TOW #13 - Media Screening on Presidential Candidates

With the recent election of Donald Trump, there is a wide range of political cartoons on the subject of his presidential campaign. Many people are very pro-Trump, and believe that the media portrays him more negatively than he actually is. However, many people also dislike Trump and believe that the media accurately portrays him as a monster. In the Indianapolis Star, they published a political cartoon that captures their interpretation of the media’s views on Trump and Clinton.

The text, created by Gary Varvel, is showing how the media is attacking Trump, but barely touching Hillary’s topics. Gary Varvel is a cartoonist for the Indianapolis Star. The audience is those who read the Indianapolis Star. The majority of those in Indiana voted for Donald Trump. That shows that the majority of the audience is pro-Trump, or at least anti-Hillary. The text was written during the election.

The visual text uses symbolism. Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are obviously not in an actual airport together, but the airport security is symbolizing the way that the media researches the candidates. The visual text also juxtaposes Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. It has Donald Trump stripped down and going through a serious screening process by the media. This is what many Donald Trump fans feels happened to Trump because they feel that he was unfairly judged by the media. However, Clinton is freely walking in a prison uniform, suggesting that she is a criminal who the media is not attacking. The media is believed to have not focused on Hillary’s criminal actions, but instead focused on the, what Trump-supporters believed were, minuscule actions of Donald Trump.

I think that the author wanted to show what he felt was the unfair screening process that the candidates went through. He wants to show how he feels Trump was poorly portrayed through the media, but Hillary Clinton could do whatever she wanted without the media making it seem negative. I think that he did accomplish his purpose because he does show his opinions on the screening process of the two presidential candidates.

TOW #12 - The Glass Castle

Children have an innocent view on the world that is almost impossible to imagine. How can one child love their parents even after they have, from almost anyone’s perspective, ruined their childhood? Jeannette Walls explains how familial love is unconditional, and even in the worst of times parents and children find love.

The Glass Castle is a memoir written by Jeannette Walls who has instant credibility as she writes all of the events from her point of view. She grew up in a dysfunctional family, constantly moving around with a father who was a dangerous drunk and a mother who doesn’t always act as responsible as a mother should. She wrote this book after growing up to show the unwavering love of family. The audience she writes to is pretty general because it was published so that anyone could read it. It probably appeals most to those who need inspiration or have a loving family because it shows the strength of love.

Walls utilizes narration and point of view very well. Through narration she shows how her father makes extremely harmful decisions to the family, but he makes the decisions as an attempt to maintain his pride. For example, when his daughter was in the hospital he took her out of the hospital and drove her to another town because he didn’t trust the “heads-up-their-assess med-school quacks.” However, without these doctors Jeannette would most likely have died from her burns.

The narration is aided by first person point of view. It is very important that the story is told through first person because it shows the innocence of Walls. She thought that her dad was perfect and that everything that he did was just. However, as a reader it is very easy to tell that her dad was not perfect, and that he acted differently around his children than he actually was to keep up an image of a perfect father. The point of view shows how easy it is to convince children to trust their parents, and how one can love their dad unendingly even though their dad caused their homelessness growing up. This is important with her purpose, because both the narration and point of view show how the author can love her parents unconditionally. The book shows the true strength of love, and that love trumps all, even homelessness and near-death experiences. I think that purpose was achieved and that I could understand how the daughter of an unstable man like Rex Walls could love him.

TOW #11 - Ain't I a Woman?

In the 1800’s, equality was not achieved. The fights for equality that occurred in the 1800’s are important in shaping the status of women and minorities today. Sojourner Truth was very influential and inspirational to women of that time period and even today. The author, Sojourner Truth, was an African-American abolitionist and women’s rights activist. She is very credible because she was born into slavery and understands the hardships that came with being a slave and the need for equality between all people. In her text, Truth is explaining to a crowd that women are strong enough to stand together and demand equal rights. The speech was given at a Women’s Convention in Ohio in 1851 because women were not treated equally in the 1800’s. The audience was women and some men who supported women’s rights.

The author employs repetition and allusions to make her message effective. She utilizes repetition with the phrase “ain’t I a woman” to show that she has the same strength as a man, but is a woman. That has a powerful effect on the speech because she shows that women aren’t weak, she is an example of a very strong woman. Another rhetorical device that the author uses is allusions. She alludes to the story of Adam and Eve in the bible when she says, “If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back , and get it right side up again!” She uses Eve’s story to show that women have the power to make a big change in the world, and although Eve’s was negative it still shows the power that women have. The allusion empowers women to get their rights back. The author wants to show women that they can team up and fight for their rights because women are strong.  I think the author did an excellent job of accomplishing her purpose because she made me feel empowered as a woman and think about my personal strength.

