proud to be Americans and they teach just that. What kind of history are we teaching our kids today? How are we learning? Well we are teaching our kids today the history and proud moments of the United States and how “special” a person is to be American. One thing we are forgetting is that we all indeed think of ourselves to have all been birthed the same way, by another human being, or as Martha Nussbaum an author depicts in her article Patriotism And Cosmopolitanism, in saying that we need to learn history of other cultures to be able to understand as well as teaching kids their history combined with other nationalities, countries, ethics, and so on. This is studying Cosmopolitanism, which I must agree is great. It will take out the “ab” out of abnormal when we see other cultures practicing their “normal”.

            If we were taught many languages and cultures would we still be the same people in which we have become or would we choose to be different than our own local communities? In the article the author continuously emphasis that cosmopolitan education makes a lot of sense and it has positive outcomes. Yes, it does makes sense that if we as humans understand other countries histories and cultures we would be able to understand why they do or act as they do. As well as benefitting us by being able to communicate on a level that we know what may offend them or know how another countries does things. A disagreement I must have is that a child does not care enough about this to want to have an understanding. Most kids do not split until them themselves identify who they are and create their own community of friends.

Project 2 - Topic

I really like the idea of cosmopolitan education.

Zakaria's & Friedman's Aguments

While reading Zakaria’s Rise of the Rest I agree that “countries all over the world have been 
experiencing rates of economic growth...” (612, Zakaria) because my experience as a student, I have heard it by a couple of teachers. Zakaria exemplifies many successful icons in the world that the United States is not accountable for any longer. Although this may all be true I feel as though there is more thought to this. Are we really in competition, as a world? Just because someone else has something we don’t have yet does not make us less capable of being able to construct or build it, right? I felt as though he made really good points, but definitely left something out.

            While reading Friedman’s While I Was Sleeping I noticed his appeal to logos, which I feel makes his argument stronger than Zakaria’s. For one we all know that while yes we are in need of jobs in our country what do we do? We send out work that could be done here to be done in other countries to be cheaper. This allow’s other countries to grow and have jobs that we need. His argument contains facts that many of us know about and can automatically connect with.

Reflective Letter

        

Midterm Portfolio: Reflective Cover Letter

            I am now in my third semester of college and wow it has been quite an adventure. The craziest thought that comes to mind is thinking this is my third English class. During my first semester of college, I did not have a stable place and was going through so much. I drove everyday of school and struggled to be there on time with sleepless uncomfortable nights. I was only able to manage so much. The days I made it to my first class being English I was always on time, the other days I just wasn’t there because I couldn’t be. It was the day before our portfolio was due and I miss that class. By missing that class meant I had failed the class, because it maxed out the days I could miss. That was an eye opening experience. Never have I ever failed a class. To think I failed it because of attendance rather that my work was harsh, because my professor loved my work, but she had to abide by the rules.

            After this my second semester of college was great. I had a new English professor and I was starting fresh. I was nervous about the class, but was determined this class would not reflect the prior class. So I learned a lot from my professor and was actually happy I got to experience English 5A again. I passed the class and was looking forward to 5B. It was again nervewrecking knowing that my professor was moving to another country to teach. So I then again thought to my self a fresh start and new professor will be good.

            So here I am now in my third semester off college in English 5B. This class has been quite different than my other classes. Of course because it is 5B and a lot more is expected of the student. I have learned many techniques and writing styles.

            I would say I’ve learned the most by writing the midterm essay. It has allowed me to write then edit, receive feedback and once again edit. I was not to sure what exactly a rhetorical analysis was when we were asked to. You focus on how or why the author wrote in the way in

which they did rather than pick apart what exactly they meant or what they wrote about. I was very confused about this idea at first because I was like how do I talk about something and not summarize or explain what it is about. After asking I realized that summarization is allowed, but limited. In a rhetorical analysis you want to speak more on they author’s tone, their use of techniques, the appeals they create such as pathos, logos, or ethos.

            The appeals pathos, logos, and ethos are all very common to authors. Authors tend to use them a lot in their writing. While writing my analysis I came across this in Trace Adkins song, “You’re Gonna Miss This”. My professor also discussed these appeals multiple times in class. Through her discussion and me analyzing this song helped me to understand the appeals and to identify with more confidence.

            Throughout writing this analysis we were required to read as well. The readings we read helped out a lot with writing the essay. I would definitely consider them a guide. They provided us with examples of writing and techniques to use in our writings. The readings also exemplified what not to do when writings. For example an article that was provided to us by the professor called “Fallacies” from the writing center of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  Fallacies weaken arguments and do not help in devolving a well-written paper. I know one that I had to keep assuring my self I would not do was the Hasty Generalization Fallacy. Hasty generalization is when you make an assumption about something; it can also be considered stereotyping. Meaning you assume something because of something else, but your evidence is not enough to prove your point.

