TOW #13 - Article:"Why Do Children Believe in Santa But Not Harry Potter?" by Nathalia Gjersoe

Merry Christmas!

Tooth fairies, mermaids, monsters, and magical creatures of some sort make up a great amount of children's childhood. Nathalia Gjersoe, a lecturer in developmental psychology and the author of "Why Do Children Believe in Santa But Not Harry Potter?" goes into great detail as to why children tend to believe in Santa more than other mythical and imaginary creatures. After various studies conducted regarding  children's beliefs, it was concluded that there should be "physical evidence" that supports the claim that such characters exist. For instance, "in the Candy Witch study, 5-year-olds whose Halloween sweets had been replaced with a toy in the morning were much more likely to subsequently say the Candy Witch was real than those who has simply been told about her." However, Santa is considered to be the most believed fictitious character though because not only parents, but also because society goes to great lengths just to publicize Santa and make young children believe in him. Santa is everywhere during the Christmas, which only makes him more believable! Gjersoe's purpose of writing her article is not only to convey information, but also to make parents and society to consider whether it is ok to perpetuate the myth about Santa. To achieve her purpose, Gjersoe incorporated statistics and hypothetical situations. With the addition of statistics, Gjersoe is able to effectively illustrate the beliefs of different groups of children, playing a role that makes parents and society think about how children would feel once they find out that Santa does not exist. Furthermore, by describing various hypothetical situations, Gjersoe is able to prove to the readers why children believe in such fantasies. It establishes her credibility because she is applying her knowledge of psychology into her article. Also, Gjersoe's hypothetical situations make it easier for the readers to understand the points she is making by simplifying the results of the studies into something more general. Through those two rhetorical devices, Gjersoe was able to successfully able to achieve of purpose. 

Link: http://www.theguardian.com/science/head-quarters/2013/dec/13/why-do-children-believe-in-santa-but-not-harry-potter

TOW #12 - Everything Bad is Good for You by Steven Johnston (Part 1)

Steven Johnston, the author of Everything Bad is Good for You, is an iconoclastic and captivating writer who is also an American popular science author and a media theorist. Having graduated from Brown University with a degree in semiotics and Columbia University with a degree in English literature, Johnston incorporates his knowledge of media, pop culture, and technology in order to argue that the pop culture we are exposed to everyday is actually beneficial. In part 1 on of his book, Johnston goes into the description of how video games, television, internet, and films are aspects of current culture that stimulate cognition, contrary to popular belief. For example, Johnston talks about how current kid's movies are a lot more complex today than they were in the past. For example, the intricate plot structure, the clever dialogue, and the fascinating special effects are all different qualities of a movie that make up mental exercises for children. Regarding the internet, Johnston brings up that it forces us to problem solve. We have to navigate through various websites, find necessary information, install new software, fix computer issue, etc, and these account for the various cognitive challenges that we go through on a daily basis. Addressing his message most likely to parents and adults, Johnston wants to change their views of pop culture so that a positive view is created. Johnston achieves his purpose by adding visuals and using reliable people to bolster his assertions. By using pictures, Johnston is able to covey his information in an efficient manner, allowing the readers to easily understand the points he is making. Furthermore, pulling quotes from reliable people, such as game scholar James Paul Gee for instance, establishes Johnston's credibility as an author who is arguing in favor of pop culture's benefits. His credibility thus makes him qualified to express his arguments. Through his use of visuals and reliable sources, Johnston was indeed able to achieve his purpose early on in his book. 

TOW #11 - Article: "Where To Travel Based On Your Personality Type" by Lisa Miller

Adventure Time!

Everyone loves to travel. Whether it is local or out of the country, travel calls for adventure, and adventure calls for new and exciting experiences. However, not every place is considered "fun" for everyone. There is a trend between personality types and vacation spots, and this can influence where people choose to travel. Lisa Miller, the author of "Where To Travel Based On Your Personality Type", is an associate editor and writes articles under the HuffPost Travel section, making her a reliable source for obtaining any travel advice or information. Her article gives brief insight to the general public into the various places of travel based on Myers-Briggs personality test. Ranging from the calmest traveler to the most extreme traveler, the article lists a variety of places that different personality-typed people would enjoy. For instance, "the wild traveler" would probably go to a place like New Zealand, where there are many "wild" outdoor activities such a bungee jumping and skydiving. On the other hand, "the chill traveler" would probably enjoy a laid-back beach vacation or some place quiet and serene such as San Juan. The article continues to list much more. To convey her information and describe how personality correlates to vacation spots, Miller uses a variety of rhetorical devices. Firstly, her incorporation of images of various places illustrates the types of areas different people would be willing to visit. Additionally, pictures have a slight appeal to pathos, making readers have a feeling of wanting to travel or something related, which also keeps them interested in Miller's writing. Furthermore, Miller's repetition in the structure of the article helps her achieve her purpose. For a total of 16 times, Miller first presents a picture of a vacation spot. Then she describes a personality type and finally ends by suggesting a place to travel. With a simple and easy structure, readers are able to easily absorb the information and go through the article with ease. Lisa Miller's use of images and simple structure crafts a well written article that not only conveys information about travel destinations, but also gives readers knowledge about the correlation between personality type and vacations. 