TOW #10 - Join or Die

Ben Franklin’s “Join or Die” is famous propaganda about uniting the colonies written for the British colonists. The French and Indian war was beginning at the same time that this political cartoon was released (1751). Ben Franklin thought that was very important that the colonies were unified during wartime. The cartoon includes a snake that has 8 British colonies, with the snake’s head being the north part and the snake’s tail being the south. The colonies are all separated, and the snake is dead. Ben Franklin, one of the founding fathers, created this political cartoon. He has instant credibility, he is one of the most influential historical figures of this time period and has a lot of ethos through his work during his lifetime. Ben Franklin uses rhetorical devices to establish his purpose. Ben Franklin uses symbolism. There was a myth that if a cut up snake was put back together by sunset it could come back to life. The snake symbolizes the colonial unity, and says that America need to put the pieces back together and become unified before it is too late. He also has an ominous tone. By saying “join or die” on the bottom, Franklin is showing the importance of unity at this dire time. If the colonies were not unified, then like the snake they would all die separately. This serves as a call to action, which is scaring the colonists into uniting, or else they will end up dead like the snake. Ben Franklin also juxtaposes all of the states together. What is interesting is that he does not seem to make one state seem bigger or more important than the other. Pennsylvania is a lot bigger than New Jersey, however in the text it doesn’t seem to be too much bigger. By keeping all of the parts relatively the same size, Franklin is showing that all of the states and their unification is important. Ben Franklin’s purpose was to ask for unity in the British colonists during the French and Indian war. This political cartoon was reprinted in many newspapers across the colonies, and it had a big effect on their unity. It almost scared colonists into unifying. I believe Franklin did achieve his purpose of asking for unity as it had a very big impact on America.

IRB Post #2 - The Glass Castle

The Glass Castle is a collection of memoirs written by Jeannette Walls that is about growing up with a deeply dysfunctional family.  I have decided to read it as my IRB because it received amazing reviews. Family has a deep meaning to me, so I wanted to read about the love of other families and see if it helps me gain a deeper understanding of my own family. 

TOW #9 - Not Our President

In “‘Not Our President’: Protests Spread After Donald Trump’s Election,” the authors explain how there were violent protests after Donald Trump was elected. The article was written by Annie Correal and Christopher Mele who are both credible as they are writers for the New York Times. The text was written for a general American audience the day after Donald Trump was elected president. Both those who support and do not support Donald Trump should understand the actions that are being made against him to fully understand what is happening in our country. By using interviews, the authors appeal to ethos, logos, and pathos. The authors appeals to ethos because they show that they are credible - they are getting primary sources to explain what is happening. They are appealing to logos through interviews to show the intentions behind the riots. Logos is also appealed to through the statistics they use, for example 15 people were arrested during one of the riots. They also use Rogerian Argument because they show both sides of the argument. They show how the riots are destructive and how they have negative consequences. However, the authors also show the intent behind the riots and give them justification. Through all of these rhetorical devices I think the authors wanted to show that the election of Donald Trump is causing a divide within the country. The American people who do not like Trump are very upset and starting riots. The authors are explaining the negative effects of Donald Trump’s election before he was even officially made president. I think that the authors achieved their purpose because it is very clear to see that there is a great problem caused by the people who dislike Donald Trump because Donald Trump was elected. The riots that followed the election showed that there is a divide between the people who support Trump and the people who do not.

