Writer’s Reflective Statement

As this year comes to an end and I’ve put the final touches on my portfolio, I’ve had extensive time to really evaluate this semester and my own progress in this Writing and Rhetoric course. Through the use of multiple medias and varying topics, my writing process and skills have clearly evolved.
When I first began this semester in January, I could not help but roll my eyes at the idea of another writing course. For me, it seemed silly to take an entire course devoted to writing when I’m forced to write papers in every other class anyway. After the first couple of weeks, however, my eyes were actually opened to just how much I could learn about this topic I thought I knew everything about already. The idea of rhetoric and what it means was never really clear to me until I read Herrick’s Overview of Rhetoric. Even for my last project, I found myself coming back again and again to read over the definition and and rhetoric’s purpose. This really enabled me to not only understand the concept of rhetoric but how I can use it to my advantage in capturing and convincing an audience. An idea that was originally very abstract, actually became very real and tangible to my by the end of the semester.
The most interesting part of this course that will be the most helpful to me in the future were the multimedia components. From the first day of class, where we did the activity discussing screens and what they mean and how they influence us, I was very interested in how the “old” concept of rhetoric would apply to modern times. While the blog seemed to be tedious at first, it was a great way for me to utilize some typical rhetorical methods in a more informal and practical way than your average paper. Being an FTT major I found this course very engaging and pertinent to my field of study. With readings like Lancioni’s Rhetoric of Frame and Bolter and Grusin’s Immediacy, Hypermediacy, and Remediation, I was able to clearly see rhetorical elements at work in everyday things like television, photography, and film.
The convergence of rhetoric and multimedia, allowed me to test my writing and critical thinking abilities across all platforms. For the first project, the Audio Narrative, it was my first taste into the use of rhetoric in a more unconventional way. Since it was the first there are obvious issues with the focus and theme, but the use of rhetorical elements in order to captivate and hold the listener were utilized pretty accurately. Being an actress the vocal intonation was pretty easy for me and I think it did well in conveying the mood. The idea, however, was lacking and sort of missed the idea in describing how media affects my life. Also my process beforehand was still reminiscent on my old ideas of how to start a paper so that was lacking as well. For the first taste of rhetorical situation, however, I’m still proud of this introduction.
Next came the rhetorical analysis, which in many ways was not as strong as the audio narrative. It was at this time in the semester where I was truly struggling with trying to bring together the new ideas I was learning in class and marry them to my old writing process. The result was a less focused and disjointed paper. My pre-writing process was definitely a lot better with several pages of planning being written before even starting. I’m very proud of this slight improvement because I believed in many ways this set me up to create much better pieces later in the semester. My idea was strong, but I seemed to lose touch with the most important idea of rhetoric: the audience. The paper was a little planned and left something to be desired. While I did edit this paper in certain ways to get a clearer and more defined purpose, I left my biggest edit to the Research Argument.
The third, and without a doubt the most stressful, paper was the Research Argument. That said, it is also the paper I’m most proud of. This paper took all of my attention and time and I’m really happy with the final product. The research took many days, and while I usually HATE this type of work, I actually found everything really interesting. It was during this process where I truly realized what was needed to create an effective and intriguing rhetorical piece. In this paper you can clearly see how my writing ability has transformed. There is clear integration of outside sources that, while not directly supporting my claim, inadvertently help me prove my case. I edited this paper the most for the portfolio because I wanted it to be an evident display of my abilities. I changed the ordering and deleted most of the extraneous detail that muddied the paper. I’m very proud of this paper and I think it’s one of the best research papers I’ve ever done.
Finally there is the TED Talk. I had the most fun with this project because I was so invested in the topic. I loved preparing it, performing it, and analyzing the finished project. I am also the most critical of this project because I expect the most out of anything that involves public speaking. I find several issues with my delivery(speed, stance, and movement) and that makes it hard for me to judge this unbiasedly. The research and process component was still up to par with my research paper and the facts are melded into the presentation in a way that shows my understanding of the topic. I also was able to utilize more rhetorical elements than in other projects because of the type of media. I think this project will be the most beneficial to me for future classes and life.
After finishing this course and going over my portfolio, I am able to say I have improved immensely over the semester. I now not only understand what rhetoric is but how to use it in papers and life in general. Also the multimedia aspects are so pertinent to my life that I now utilize the things I learned in this class everyday. While I might not have been the most receptive student at first, this class was more helpful than I could have known.