            I thought writing this analysis was quite difficult. It has been the first analysis I have written and I feel as though I have grasped a great amount of knowledge on what a rhetorical analysis is. I was also very confused throughout the whole project because I could not explain

to myself what exactly a rhetorical analysis was. This has definitely taught me a lot about writing and writing styles.

Revised Paragraphs

1st draft of paragraphs:

            What is something we all look forward to? What age is so important to teenagers? What legally gives us the “adult title”? We can all anticipate that turning 18 can answer all these questions? So, Why is this important to many of us? What makes a multitude of us rush life? In listening to Trace Adkins song “You’re Gonna Miss This”, I began analyzing the meaning of this song; it sums up a great amount of detail about wanting to growing up, and the reality of it.

            Growing up to fast is the exact focus of “You’re Gonna Miss This” by Trace Adkins. In his song he states, “ You’re gonna miss this you’re gonna want this back, you’re gonna wish these days hadn’t gone by so fast, these are some good times, so take a good look around, you may not know this now, but your gonna miss this”. Who would better know this than an adult and father that has lived/living this? These lyrics are put together this way to emphasis the ideas of how the perspectives of young adolescence changes when they realize what all life has in store. These lyrics also emphasis the words “you’re gonna”, this definitely brings the audience to relate to themselves. Well Trace Adkins is father to 5 girls; he definitely has credibility in this song. Also when researching a survey about kids growing up fast, 82% or people agree that kids grow up to fast, leaving 18% disagreeing (www.debate.org). This is tremendous example exemplifying what Trace Adkins is saying in “You’re Gonna Miss This”. This survey involves adults and adolescences themselves, with no limitations on who can vote.

Revised Paragraphs:

            What is something we all look forward to? What age is so important to teenagers? What legally gives us the “adult title”? We can all anticipate that turning 18 can answer all these questions. So, why is this important to many of us? What makes a multitude of us rush life? In listening to Trace Adkins song “You’re Gonna Miss This”, I began analyzing the meaning of this song; it sums up a great amount of detail about wanting to growing up, and the reality of it. This song relates to the ideas of pathos, logos and ethos. This song is one that is heard and felt by many because the story the song portrays. This song truly holds a ton of meaning to it. I’m sure Adkins and the other two songwriters gained popularity by this song, because it concludes that that we need to enjoy the time we have with our kids while we can.

            The first time I heard the song I was listening to Pandora. I was about to skip the song, but the title caught my attention. “You’re Gonna Miss This” is the title, since I was on a country playlist I figured it had meaning. I like others love listening to meaningful music, so I thought I would listen. In seeing the title I’m sure many can predict or assume what the song will be about. Some will have ideas that are far from the meaning of what the song is about. A lot of people will guess that it will be about something we will miss, taking the title into a literal manner. In this case that assumption will be very accurate. The title of the song was actually picked by, Lee Thomas, one of the songwriters. He chose this title after, Ashley Gorely, another songwriter told him about the idea of making a song based on an event that happened in his own life. Briefly, Gorely was getting some maintenance done to his house, the kids and family dog kept getting in the way and his wife was apologizing several times to the maintenance man. After this it was shared with Adkins and they formed them song. The song is a personal song to Adkins, while publishing the song his eldest daughter was getting married.

***The reason I edited the paragraphs the way I did was because I did not think I was giving off a clear focus. I deleted a lot of sentences from my first draft because I wanted the audience focus to be more on the song rather than on what other sources have to say. I also thought my introduction did not introduce what my paper would be about and what the song presents. At first I do not think I ever mentioned ethos, pathos, or logos. Which are 3 appeals that are very important in writing an analysis. 

Revision Plan (Based on peer feedback)

The revision I am focusing on is changing my introduction. My reviewer was a little confused because of the multiple questions I asked in the beginning. I am also taking out a reference I thought was necessary. I need to add more and stay focused on the song. I am thinking about adding in the music video, to be able to describe the meaning and analysis more vivid. I need more information in regards to why the singer chose to sing the song, even though he did not right it. I plan to research if it meant anything to him, and also review his other songs in comparison of him choosing to put tis song n his album. I need to transition more smoothly to help my audience keep in focus and to perceive a more in depth meaning and understanding. Other information I need to gather is background or history of the song artist. I am also adding in some input from the song writers themselves to see how the song originated and if it had any meaning to their lives. After getting all this done I hope my paper reaches the amount required, I will look back a few times for grammar and spelling errors. Then one last final revision to make sure my audience can understand my focus.

Project 1

Project 1: Rhetorical Analysis

            What is something we all look forward to? What age is so important to teenagers? What legally gives us the “adult title”? We can all anticipate that turning 18 can answer all these questions? So, Why is this important to many of us? What makes a multitude of us rush life? In listening to Trace Adkins song “You’re Gonna Miss This”, I began analyzing the meaning of this song; it sums up a great amount of detail about wanting to growing up, and the reality of it.