TOW #8 - Thinking Without Thinking

In Malcolm Gladwell's Blink, Gladwell explains how subconscious thinking affects everyday choices. Malcolm Gladwell is a renowned author who has written many psychology books. He cites many surveys and studies to establish his ethos. Gladwell writes Blink because everyday, people are making mistakes by letting their subconscious control their thoughts. He says, "if we can control the environment in which rapid cognition takes place, then we can control rapid cognition. We can prevent…mistakes" (253). This text can apply to everyone, and everyone is affected by not taking control of their subconscious. His audience however is mainly those interested in psychology or how the brain works because that is the context of most of his works, including Blink. Gladwell uses logos and narration to support his purpose. Logos is shown through the many studies that he uses to back up his claims. For example, he shows that "most police officers - well over 90 percent - go their whole career without firing at anyone" (222). By using logos, he shows that he is not making up the information that he is writing, but is giving his evidence and then coming to a conclusion. It helps the audience see why Gladwell thinks what he thinks and gives the audience the choice to agree or disagree with him. Gladwell also uses narration to describe stories of the instances he describes. By using stories, the audience can understand what the effect of subconscious has in a variety of situations. This also makes the audience more interested because it gives them a story to go along with what Gladwell is trying to prove, not just a list of facts. Gladwell effectively uses narration and logos to show that the subconscious can allow anyone to make instant choices that will have drastic effects. However, Gladwell shows that if one can think about their subconscious, and try to eliminate the way their subconscious affects them, they can be a lot more effective in their decision making. For example, when orchestras started to have blind auditions, they selected better musicians because they weren't affected by their first-impression of their look, only their impression of their music. I think that Gladwell effectively showed his purpose because his narration and logos lead the audience to reach the same conclusions as him. I agree that it is important to focus on subconscious and be aware of it, and hopefully it will change the way that I make decisions in the future.

TOW #7 - Dear Republicans...

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/25/opinion/dear-republican-voters.html?_r=0

As the presidential race is coming to a close and voting day is coming up, David Leonhardt, an editor for New York Times, writes to Republican voters in hopes that they will not vote for Donald Trump. Leonhardt uses narration in his letter to show his audience that he understands how they are feeling and to hopefully give them a solution through telling a story of a similar election and his grandparents that are republican. It does a nice job of explaining his argument to Republicans and establishing ethos. Leonhardt also uses Rogerian argument very well. He understands that some Republicans do not like Hillary and he says, “You believe President Obama has been a disappointment if not a failure. You think Hillary Clinton is wrong on most issues, and you worry about her judgment.” This helps establish his ethos with the Republicans. The author also uses an allusion to another election. He explains that Barry Goldwater was a Republican candidate that was similar to Trump. By using this allusion, he shows what happened in the past so that Republicans can use that knowledge to decide how to act now. Through his rhetorical devices one can see that Leonhardt is almost begging Republicans to not vote for Trump. He accomplished his purpose of explaining why Republicans shouldn’t vote for Trump. I think that he did do well in giving reasoning and backing up his claims. However he seems to assume that every Republican hates Trump. There are many Republicans who do want Trump to win, so they would not change their mind based off of the arguments that Leonhardt gives. However for the people on the fence, Leonhardt definitely could have impacted their decision.

TOW #6 - Homelessness in America

“Girl in the Shadows: Dasani’s Homeless Life” is the first part in a 5 part series about the life of an 11 year old homeless girl. It was written by Andrea Elliot who is a staff writer for the New York Times that received the Pulitzer Prize in 2007. She establishes her ethos through using quotes from interview with the girl that she is writing about. This shows that Elliot is getting the information from the direct source and that it is as accurate as possible. Elliot publishes her article from New York Times, so her audience is those who can afford to read New York Times. She wants to reach out to the American public as homeless rates are high and help the public realize that homelessness is an issue that needs to be solved. Elliot uses many rhetorical devices to establish her purpose. She appeals to logos by using statistics that support her argument that homelessness is a real struggle for many Americans. She says that there are “more than 22,000 homeless children in New York, the highest number since the Great Depression, in the most unequal metropolis in America” (6). However, Elliot utilizes the story of Dasani well to show her audience that homelessness is a genuine issue. Elliot uses narration to show that Dasani’s family has suffered from being homeless. Combined with her family’s money and drug problems, Dasani’s “future is further threatened by the fact of her homelessness, which has been shown, even in short spells, to bring disastrous consequences” (21). The effects that homelessness has had on Dasani and her family, includes her uncle’s arrest or her constant hunger and was shown effectively by Elliot’s narration. Elliot also uses metaphor language to make her writing more interesting and effective. She uses metaphors in the beginning when she says, “‘Her gaze always stops at that iconic temple of stone, its tip pointed celestially, its facade lit with promise” (2). This metaphor not only makes the article more interesting to read, but it shows the depth of Dasani’s hopes. She looks out at the city to try to find inspiration to continue working as hard as she does. These hopes show that people that are homeless are not irrelevant and that they have lives and hopes and dreams that are as important as every other American citizen. Ultimately showing the audience that they should help the homeless achieve the dreams that they have. Elliot beautifully combines logos, narration, and metaphoric language into a well crafted article that truly shows the importance of homelessness in New York. She accomplished her purpose well through the use of many rhetorical devices.