Thank you, Dr. E for a great semester! Have a good summer 🙂

TED Talk Proposal

My TED talk will focus on the treatment of women in Hollywood compared to their male counterparts.  This will include actresses, screenwriters, directors, and producers.  I want to show the audience how the inequality on the screen and behind the screen not only affects the entertainment industry but also the viewers and world at large.  There are many different types of sources I plan to use. There are a great number of statistics on the data of the inequality (Source 1). But a really great and effective source would be the video of major actresses calling out interviewers for their sexist questions, specifically Scarlett Johanssen and Emma Stone (Source 2 and 3). I would also like to introduce the idea of the Bechdel Test which is an interesting new way to rate films by their female characters. For the story-telling component, I might give an example from my own acting career. I still have not set up the exact time sequence. 

 

Source 1: http://womenintvfilm.sdsu.edu/files/2013_It’s_a_Man’s_World_Report.pdf

Source 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=wBbSNnGmPfw#t=184s

Source 3: http://www.teenvogue.com/industry/coverlook/coverlook-august-2012/emma-stone-andrew-garfield-teen-vogue-photos%23ixzz20Kkld59p

 

 

Possible Main Point Paragraph

          Marketing techniques for clothing are vast and diverse, yet the most prominent manner is through print media usually in top fashion magazines. This method is not only the most effective (Vogue magazine alone has an average total circulation of 1,246,765 magazines), but also the most expensive (CondeNast.com).  Advertisement rates for a one page spread in Vogue run anywhere from between $129,000 and $145,000 (CondeNast.com).  This high cost translates to a brand that is not only capable of producing enough sales to satisfy those prices, but also creating a loyal clientele that revel in paying high prices for the clothing.  This is demonstrated through their marketing.  In their campaigns, designers not only try to sell their clothing, but they market to a certain lifestyle, a lifestyle which is characterized by wealth, luxury, and extravagance.  These types of advertisements create a sense of discontent for the consumer, who generally can’t afford that lifestyle. This supported by the fact that the median income for the magazine readers is only $58,612 (condenast.com).

 

 

Past Research History

I’ve only had to do two research papers during my high school career. Neither were totally awful as the many nightmare stories might suggest but one was definitely more enjoyable than the other. 

My sophmore year, my English teacher assigned our class a research paper on teaching in America, its flaws/strengths, and how it can be fixed.  She gave us all of the sources we were allowed to use and did a comprehensive overview. It was a good way to learn the basics of what we’d have to do but it was a tad boring.  I like talking politics but since we were only allowed to use certain sources it was kind of like she was pushing her views on us. It would have been better if we were allowed to choose our own topic and sources. But I did like how comprehensive her tutorial was.

My junior year, we were assigned to do a research paper on a possible career path we see ourselves choosing.  We were given a lot of freedom in what we could choose and the sources, but the subject matter itself didn’t lend itself to an extensive research project, though I did enjoy researching what a fashion magazine editor does. Enjoying the subject matter makes the research so much easy and the time devoted to it seems to be less wasted. 

In both situations, I learned something and enjoyed a certain aspect. 

Thesis Statement

The Social Network, while being an entertaining biopic, also provides an interesting critique on today’s generation’s ideas about success and money.  Through the use of cinematic elements, such as lighting, sound editing, and dialogue, Sorkin is able to convey how our misconceptions of what it means to be successful in today’s world leads to strained gender relations, failed friendships, and ultimate unhappiness. 