            Growing up to fast is the exact focus of “You’re Gonna Miss This” by Trace Adkins. In his song he states, “ You’re gonna miss this you’re gonna want this back, you’re gonna wish these days hadn’t gone by so fast, these are some good times, so take a good look around, you may not know this now, but your gonna miss this”. Who would better know this than an adult and father that has lived/living this? These lyrics are put together this way to emphasis the ideas of how the perspectives of young adolescence changes when they realize what all life has in store. These lyrics also emphasis the words “you’re gonna”, this definitely brings the audience to relate to themselves. Well Trace Adkins is father to 5 girls; he definitely has credibility in this song. Also when researching a survey about kids growing up fast, 82% or people agree that kids grow up to fast, leaving 18% disagreeing (www.debate.org). This is tremendous example exemplifying what Trace Adkins is saying in “You’re Gonna Miss This”. This survey involves adults and adolescences themselves, with no limitations on who can vote.

            Adkins also portrays his expertise; in the way he sings the songs, the flowing of the diction. This song is chronologically in order and the events are able to get the audience’s attention/focus because it is what we live. We are raised, and then become “crazy teenagers”, then want/try to do things by ourselves. By doing this it grabs the attention of the audience. For

Example his first verse says, “She was staring out that window, of the SUV, Complaining, saying I can’t wait to turn 18, she said I’ll make my own money, and I’ll make my own rules, mamma put the car in park out there in front of the school, then she kissed her head and said I was just like you” This identifies with teenagers rebelling against parents and making life sound quite easy and unreal. Meaning that kids sometimes do not see the true reality of growing up and becoming an adult with responsibilities.

            Readers or listeners of this song automatically relate this song to their life unintentionally. This song brings memories, good or bad about life through the adolescence and emerging life stages. Through this the audience emotionally appeals to the song lyrics. Through all this Trace Adkins builds up a good amount of credibility. Where many people are focused and involving themselves in the song lyrics.

           

Works Cited

"Do Kids Today Grow up Too Fast?" The Premier Online Debate Website. Web. 22 Sept. 2014.

“You’re Gonna Miss This” Adkins, Trace Jan. 2008.

Week 5: Rhetorical Strategies: Breif Sketch

In Trace Adkins song “You’re Gonna Miss This”, he is very clear on his purpose as well as his appeal to pathos and ethos. He is very soft and creative with the wording he uses and he is very thoughtful on who is audience is. His song is about a girl wanting to grow up to fast, and he being an adult realizes how fast time flies as your kid, as well as from his perspective in the song as being a dad. Adkin definitely knows how to grab the attention of his audience by making the lyrics from adults and teens.  Many, many people can relate to this song with out a doubt. So I hope to frame my essay just the way Adkins formed his song chronologically with a clear point. I am shooting for a clear thesis paragraph that informs my readers of what I will be discussing and what the song means.  Although Adkins is telling a story within a song I will be relating the analysis to every verse and the chorus to get a full all around grasp of what he means. I know in his third verse there is a little confusion in how he starts talking about how there is a plumber working on the water heater and how one kids running and on kids crying….so I hope I am able to explain how that came about.

Project 1 blog- Rhetorical Situation

I am doing my project 1 paper on song lyrics in regards to analyzing the rhetorical situation in the lyrics. What exactly is a rhetorical situation? It is essentially, how author addresses audience and the strategies they use to appeal to the audience.

The name of the song is You’re gonna miss this by Trace Adkins. This song has a lot of meaning to it where many young adults are capable of relating to it. It also in a way elaborates on life situations. It entails a story all in a short song.

The audience for these song lyrics would be young adults, more or so those going through there adolescence years.

The purpose of this song would be to inform, and to explain. Nonetheless, meanings can vary depending on the life of the individual.

The message this song is portraying is that most kids want to grow up really fast, move out of mom and dad’s house, without realizing the realism of what the outcomes are. As parents know life isn’t easy being independent.

The social context would be that many of us have a common misconception about what the adult life consists of.

Author’s ethos would be he is an adult and is a father himself. This gives him credibility on speaking on this specific subject.

Fallacies: Post Hoc (false cause)

What is a fallacy? A fallacy is a statement in your writing that do not help you to make a claim, but rather weakens it and gives you less credibility. 

I came across an article in, In Touch magazine at the store. It was about the famous Jennifer Aniston being pregnant. 

I flipped inside the magazine to read the article. As I was reading it caught my attention that she stated, "Maybe I was not able to conceive before because it was not meant to be" (Intouch Sept. 2014). 

This brought to my attention the fallacy of false cause. What is false cause? "Assuming that because B comes after A, A cause B. 