TOW #5 - Hate Race

Michael Ramirez is an American cartoonist who has won the Pulitzer Prize twice. His political cartoon, is about the presidential race, particularly showing the negativity in both candidates. He writes for the American people. He typically makes conservative cartoons so a specific audience is conservative Americans. He uses rhetorical devices to get his purpose across to his audience. Ramirez uses specific imagery. His cartoon is surrounded by what looks like dying trees, which may represent the poor shape that America is in right now. Both of the parent birds also look tired, which may show that the true leaders of the country are tired of how the candidates are bickering. He also uses juxtaposition to compare Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. By putting the two baby birds together, he shows how they are equally ugly. However, he does have the Trump bird have orange hair, which shows that one of the most memorable aspects of Trump is his hair. The text uses dark colors to possibly show the darkness of the situation and how it ultimately is a negative one. Ramirez uses symbolism well. He has the bald eagle as one of the parents of the two candidates. However, the bald eagle is supposed to represent the good in America and the two candidates don’t, which is why the eagle says that the candidates must be from another family. By underlining the word “your” and making it red, Ramirez puts major emphasis on the fact that the presidents are not from the good part of the country. Ultimately, he wants to show how both candidates are not good candidates. They have major faults which do not represent America well. I think he accomplish his purpose well because it was clear that he dislikes both candidates and wants to show that neither of them are perfect for the job as president.

TOW #4 - Blink

Malcolm Gladwell is an author, journalist, and speaker who has been a staff writer for The New Yorker since 1996. He has written many nonfiction books about the way the brain works and is a very credible author. In his book Blink, he discusses the way humans think subconsciously. Malcolm writes for people interested in the way that the brain works. The book is for a general audience as it doesn’t use extremely challenging vocabulary. It explains studies or scientific research that one who is an expert in the field would understand without an explanation, but the average person would need an explanation to comprehend. Gladwell writes in the present day. As psychologists/scientists are studying more about the human mind, they are making more discoveries that Gladwell hopes to convey to his audience. Given the occasion, one can see that his purpose is to teach the audience about how they subconsciously think. However, there may be more to the purpose that I have not learned as I am only half-way through the book. Gladwell uses many rhetorical devices to achieve his purpose. He appeals to logos through the use of many studies that support his arguments. He also uses narration to show stories that connect to his arguments. For example, he uses the story of a married couple to explain a phenomenon all humans experience called thin-slicing. He also includes the audience with his writing. For example, with many of the experiments he describes, he will either give the audience a website so they can experience the experiment themselves or he will put a sample of the experiment into the book so that the readers can attempt it at home. To explain one of the experiments, he includes a list of words at the beginning of one of his chapters and asks the audience to put them in categories. The point of the experiment wasn’t to put words into categories, but to see how the actual words affected the experimented. Many of the words described old people, such as “bingo,” “Florida” and “wrinkles”. After completing the experiment many people seemed to move slowly or act slower due to their subconscious thinking about older people. By providing this list, the audience can see if their behavior changes too. This was very effective in helping the audience understand what Gladwell was trying to explain. I believe that Malcolm did accomplish his purpose of teaching the audience. I learned a lot about my subconscious and it has made me more aware of how I act and think.

TOW #3 - Human Race

Adam Zyglis, the artist behind “The Race We Still Struggle With”, is an American cartoonist who earned the Pulitzer Prize. In this text, he discusses both the presidential race and America in general as time goes on. He discusses these topics with an American audience, as it is a way to show Americans the problems that we as a whole need to eliminate (prejudice, discrimination, bigotry) to run smoother as a country. As there is a presidential race occurring, there is a chance for America to have a big change and eliminate the things that stop it from advancing. Zyglis uses this occasion as a chance to show his purpose, which was to show that America cannot improve unless it takes the obstacles - prejudice, discrimination, and bigotry - and solves the problems. With those gone, America can have a smoother presidential race and a smoother path to a better country. However, if Americans continue to be prejudice, they risk the development of fairness and equality for all. I think Zyglis supported his purpose as he clearly and concisely shows what he thinks are standing in the way of America’s improvement. Zygis uses metaphor for his purpose. He uses metaphors to show that the discrimination, prejudice, and bigotry are stopping the runner from running as they are stopping America from developing into a fair country. The author also uses details to show that the runner, Uncle Sam, who represents the patriotic part of America, is tired and sweating as it is hard to try to continue to develop with things holding him back. By using the word “still” in the caption, he says that not only are we struggling with this race, but we have been struggling even though we should be done the race by now.

https://www.theodysseyonline.com/campaign-2016-as-told-through-political-cartoons-and-satire

TOW #2 - Spork or Weapon?

