TOW #15- Stiff

Stiff, a book published in 2003 and written by Mary Roach, explores the many important uses of cadavers. The goal of her writing is to make it well know that cadavers are not monsters to be afraid of, but scientific specimens that aid the betterment of human life. Throughout the book, Roach utilizes a combination of imagery and analogies in order to help her audience imagine a normally incomprehensible subject. For example, in the fifth chapter, she states that “The heads have been put in roasting pans—which are of the disposable aluminum variety—for the same reason chickens ae put in roasting pans: to catch the drippings”, “You could be looking at rows of old men reclining in barber chairs with hot towels on their faces”, and that, contrary to Roach’s original thought, the stumps are not “cleanly sliced, like the edge of deli ham”. These comparisons successfully describe the atmosphere of the labs and exactly what someone would see upon walking into one. Roach’s purpose in doing this was to recreate her experiences for her readers. This is imperative in a book like Stiff because the majority of people, especially those reading this book, do not have much experience with dead bodies. Thus, in comparing such a seemingly unrealistic scenario to everyday objects, like aluminum roasting pans, barber shops, and deli ham, makes the setting much more alive and true. Imagery, by definition, is meant to paint a picture in the readers’ heads, and Roach is additionally effective in using this device. The everyday items used to compare not only make the scene more realistic, but make it easier for the audience to picture. Naming tools such as scalpels and forceps would not have been wise in a book with the purpose of informing and teaching; therefore, the diction and descriptions used by Roach in this area successfully appeal to her purpose and audience.  

TOW #14- Stiff

Mary Roach wrote a book on a topic that is not extremely popular among the vast majority of people. Except, perhaps, doctors and morticians. Published in 2003, Stiff documents the many different ways cadavers have helped the living through transplants and tests. In this book, the author uses metaphors and similes in order to describe the importance of human cadavers, and to make cadavers seem less scary. Stiff begins with a comparison between death and cruises. Roach states that on cruise ships “Most of your time is spent lying on your back. The brain has shut down. The flesh begins to soften. Nothing much new happens, and nothing is expected of you,” which, coincidentally, sounds very similar to death (Roach 9). This strange and profound metaphor is the perfect way to begin such a book. The reader is hooked, and forced to look at death in a different way, instead of the sad and morbid image that floods most humans’ brains when thinking of it. The rest of the book has the same light and uplifting tone, which is set directly with the comparison. Rather than a scary book about dead bodies coming to life, Stiff is a nonfiction piece that displays the helpfulness of cadavers, making the uncomfortable topic more personal. In addition to metaphors, repetition is used to ease the minds of the readers. Cadavers are not “depressing or heart-wrenching or repulsive”, but they “seemed sweet and well-intentioned, sometimes sad, occasionally amusing. Some were beautiful, some monsters. Some wore sweatpants and some were naked, some in pieces, others whole,” according to the author (Roach 11). This description of the human cadavers Roach has dealt with in the past successfully calms the reader because, at the point that bodies become cadavers, they are anonymous science experiments rather than living, breathing people. It was imperative that Roach make this point in the beginning of the book because, from this point on, the audience will feel comfortable with hearing about heads being chopped off and bodies being used as crash test dummies. Due to these rhetorical devices, the rest of the books is able to explain how cadavers have help the human species, without scaring away the audience.

TOW #13- Luncheon of the Boating Party

This text, labeled Luncheon of the Boating Party, was created by Pierre-Auguste Renoir in 1880. The artist creates a beautiful, lively painting that, in its use of light, diversity, and facial expressions, displays the changing society in France at this time and Renoir’s love for his friends. The French Third Republic was the system of government in France during the 1880s. This government brought a lot of change to the country, not just politically and economically, but socially as well. Renoir shows the modernized community through the painting by depicting his friends, all of different genders, occupations, social classes, beliefs, and more. The people of France at this time were much more open to change and diversity. People who normally would never associate with each other were becoming friends and having nice meals together, and Renoir shows in his painting. With this integration of people, the country as whole will improve in the next few years. In addition, the artist uses light to emphasize certain aspects of the painting, especially his future wife. The entire left side of the painting is more open and bright than the right side, and that is where Renoir’s future wife is sitting with her dog. This contrast in color makes the love of Renoir’s life stand out, and draws the audience’s attention to that side of the painting. Making the woman stand out by shining light on her displays the artist’s infatuation with her by pulling the entire audiences’ attention to her. Lastly, the facial expressions created by Renoir show that the society is changing because, although these people of are different descents and backgrounds, they are all still having fun. Some even seem as though they are in love, like the woman leaning on the balcony, or perhaps the man in the bottom right-hand corner looking down on the lady sitting at the table. The love and enjoyment displayed on each of the subjects’ faces show that change is positive, and that the country is able to prosper during this time of change. 

