TOW #3 - Article: "The Science Behind Dreaming"

                Dreaming is a complex concept, one people, even scientists, have trouble wrapping their heads around. Yet new discoveries are made every day that link us closer and closer to the true science behind dreams. In the article “The Science Behind Dreaming”, different research studies are depicted and the answer to what dreams are and how they affect us is revealed. The author, Sander van der Linden, a social-psychologist and professor at Princeton, compares the historical misconceptions of dreams to the idea of dreams that we have today, ideas with a surplus of technological backing.

            Trying to reach the general public, Linden aims to inform about the science behind dreams, an action each and every person goes through in their lifetime. He also clears up common misconceptions and gets straight to the truth, what dreams are really made of. In reality, dreams turn on electrical brain waves in our mind and trigger parts of the brain such as the amygdala and the hippocampus, areas that control our emotions and memories. This explains why dreams have such strong emotional connotations.

            Linden constructs her ideas in a very successful manner, making her evidence highly relevant and the purpose, to inform the general public about the science behind dreams, very clear. Using coherence, exposition and ethos, Linden constructs a purpose and gets it across to the audience. By using a historical analysis of dreams, leading into various different current studies and theories about dreams and eventually concluding with a summary of the research findings, Linden’s article flows and has coherence. He also establishes ethos by giving credible and current research from research teams located all over the world.

            All in all, Linden was successful in communicating his purpose to the audience of un-informed citizens. He backed up his ideas with an abundance of research and clearly laid out the true science behind dreams.

TOW #2 - Visual Text: Increasing Environmental Issues (cartoon)

                As technology develops and humans begin caring less and less about the natural world around them, a change occurs in nature, one that cannot be undone. Oil production, waste levels and the human race’s carbon footprint are all factors that are leading to global warming, loss of natural resources and the ultimate downfall of the environment. Although many are aware of this issue and are making an effort to turn the fate of the environment around, too many are oblivious to the destruction they are causing. Many efforts are being made to make these oblivious people understand the damage they are doing.

            This political cartoon is an example of an effort made to help their audience, people oblivious to the harm they are causing to the environment. The author successfully shows the audience what the world may turn into if their habits continue. The author of the cartoon is trying to uncover reality for the people blind to it. The cartoon reads “Earth Day 2035” in the top right corner, telling the audience that the setting is the future. The rest of the cartoon shows various camera men taking pictures of what seems to be a political leader in front of a backdrop of a healthy forest. Yet, surrounding the backdrop is the reality of the time period: cut down trees, fossil fuels, trash and more. The reasoning behind the creation of this cartoon is to take action on a problem much bigger than people realize, to spread awareness about our slowly dying environment in the hopes of causing a positive reaction.

            The author of this political cartoon uses many rhetorical strategies including satire, imagery and mood. The author is using humor to criticize the immaturities of the human race. Imagery is also being used by taking different elements and describing a situation without directly saying the context. Lastly, the mood of the cartoon makes the audience want to take action and make a difference.

            The author created this cartoon to raise awareness on the downfall of the environment. The author accomplished this successfully by appealing to the audience’s emotions and making them open their eyes to the harsh reality. 

TOW #1 - Article: "No Name Woman"

                Part of human nature is to wonder and dig in to your cultural past. Where you came from, traditions in which your ancestors participated in and so much more. These are things the author of No Name Woman wonders as she dives into her family’s past.

Maxine Hong Kingston, a Chinese-American who wonders how to differentiate Chinese tradition with reality, writes an essay on her fascination with her past, her roots in China and her life as a Chinese-American. Kingston writes about a story in which she sworn to her mother to keep a secret. The irony within this piece of text is already present, the author is making a family secret public. Kingston’s aunt, a woman with no name, was married to a man who moved to America. Two years later, the aunt was impregnated and gives birth to a child. Because of this, the aunt was proven disloyal to her husband and therefore shun from her surrounding villagers and her family. This caused an uprising, the villagers came and raided the aunt’s belongings: her livestock and her clothes. Once the aunt gives birth, she throws herself and her child to the bottom of a well. This story stays with Kingston as she grows up. Her mother uses this story to alter her mind, teaching her to choose the path of loyalty and to keep her family’s reputation at a constant.

The audience Kingston intended to reach with this essay is people stuck between whether their traditional past is fiction or reality. Her purpose is to find an in between of Chinese and American culture, to come to terms with her individual identity. Kingston uses rhetorical devices such as imagery and motif. She describes the story of her aunt in great detail, giving her aunt a real personality that the audience is able to connect with. An example of a motif also mention in No Name Woman is that of ghosts, people who are forgotten long ago yet still make an effect on the present day. The author well supported her purpose to create a meaningful essay.

IRB Intro Post #1

For the first marking period, I am choosing to read the book Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom. This novel is about Mitch Albom and his sudden and meaningful connection with his old professor, Morrie Shwartz. Albom sees his old professor being interviewed on a television show and is compelled to reconnect with him. Although, Shwartz is very ill and does not have much time left to rekindle an old connection. With the time that Shwartz has left, Albom visits him each Tuesday to discuss a new life lesson. I selected this book because I think the perspective that a wise man on the verge of death has on life will be very different and new to me. I hope to gain a sense of appreciation for my own life and to discover new lessons life has to offer.