It’s a Fork, It’s a Spoon, It’s a ... Weapon? discusses school rules on weapons and how the strict rules have led to unfair suspensions of young and innocent children. This article was written by Ian Urbina. He is an investigative reported for the New York Times that received a Pulitzer, a Polk, and other awards for journalism. He is very credible in his writing as he cites multiple sources and uses many quotes from his interviews. In his article he explains that The increase in security of schools was, “Spurred in part by the Columbine and Virginia Tech shootings” (14), and as more shootings are occurring the security is increasing. Although the audience is general as anyone can view the article and be more informed about the incidents. A more specific audience includes those who write the policies on weapons as it opens their eyes to the effects of strict rules. Urbina hopes to inform the audience of the harshness of school rules on weapons and the need for change in those rules. He uses logos for his arguments. He explains that, “In Baltimore, around 10,000 students, about 12 percent of the city’s enrollment, were suspended during the 2006-7 school year, mostly for disruption and insubordination, according to a report by the Open Society Institute-Baltimore” (19). He uses many statistics and quotes from his interviews to back up his reasoning. This is impactful to his purpose as it helps readers understand the severity of the problem and how it isn’t just one rare case of suspension. Along with logos Urbina uses pathos to make a compelling argument. Zachary said, “I just think the other kids may tease me for being in trouble” (30). This quote is in the conclusion of the essay, ultimately being a strong point to use the emotional side of the readers to agree with Urbina. I think that Ian Urbina accomplished his purpose very well. He made it very clear that to the students who were suspended, but did not have intent to harm, should be allowed to go back to school.

TOW #1 - The Falling Man

The Falling Man An Unforgettable Story, written by Tom Junod, analyzes a picture taken on September 11, 2001 of a man jumping out of one of the Twin Towers. Tom Junod is an American journalist that writes for Esquire. He received two of the most prestigious awards in magazine writing - the National Magazine Awards from the American Society of Magazine Editors. Junod uses rhetorical devices well in his essay. He writes about other jumpers, saying that “they look confused, as though trying to swim down the side of a mountain. The man in the picture, by contrast, is perfectly vertical, and so is in accord with the lines of the buildings behind him” (par. 1). The metaphor allows the reader to visualize what is happening to the people falling, but also contrast the falling man from others that fell, explaining why the photo is so profound. Junod also uses pictures to separate paragraphs. He puts the pictures in chronological order of the man falling to show exactly what he is writing about. The audience includes those who want to know more about the photo of the falling man. Many people argue against showing the falling man as it can be an extortion of his suicide. Junod writes that many newspapers, “were forced to defend themselves against charges that they exploited a man's death, stripped him of his dignity, invaded his privacy...” (par. 8). However, Junod argues in his conclusion that, “The picture is his cenotaph, and like the monuments dedicated to the memory of unknown soldiers everywhere, it asks that we look at it, and make one simple acknowledgment. That we have known who the Falling Man is all along” (par. 52-53). Junod believes that to honor those who fall one should look at the picture and realize what the jumpers did on that fateful day. The author accomplished his purpose well. He showed the opposing argument - the families that were disgusted by the photo - and also explained why he believes that the photo should be seen. This text convinces the writer to look at the picture and respect those who have lost and have a greater understanding of what happened on September 11, 2001.

IRB Intro Post #1

For my IRB I have decided to read Blink by Malcolm Gladwell. Blink is about how humans subconsciously think. I decided to read Blink because I read Outliers by Gladwell and really enjoyed it. I hope to gain a deeper understanding of the human mind on a subconscious level from reading this book.

