TOW #3- The Sunless Sea

Excerpt from The Sunless Sea by Rachel Carson (from A World of Ideas)

Rachel Carson received a master’s degree in zoology at Johns Hopkins University, and also studied marine biology at the Marine Biological Laboratory of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Massachusetts. With this education, she wrote many magazine articles and books to educate people both in and out of the science community on Earth’s vastly unexplored oceans and the harm that pesticides cause, especially to sea life. Her audience is clear due to the fact that The Sunless Sea’s vocabulary is that which someone who has not extensively studied biology could understand, but that other scientists could still relate to through some scientific terms and examples. In the 1950s, while Watson and Crick were studying the structure of DNA, Carson was writing about marine life. In The Sunless Sea, Carson describes the depths of the sea, which are unknown to many people, even marine biologists. She depicts the wonder and excitement of the discoveries of new species, and the people responsible for several deep-sea expeditions. The main goal of this passage is to bring attention to the understudied ocean, and how there are is so much that humans are unaware of swimming in the seas. Appeals to ethos are made often in this essay. For example, “the British biologist Edward Forbes” (619) is quoted recounting his trip to an abyss in the ocean, as well as William Beebe (618), Johan Hjort (622), and Thor Heyerdahl (623). These appeals effectively prove Carson’s credibility further than simply her credentials, which are provided in A World of Ideas prior to her text, because these scientists have experienced the ocean firsthand. They know what it is like to be on boats and in submarines, studying the various creatures the ocean is home to. Without quotes and information from and about these biologists, Carson’s argument would be weaker due to the absence of first-hand accounts.   

TOW #2- Visual Text

http://www.theonion.com/graphic/veiled-threat-53749

On August 24, 2016, a woman attending a beach in Nice, France was forced by police to remove her burkini because of the ban on such attire in the town in light of recent terrorism shocks. Images of this event spread across the Internet, causing outrage due to the fact that many people believe this woman should have been able to wear what she wants and what her religion prompts she should. On the other hand, there are people who defend the band and believe that any woman who wears a burqa is dangerous, or an outcast. The cartoon pictured above uses satire to show how the religious beliefs of other people do not personally affect anyone but themselves. The bald eagle, our national animal, is drawn dead, and the Statue of Liberty is crying, both of which exaggerate the effect that burkinis have on America as a whole. The creator of the cartoon is hoping that viewers see just how ridiculous it is for people to judge someone on their clothing, and that by allowing the women to wear burkinis, the country itself is not affected in any way. The target audience of this image was mainly Americans, which is made obvious by the bald eagle, the Statue of Liberty, and the Miss America Pageant contestants. The person who made the cartoon is mainly hoping to get the attention of Americans because our country has a massive effect on the rest of the world. If the United States allow burqas, burkinis, etc. to be worn, then other countries will hopefully follow suit due to this country’s large influence. I found this visual text on The Onion, a popular satirical newspaper that has been up and running since 1988. While the specific illustrator is not written on the website, this source is reliable due to the fact that many people view it and the company employs many well-known reporters. I believe that the image achieved its purpose because it makes people who disagree with burqas look silly and uneducated.    

TOW #1- Women and Honor: Some Notes on Lying

Women and Honor: Some Notes on Lying by Adrienne Rich (from The Best American Essays of the Century)

Women and Honor: Some Notes on Lying was written by Adrienne Rich in 1977, the year that the National Women’s Conference took place in Houston, Texas. Rich was a Radcliffe College graduate, and her and her works received many awards, including the National Book Award for Poetry and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Lannan Foundation. This essay explains to readers how and why women lie by exploring the different techniques and motives that the majority of women are known to use when stretching the truth. Rich writes to women, frequently using words like “we” and “us” to connect to her audience. In addition, it is apparent that she is writing for women in order to convince the readers that they are their own person, and that they should not let anyone get in their way of happiness. She writes about how men are the main reason that women lie so often, and that women have been forced to change their own looks, personalities, and lives simply to please men; however, Rich believes that women deserve to create their own honor, and that they have the potential to be more truthful. Throughout Women and Honor, Rich continually uses repetition to further prove the importance of her purpose. For example, she asks, “As we cease to lie with our bodies, as we cease to take on faith what men have said about us, is a truly womanly idea of honor in the making?” (Rich 415). Her use of repetition at the beginning of the two consecutive phrases shows that what she is writing is imperative for the reader to comprehend and retain. She wants this specific statement to be ingrained in her readers’ minds; she wants it to stand out to them, and she wants them to truly ponder the question she is posing. The author’s frequent repetition is successful because her main points are highlighted and stick out to readers due to the recurrent reiteration.

IRB Intro #1- Outliers

I chose to read Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell this marking period because my English teacher from last year, Ms. Torresani, suggested them. In addition, a few of my friends have read them, and they also thought I would be interested. From what they have told me and what I read online, I am very intrigued by this book and cannot wait to read it.