TOW #20- True Love

“True Love” by Haruki Murakami

Japanese author Haruki Murakami wrote an essay called “True Love” after having won various awards for his writing, including the World Fantasy Award and the Frank O-Connor International Short Story Award. In this essay, Murakami utilizes descriptive simile and allegorical narrative in order to convince the audience that true love is rare and fleeting. When describing the “100% perfect girl” he saw on the streets of Harujuku, the author states that “the moment I see her, there’s a rumbling in my chest, and my mouth is as dry as a desert” (Murakami). This illustration of the man’s feelings shows how great of an affect falling in love can have on a person, even when they haven’t spoken a word to the other person. The simile portraying the author’s state upon passing by a wonderful woman proves that love can occur in an instant, and, as Murakami does not interact with the girl, it shows that love can leave as soon as it came. Additionally, Murakami uses an allegory about two lovers who, instead of staying together as they belonged, separated in hopes of finding each other again someday, thus reassuring their beliefs of their infatuation. Unfortunately, the boy and the girl lose their memories of each other, and although they do meet again, they do not end up together. This story proves to the audience that love is something to cherish and take care of if a couple does have it, because you can never know what life brings you. The two lovers were both deathly ill and lost their memories; however, if they kept the love they had from the beginning, they could have gotten through it together. Murakami wants the audience to realize that love can come and go, therefore everyone must grab it and hold on tight once they have it.  

TOW #19- Visual Text

This political cartoon, published on November 20, 2015 by The Week magazine, depicts an interaction between president Donald Trump and Adolf Hitler. The setting of the cartoon is on the Celebrity Apprentice, a popular television show that Donald Trump previously hosted. Trump’s anti-Islamic claims, as displayed in this image, are ones that the author believes Hitler would support. As fascist dictator of Germany, Hitler was extremely anti-Semitic—he tortured and murdered the people of his country and others solely due to their religious beliefs and physical appearance. Presently, a similar issue of prejudice exists in America and throughout the world. Muslims everywhere are turned away simply due to their looks or clothing because of the numerous terror groups in the Middle East, some of which claim to be affiliated with Islam. In this text, the author uses slight hyperbole in the way that, although Trump’s ideas of closing places of worship and forcing a certain group only to carry identification are ignorant, racist, and inhumane, his actions are incomparable to those of Hitler. The two may share some beliefs or general characteristics, but Trump has not invaded other countries and committed mass murder of a specific race. In addition, the image shows Trump’s hair covering his eyes. The president’s hair is often ridiculed, which may have contributed to the drawing; however, the author may have wanted to show that Trump is blindly following Hitler’s belief system. Trump’s hands are also in the position in which Hitler’s soldiers and followers were when they praised their leader. The combination of these two aspects displays that Trump is not completely aware of where his current statements and actions are leading the country. Blindly, he shares that he wants to close mosques and force a single race to carry identification, thus taking away Muslims’ right to freedom of religion and making the entire religion outcasts in society. In conclusion, the above cartoon compares Trump to Hitler in order to show Americans how drastic his anti-Islamic views are, and how negatively his presidency can affect the United States.

TOW #18-The Same River Twice

“The Same River Twice” by David Quammen

“The Same River Twice” is inspired by a quote from Greek philosopher Heraclitus, and describes the importance and impact of ancient philosophy on modern issues. Quammen is a well-known American science and nature write, who also has experience with fly-fishing. The author uses imagery to help convey the scenes in his lengthy anecdote. Quammen describes every aspect of the river and his friends: the flies that mate above the water, the brown trout that gulp them up, the sheep that take sips of the flowing water, the homeowners who shared their lovely spring creek. This helped strengthen the story because the audience was able to put themselves in Quammen’s shoes and imagine being one with nature, with the river spritzing their legs and the trout zooming by, avoiding capture at all costs. Description brought up emotions in the readers, reminding them of their love for the outdoors, and helping them feel the way the author does for the river. As displayed through his anecdote about his favorite river in Montana, the importance of such a quote runs deeper than most people would think. Quammen was able to befriend a couple at his river, and after the couple divorced and the trio dispersed, the river is no longer the same to Quammen. Thus, this proves that quotes are openly interpretable because, not only are rivers different because the water is always moving, but also because people are always changing. The anecdote and imagery used by the author shows that the ancient quote from Heraclitus is still applicable to his life, and is able to describe humans just as accurately. 

TOW #17- The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination

“The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination” by J.K. Rowling

In June of 2008, the creator of the beloved book and movie series starring Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling delivered a commencement speech for Harvard graduates. Famous for her vivid description and unending imagination, Rowling captivated readers and watchers worldwide with her stories, and continues to do so with more current additions to the image of the wizarding world. In order to unconventionally share advice with a graduating class, Rowling utilizes allusions and anecdotes to connect to her audience and prove the importance of imagination. Her speech begins with Rowling acknowledging the honor in her position, and points out her nervousness. Upon doing so, she mentions Gryffindor, a “house” at the wizarding school, Hogwarts, that is the main setting of her popular books. Being that the Harry Potter series was released in the 1990s, a majority of the graduating class of 2008 would have read and loved the books during their childhood; therefore, this allusion would remind them of their younger days at a time when it seems they would be over. Rowling also mentions the “real world”, the place humans are sent following college graduation. In referencing her own books, this childhood memory helps aid her purpose of the importance of imagination. Believing in an entire world created by one person’s mind takes an outstanding amount of imagination—without this, Harry Potter wouldn’t have sold so many copies, made so many movies, and touched so many people. With this in mind, the audience is hooked into the speech and ready to remain open to the text. Additionally, Rowling uses personal anecdotes to appeal to her audience. One of the most difficult parts of growing up is deciding a college major and an occupation. On top of that, the stress of parental expectations and passion versus money creates a horrific nightmare of seemingly never-ending decisions. Rowling is aware of this, and tells the audience about how her parents did not think her imagination would help her in the long run. The author then goes on to talk about the benefits of failure and the necessity that imagination is. Letting her listeners know that she has been in their position and knows what they are going through not only keeps the attention of the audience, but truly makes them listen and take her words to heart. Therefore, author J.K. Rowling’s Harvard commencement speech included allusions and anecdotes with the purpose of describing the importance of imagination to all.

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.