TOW #11- Thomas Paine

Thomas Paine – “The American Crisis” Chapter 1

            As the Revolutionary War waged on in America, Thomas Paine released this text that summarized his opinions regarding the state of the fighting. Thomas Paine was a political activist who is famous for his role in the American Revolution, which was convincing more people to become involved through his writing. Overall, Paine wanted to break away from Britain, and in his pamphlet he was trying to prove to the citizens of the colonies that they needed to help the cause in order to obtain independence. The author used metaphors and personification in order to make his argument appeal to all Americans, therefore pushing them to help gain independence. Primarily, Paine’s use of metaphors connected the ideas of war, which could be overwhelming, to everyday happenings. For example, he states, “Not all the treasures of the world, so far as I believe, could have induced me to support an offensive war, for I think it murder; but if a thief breaks into my house, burns and destroys my property, and kills or threatens to kill me, or those that are in it, and to "bind me in all cases whatsoever" to his absolute will, am I to suffer it?” (Paine 4). By comparing the war to a personal attack on someone’s home, he grabs the attention of the citizens because homes are sacred places where people eat, sleep, live, and love. Paine appeals to the emotions of the readers, and, by doing this, brings about unity. Comparing American to one’s specific home makes feelings of nationalism rise in citizens, urging them to join in the war. In addition, personification is used when Paine refers to America as a woman, and states all of the good things about her along with her vulnerability (Paine 3). Since women were seen as weak at this time, and the country mainly wanted men fighting in the war, descriptions such as these would make men want to assert themselves and protect the “woman” who gave them a home. Also, personifying the country gives it feelings, which makes protecting “her” more important. I believe that Thomas Paine’s use of metaphor and personification was successful not only because America won the Revolutionary War, but because he was able to bring about feelings of national pride in the audience, and convince even present day readers that helping your country as much as possible is important.

TOW #10- Global Warming

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2007/03/global-warming-the-convenient-truth/305749/

Global Warming: The Convenient Truth

Especially recently, the environment truly has been deteriorating, whether we like it or not. With coral reefs that are bleaching due to high water temperatures, a hole in the ozone layer, and an innumerable amount of endangered species, our planet is slowly being ruined. Jonathan Rauch, a reporter for The Atlantic, captured the problems with the environment in this article. In addition to describing what is wrong with the environment, Rauch also tells the audience what they can do in order to help improve the planet, and when to do so. His audience is anyone in the world who is willing to help make our home a better place. This is evident in the way that he uses “we”. Rauch often uses this word to relate with the audience, show that he is also a concerned member of the planet, and encourage everyone who is able to help the cause. The purpose of the article, therefore, is to create a call to action and urge people to do something about the struggling environment. Although the author states that the aid does not need to come immediately, it would be most beneficial for the positive changes to occur in the coming years due to the fact that the problem is already widespread, and that there is no singular culprit. One of the main issues causing global warming is the amount of CO2 in the environment; however, this comes from many people, places, and products, making it nearly impossible to pinpoint and put an end to each and every person, place, or thing responsible. In addition to creating this call to action, Rauch uses informal diction in order to relate to his audience. By using words that are not too scientific or sophisticated, he appeals to his more specific audience: people on the internet looking for a quick synopsis of global warming and what we can do about it. The simple diction makes the article easily accessible to a wide variety of people, which means that its message is able to be spread more rapidly and effectively.  

IRB Intro #2- Stiff

I have chosen to read Stiff by Mary Roach because it was recommended to me by a friend, and because I usually do not read books on this topic.

TOW #8- Outliers

Outliers by Malcom Gladwell is a book that documents the author’s research and explanation of success in human beings. Specifically, in the second half of the book Gladwell compares and contrasts the lives, successes, and failures of Christopher Langan and Robert Oppenheimer. Christopher Langan is a man who has a tremendous IQ; however, he grew up only to become a horse farmer, rather than pursue a more profitable occupation. Robert Oppenheimer, on the other hand, played a massive role in the Manhattan Project, helping the US create its first atomic bomb. Gladwell attributes this difference in success to the environments in which the two men grew up. Using vivid imagery and anecdotes, the author builds up the stories of both men, strongly displaying their differences, and how these differences impacted their accomplishments. This helped the audience see how someone’s home life can negatively affect their adult life, no matter how smart the person may be. In this chapter, the author’s purpose was to prove to the audience that experiences have as much or even more of an effect on a person’s future as their intelligence does. The audience of this book would mainly be teenagers or adults who are interested in psychology, sociology, or other similar sciences. This is mainly due to the fact that the topic or genre of the book itself is a little too complicated for many younger kids, in addition to the mature diction. In 2008, when this book was published, Malcolm Gladwell, who had previously worked for The Washington Post, continued to write for The New Yorker. Prior to creating Outliers, Gladwell wrote The Tipping Point and Blink. The Tipping Point is about the effects that all decisions have on everyday life, while Blink is about the unconscious. Although both of these books were successful, Outliers is the most popular of the trio.