TOW #3- Corn-Pone Opinions

            In “Corn-Pone Opinions” Mark Twain, the well-known American author and humorist, examines the effects of social pressures on thoughts and beliefs. He explores and analyzes why it is our nature to conform to ideas that are not our own and why this can be a problem. Twain begins by recalling when the idea was first impressed upon him as a fifteen year-old boy during the mid-19^th century. In this anecdote, he conspicuously repeats a line from a sermon he heard given by a young black slave: “You tell me whar a man gits his corn pone, en I’ll tell you what his ‘pinions is.” This approach effectively presents Twain’s insight to “Corn-Pone Opinions” while giving the audience something to ponder over.

            He analyzes the human nature to conform to what is popular in society. Using examples such as the flaring hoopskirt and Shakespeare, he comically explains how things become accepted and popular, but soon disappear. People conform to opinions, even if they are not their own, to gain the approval of others. Twain connects the audience to this idea through his usage of the first person point of view. By writing “we” instead of “they” throughout the essay, he shows how “Corn-Pone Opinions” are inevitably engrained in all of our lives. His modest tone presents these ideas in an uncondescending, informative way that make this essay realistic and relatable.

            As the essay closes, Twain’s use of hypophora effectively ends in a reflective manner. By posing questions with obvious answers, the audience is able to recognize how influences shape the opinions of everyday life. Despite being written over one hundred years ago, Twain’s perception of opinion is ever-present in human behavior. 

TOW #2- Australian Red Cross Advertisement

This visual text is an advertisement for the Australian Red Cross aimed at promoting blood donation. Instead of a money donation box, this one contains blood and reads in bold print, “Money isn’t everything.” The idea presented through the image intends to get people to donate blood by showing that they don’t need to spend money in order to help a good cause.

When people see the same things over and over again they get immune to them. Organizations need to continuously come up with fresh approaches to get people’s attention. By putting a twist on the concept of donating, the Australian Red Cross uses a donation box in a different way to draw attention. The juxtaposition of a money donation box and a blood donation box stands out to help promote blood donation. Today, money donation boxes are less effective because they are everywhere and people cannot always afford to be handing money out. In contrast, this advertisement explains that people can save lives without spending any money.

It also stands out because its effective use of the different modes of persuasion. Through the writing on the box, the advertisement creates ethos, pathos, and logos. By including “save up to three lives without spending a cent” it provides numbers to support blood donation. It also adds an emotional aspect to the advertisement by reminding the audience that life is precious and donating can help save lives. The phrase “money isn’t everything” confronts the audience by stating that donating is an ethical thing to do. Combining these important rhetorical devices is effective towards getting people to donate blood.

Using the familiar image of a clear donation box but in a different context, the advertisement stands out and appeals to the audience in different ways. By looking at a different way to bring attention to donating, more lives can be saved.

TOW #1- How Segregation Destroys Black Wealth

Today, it is common for Americans to believe that discrimination in the housing market no longer exists. Contrary to this, the editorial board of The New York Times provides insight into why it continues to be a problem in “How Segregation Destroys Black Wealth.” The investigation of a recent complaint filed by the Nation Fair Housing Alliance shows how real estate agents contribute to segregation. By limiting the opportunity to buy into high-value areas for African-Americans, "ghettoization" is encouraged and black wealth is destroyed. Long after the Fair Housing Act was implemented by Congress to outlaw housing discrimination, it is shown to still be an issue.

This is supported with information and statistics which demonstrate that “the damage reaches across generations and continues today.” In addition, research and quotations presented from Princeton University’s Office of Population Research create ethos and logos. Supporting the editorial with factual evidence and referencing a prestigious school is effective because they show how the history of discrimination has taken a great toll on black wealth. The comparison of the 1960s and 70s to present day demonstrate the changes in discriminatory practices. It goes on to reason that although the techniques today are subtler, they are still there. By including these rhetorical devices, the author is able to accomplish their purpose, explaining how segregation destroys black wealth.

It is pointed out that it is a greater problem in some areas of the country than others, but it speaks to the broad American audience and readers of The New York Times. People want to know about what is happening around the world, especially in their own country. After reading this, those who assumed that black people no longer face discrimination in the housing market can see this issue more clearly. Despite the advancements made throughout American history, the prejudice and discrimination reach across generations and are still here. 

IRB Intro Post #1

For my first IRB this school year, I’m choosing to read Joan Didion’s essays in Slouching Towards Bethlehem. I had read her title essay in The White Album over the summer, which interested me in looking at some of her other works. This collection focuses on America in the sixties, especially California, the center of its counterculture. I hope to gain insight of the unique time and place she writes about while looking at the great prose that has made it a modern classic.