Therefore concluding because Jennifer Aniston was not able to get pregnant and trying for a long time, it was not meant to be, because she is now pregnant at age 45. This shows how the fallacy is exemplified using the magazine article I came across. 

This argument gives her no credibility because it is an assumption of why it happened.  Although, the idea sounds very reasonable to a person with the belief in why things happen, it is still an assumption. The article is speaking about her being pregnant and she "distorts the issue" by going off and speaking about why it didn't initially happen sooner.

Logos: Thoreau's: Civil Disobedience

What is logos? Logos is the author’s persuasive appeal to a logical argument. It is a way they obtain some type of credibility in there works.

In analyzing Henry Thoreau’s: Civil Disobedience, it is concluded that there are a few examples in this document.

For one he definitely felt the need that a government that is unjust cannot be a government. He goes on long-winded about how a person should not have to follow  a “law” if it is unjust.

He himself actually, explains to us in his writing that he was arrested for not paying his taxes. Why? Well because he stood up against a law he thought was unjust. He did this because slavery was not being abolished.  This exemplifies his reasoning. It also shows why his argument is logical.  He states in his opening paragraph “also I believe—‘That government is best which governs not at all’" he puts meaning to this saying. He is not saying that no government is needed, but better yet that if a government is not governing “just” laws, then it is not governing at all.

Another argument Thoreau writes upon is how The United States is in such an aggressive war. A reason behind him not being for the government. This was the Mexican-American war. So why might this war be so aggressive? Well for one Thoreau felt as though this war was rather forced then accepted. He feels as though “the people” did not have a voice. This also is a logical reason in which he does not feel the need to obey an unjust law.

Through out his paper he gives reasoning behind each action.

Pathos: Letter From Birmingham Jail

In reading Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Letter From Birmingham Jail” he exemplified a few examples of pathos.

So what exactly is pathos? Pathos is emotional appeals to audience.

One great example of this would be when Dr. King, Jr. is explaining that he has to explain to his daughter that she is not allowed to go to the amusement park because of her color. I find this quite disturbing to hear that this young girl’s heart is broken and there is no reason for this.

Another example where he states, “… if you would watch them push and curse old Negro women and young Negro girls; if you would see them slap and kick old Negro men and young boys, if you would observe them, as they did on two occasions, refusing to give us food because we wanted to sing our grace together” (King 5). Here Dr. King Jr. is explaining to us the cruel punishment and this has pathos written all over it. Just being able to imagine, or even without trying to imagine, imagery floats across our minds as how this happened.

In his letter Dr. King Jr. cannot help but to write about these cruel events. Without any of this cruelty his letter alone cannot create the amount of immoral events that are going on.

Pathos is a great way to persuade people to see things in a more vivid image. Although, I don’t think it should always be used to persuade. I feel in his letter he is not using these things to persuade his writing, but rather the events persuade people to see for themselves. If that even makes sense.

Ethos: "Letter from Birmingham Jail"

In reviewing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail" I came to realize the ethos he has in his letter.

For one he is an educated man with a PhD. This gives him credibility to write because he is very knowledgeable. He also has reason to speak on this matter because of his involvement as President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. His writing also exemplifies formal word choice. He uses a lot of metaphors. For example, “This ‘wait’ has almost always meant ‘never’…only to give birth to an ill-formed infant of frustration…. I guess it is easy for those who have never felt the sting darts of segregation to say ‘wait’” (King 1963).  His tone is very calm, just as the attitude I perceived from reading this text.

His quality of information is very organized and well picked out. He sets up his letter into a multitude of paragraphs to in depth describe what happen, why it happened, how he comes to conclusions and why he is writing. Everything is very clear.

One example where he is gaining credibility is paragraph 14. He is explain the difference between determining how a law is just or unjust, showing his knowledge on this subject he is speaking on. As such, “A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law, or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law.

Overall, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gained his credibility and ethos with providing us with vivid examples of his knowledge on the subject, his word choice, and his using of formal word correctly.

Rhetorical Situation: Letter from Birmingham Jail

In reading Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” he compiled elements of a rhetorical situation. A rhetorical situation consists of three elements, being audience, purpose, and aim.

He was well aware of whom his audience was and he took that into consideration. He for one dedicated each and every paragraph to importance with much credit and explanation. He did this to thoroughly explain the reason he got arrested is unjust and what he did was nonviolent and his right.

Another component he addressed was his purpose. He fully in depth explained how everything was planned and how his planning was completely just. In his letter he writes, “In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices are alive, negotiation, self-purification and direct action” (Martin Luther King Jr. 1963). He goes on to explain how he did just this and how they made a peaceful protest for a law that was already implemented but not being practiced. This was the first amendment.

His aim was to explain, persuade, and express.

He is responding to a public statement of concern essentially making the claim that he did nothing unjust and that he has gathered all his details to prove this to e true. His audience is the public and eight white religious leaders.