Social Network Introduction

   The Academy Award-winning film the Social Network takes an in-depth look at the creation of today’s most popular internet website, Facebook.  The movie, written by Aaron Sorkin, tells the tale of Mark Zuckerberg’s rise to fame after founding the most influential social networking site of all time and his consequent social downfall through broken relationships and crippling lawsuits.  Through unique story-telling, Sorkin is able to not only convey the true story of Mark Zuckerberg, but he also provides an intriguing critique on today’s generation and how they think about success, money, and friendship.

Rhetorical Analysis of Pictures and Film

     The photographs of the Civil Rights Protests are a great example conveying a theme through a medium.  The idea of how the medium “positions the spectator as an active participant in the making of a meaning” can be understood by looking at these three photographs (Benson 197).  The construction of these photos is extremely important in forcing the viewers to “question their own formulation of abstractions” like freedom and morality (Lancioni 106).  The focus for most of the pictures is on the foreground with the background out of focus.  With the first photograph there are many people in the background standing around as bystanders, the viewer immediately feels like one with them which forces the spectator to feel like they are taking part in this scene from history.  The framing is extremely important and because of where the picture is cut it appears that the action continues down the street out of the frame. Transparent immediacy is also achieved through the use of linear perspective.  Although the pictures are 2D, there is significant depth to all of the photographs that provide a realistic view that makes the viewer believe the actions truly happened. All of these elements come together to make the viewer feel like they are taking part in this very scary and very real time period in history.  The spectator not only questions the ideals that the foundation of America is built on but their own morality and how they would’ve reacted if they were in the frame.

         The film the Social Network, like any type of rhetoric, utilizes many of the same elements as the Civil Rights pictures.  For cinema, in general, framing is extremely vital and the camera angles help convey certain themes.  The entire film is almost a re-framing of the actual events that occurred and therefore the film-maker is able to infuse his opinions about the even into the movie.  In the second scene of the Social Network where Zuckerberg is creating the website that rates female students at Harvard there are many cuts to different locations on campus where guys are going on to the gives a sense of urgency and seems like it is affecting the entire campus. This also shows hypermediacy which scholars define as a media not only acting as a window but “windowed itself with windows that open on to other representations of media”. The use of the internet within this film is a prime example of hypermediacy. All of these elements shape viewers’ thinking of the topic at hand, in this case the technological advancement of this generation and how it affects their superficiality. 

The Delight of Paris

 

      This is a beautiful painting of Paris that I currently have hanging on my wall in my tiny dorm room.  This artwork elicits a sort of emotion and everyday when I see I am affected by the image before me.  Herrick’s definition of rhetoric as being “a systematic study and intentional practice of effective symbolic expression” demonstrates how this work of art is actually a form of rhetorical discourse.  Not only is the artist using his talents to express himself in this painting, but by because I placed this artwork in my room I, too, am utilizing a form of rhetoric.

     Rhetorical discourse has five main defining characteristics. They are that rhetoric is planned, adapted to an audience, shaped by human motives, responsive to a situation, and persuasion-seeking.  It is obvious that a painting this detailed was well thought out before-hand.  The artist probably planed out every brush stroke in order to ensure that the painting would turn out how he planned.  This is especially important because it illustrates how every single thing illuminated in this artwork was calculated and has a purpose.  This leads to the next point about the audience.  I originally bought this painting on the streets of Paris in one of their quaint art fairs.  The artist not only knew who would most likely be walking around the art fair, but who would be most likely to buy their painting.  Although many Parisians enjoy their art, it is unlikely they would be seen perusing the stands of one of the most crowded areas.  The people who generally visit these shows are tourists with a passion for the arts.  The artist construed (correctly at least in my case), that their consumer would be someone who loves Paris for its romanticized ideals.  It’s a person who loves the city and its idealistic history.  This understanding of the audience then leads the painting to be shaped by human motives.  The motive for the artist is to not only sell the painting, but express a certain ideal.  Since the target audience is generally someone who would agree with the painter’s ideal this is very simple.  He constructs a work of art that looks as if it is a real-life portrait taken in the 20th century.  The black and white also conveys the old time feel while the red contrasts lends itself to creating a beautiful sight that has romantic undertones.  This vision of old-time Paris is one that makes the viewer believe this is the Paris of F. Scott Fitzgerald and Salvador Dalí even Ernest Hemingway.  This vivid image is response-inviting for the viewer.  They are immediately transported to another time and can feel the excitement of the period.  The artist’s inner expression elicits a certain emotion from every viewer.  This leads to the final point of persuasion-seeking.  The painter’s two goals of sale and self-expression are their own form of persuasion highlighting Herrick’s main focuses on appeals, arrangement, and aesthetics.