How It Feels to Be Colored Me

How It Feels to Be Colored Me, written by distinguished author for African-American literature Zora Neale Hurston, discusses the differences between races, or the lack thereof. Hurston’s race provides her ethos for writing about what it is like to be colored. She is separate from the majority of African-American writing. She explains that she does not belong to “the sobbing school of Negrohood” (115). Instead, Hurston wants to reveal that everyone is like a bag against a wall. If one were to pick up the bags and dump their items out on the floor into a large pile, and then refill the bags from the pile on the floor, they would not greatly alter the content of any bag. Ultimately stating that the only difference between races is the outside. I believe that the author beautifully accomplished her purpose. Hurston begins the essay by explaining how slavery “fails to register depression with” (115) her. She creatively explained essentially that she doesn’t live a sad life because her ancestors did. She writes that “At certain times I have no race, I am me” (117). This phrase shows that she doesn’t live her life in depression because of the past. She ends the essay with the bag metaphor that encompasses her purpose, ultimately saying that every human is the same on the inside. Hurston mentions both the black and white side of life, so the audience includes any person of any race. The appeal to a general audience allows every person to understand her purpose, as it is important for every race to understand. Hurston’s writing matches well with her purpose. She uses a conversational and light tone to make the typically heavy subject easier to read. She says, “Sometimes I feel discriminated against, but it does not make me angry. It merely astonishes me. How can any deny themselves the pleasure of my company! It’s beyond me” (117). Using light hearted jokes and beautiful metaphors, Hurston writes in a serious, yet entertaining fashion that allows her purpose to shine.

Picture:

Caption: Rainbow Goldfish look different on the outside, but all taste the same.

Picture Source: https://paulsober.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/img_0330.jpg

Letter from Birmingham Jail

During the 20th century, racial segregation was a social injustice that affected every person in the United States. Martin Luther King Jr. was an activist for the civil-rights movement and was jailed multiple times in his efforts to demolish the unjust rights that plagued the south at that time period. While in the Birmingham Jail, King wrote Letter from Birmingham Jail, as a response to his fellow white clergymen who wrote criticism on his activities that ultimately put him in jail. King discusses not only the reasoning behind his protests - blatant racism - but also gives insight behind what it is like to be black in the 20th century. He writes about his hopes for the future and why he is against segregation. Although he writes to his fellow clergymen, the audience is more than that. The audience outside of the clergymen include “the white moderate” (273) that he hoped would see the letter. King wants the white people who have not been oppressed to understand “the deep groans and passionate yearnings of those that have been oppressed” (274). King writes using metaphors and imagery that effectively give examples to support his claims. On the bottom of 267 and top of 268 King describes why colored people have “legitimate and unavoidable impatience” (268). These reasons include “when you have seen hate filled policemen curse, kick, brutalize, and even kill your black brothers and sisters with impunity” (267). That powerful image helps readers who have not experienced the pain of being black understand the reasoning behind their actions. Martin Luther King Jr. simply explains his purpose of the essay with his signature following the statement, “Yours for the cause of Peace and Brotherhood” (279). His well written essay effectively accomplishes his purpose. He uses many quotes and examples that make it hard to argue against his reasoning for committing the acts of protest that put him in jail.

Picture:

Caption: The picture encompasses the racist tendencies that the majority had against the minority when they treated African-Americans and Mexicans as dogs.

Picture source: http://atlantablackstar.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/images1.jpg

A Hundred Thousand Straightened Nails

Donald Hall, American writer, recounts the life of Washington Woodward in A Hundred Thousand Straightened Nails. Donald Hall writes that he, “knew Washington well, yet [his] image of [Washington] was a mixture of what [he] had observed and what [his] grandfather had told [him]” (253). The honesty in his statement shows that his ethos may not entirely be credible as he is not recounting the story entirely from his personal experience. However, it does not affect the point of the essay as the purpose has more to do with the story than with the reality of the story. The essay discusses waste and ironically tells a story of a man who spends his whole life trying not to waste anything, but essentially ruins his life itself by his self-isolation. After Washington passes away Hall explains that the shack that he built “has caved in and his straightened nails have rusted into the dirt of Ragged Mountain; though the rocks stay where he moved them, no one knows how they got there” (262). All of the things that Washington lived for withered away into waste. The author wants to use the story of Washington to show how one should not isolate themselves as it will waste their life. One must utilize the essay to realize how they should use their life to have some sort of benefit on others’ lives, and not to pass away with only rotting things to be remembered by. A Hundred Thousand Straightened Nails, written for those who have the potential to waste their life, uses irony very well. Hall writes that Washington “saved the nails because it was a sin to allow good materials to go to waste” (257). The nails eventually were wasted as they rusted without anyone after his death to care for them. Another rhetorical device that Hall uses well is narration, it is the majority of the essay. It encompasses his purpose very well as it is entertaining, but also has a moral at the end. I think the author accomplished his purpose because he did effectively use the life of Washington as an example of how one can accidentally waste their life.

Picture:

Caption: A life is wasted once one chooses to isolate themselves.

Picture source: http://wp.patheos.com.s3.amazonaws.com/blogs/johnshore/files/2013/08/alone-in-a-crowd.jpg