     With all of these ideas in mind, the painter was able to create a profound piece of art that conveys a certain feeling to the viewer.  Not only does the painter have a larger purpose for the construction but so do I as I place it on my walls.  It’s not only a beautiful landscape but a telling of my innermost ideals.  It shows my love not only for the city but the time period and romanticism in general.  By placing it on my walls, I could want the viewer to see me as a cultured idealist who dreams big.  Or my main purpose could be more geared toward myself in ensuring that I remember this idea and possibly the good memories I had in Paris.  Either way there are a multitude of examples of rhetorical discourse being utilized through common imagery that can be seen in daily life. 

Thought Provoking Question

Herrick defines rhetoric as the systematic study and intentional practice of effective symbolic expression.  This symbolic expression ranges from writing and speaking to the arts and other typical self-expression outlets.  Herrick then also goes on to define five main characteristics of rhetorical discourse, an important one being that rhetoric is responsive to a certain situation or statement.  Under the guise of art, how is that famous artwork from the 16th and 17th century are still relevant today if they were created in direct correlation to their time?  Is there a general theme that crosses human nature throughout the ages that allows certain symbolic expression to resonate for many generations and years to come?  And if so, what are some rhetoric discourses today that will turn into a “masterpiece” in the future?

The Central Point

In almost all essays, from narrative to expository, there exists an essential moment that captures the point and main theme of the literary work.  In  “Joyas Voladoras” and “A Tale of Two Markets, the central moments are imperative parts that allow the reader to fully understand the idea of the essay.

Although both pieces are extremely different with the authors utilizing a different technique to demonstrate their theme, they each have a turning point which encapsulates the entire essay and puts forth their deeper thoughts.  In Joyas Voladoras, Brian Doyle chooses to change from a focus on specific examples to a broader idea in order to convey his central moment.  Doyle uses an almost scientific-like tone for the majority of the essay talking about the hearts of many animals, especially the Hummingbird and Blue Whale.  It is when he moves from the facts to the opinion where his turning point is obvious.  With the lines “We all churn inside. So much held in a heart in a lifetime. So much held in a heart in a day, an hour, a moment”, we come across the true purpose of the piece.  Brian Doyle uses the factual descriptions of real hearts to lead us into his supposition that the heart is a fragile yet beautiful intangible concept that is dependent on our experiences and others.

“A Tale of Two Markets” takes a different approach.  Through the use of relaxed story-telling the reader is transplanted into the story and comes upon the central point as the piece progresses.  Through witty language and metaphors, the story comes alive.  The turning point is discovered after using a contrast between two grocery stores: one an over-expensive store catered towards the upper-middle class and the other a cheap “ghetto” store where one could get enough food to last a week on a measly paycheck.  The central point is uncovered in the lines “I realized now that it’s not just a lifestyle for sale.  When I scan my membership card and move through the checkout line, I add fragments to the pixelated image of who I am…”  In these lines the author is able to clearly connect how the two stores make the customers feel which thereby changes who the customers are and who they wish to be.  In this short narrative, consumer identity and how this shapes us is examined.