Link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/02/personality-travel_n_4344626.html

TOW #10 - Visual Text: "Join, or Die" by Benjamin Franklin

"Join, or Die" - Benjamin Franklin

http://www.granitegrok.com/pix/FranklinSnake.jpg

Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States of America, was the political leader who created the "Join, or Die" political cartoon, which was published in the Pennsylvania Gazette in 1754. At the Albany Congress, Franklin presented this cartoon in order to create unity between the thirteen colonies before the French and Indian War. This sent the message to all the colonies that unification and allying with Great Britain was essential to defeat the French and Indians. Directed towards all the people, this cartoon was successful in creating unity within the 13 colonies, which eventually led to the American Revolution (where unification was key). Benjamin Franklin's incorporation of pathos creates a sense of fear in the audience. Bu using the word "DIE" in the cartoon, it is clear that without unification, there will be no future for any of the colonies, which forced all of them to unite. Because this cartoon sends its message primarily through its use of pathos, the cartoon can be regarded as propaganda. In addition to Franklin's use of pathos, he appeals to ethos through his incorporation of the snake. During the era of the French and Indian war, there was a widespread superstition that a snake which had been cut into pieces would come back to life if the pieces were put back together before sunset. Mostly everyone believed in that superstition, and by using a snake, Franklin was able to make his message to the colonies very clear. Furthermore, his appeal to ethos adds a sense of urgency. Just as the snake has to be put together before sunset, the colonies need to unite very soon or else death was imminent. Considering what happened after Benjamin Franklin had published his cartoon in 1754, such as independence from Great Britain, creation of own government, etc, it is clear that the "Join, or Die" cartoon successful achieved its purpose of unifying the thirteen colonies.  

TOW #9 - Article: "Why I Quit Major League Baseball" By Adrian Cárdenas

The Perfect Hit 

Baseball defines American culture. It is the sport that shows the spirit and pride of the American people. However, baseball puts a different image into some people's minds. In Adrian Cárdenas's blog post, "Why I Quit Major League Baseball," Cárdenas describes his experiences, feelings, accomplishments as a a major and minor league baseball player. When Cárdenas was 18, he was drafted by the Phillies, and that was when his baseball career kicked off. Playing in many minor leagues all over the nation, Cárdenas worked his way up to the major leagues, but since he was a rookie, he played in both leagues for a significant portion of his career. Cárdenas was in a good position in his career, but what caused him to quit Major League Baseball was his personal life. He had a passion for baseball, but when business took priority over the love for the sport, Cárdenas lost interest in playing professional baseball. At one point during his career, he went to New York University to purse a degree in writing and philosophy. This player was more interested in music, language, and academics because that was the way his parents brought him up, which explicitly reveals his purpose: money doesn't mean everything in life. Addressing his message to the general public, Cárdenas makes clear the purpose of his blog post primarily through reflective anecdotes. Cárdenas reflects on his experiences on and off the baseball field as being some of the most thrilling yet burdening times of this life. By presenting anecdotes, Cárdenas is able to illustrate the reasons that ultimately built up to his decision to quit the major leagues. Cárdenas's didactic blog post in The New Yorker successfully express the value that money isn't everything and by offering reflective anecdotes, Cárdenas makes a powerful statement to the public about his retirement.

Everything Bad is Good for You by Steven Johnston

The nonfiction book that I selected to read for the second marking period is Everything Bad is Good for You by Steven Johnston. Contrary to what media and science say about current culture, this book assert the idea that the pop culture we are exposed to actually makes our minds sharper. Video games, TV, computers, and everything we thought was bad is, in reality, beneficial to us.

I chose to read this book because I have an interest in psychology, and this book seems very intriguing, considering the fact that Steven Johnston debunks popular belief, which not many people are always willing to do. By reading this book, I am hoping to collect information that will appease my curiosity as well as to obtain writing strategies I can later use in my own work.

TOW #8 - Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt (Part 2)

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, by John Berendt, an author who edited for a variety of magazines, written for Esquire and, served as editor of the New York magazine, is a splendidly constructed book that incorporates both the elements of nonfiction and fiction book. However, this book is indeed nonfiction because it recounts his experiences when he was in Savannah, Georgia, the place where a two year long murder trial took place. In part 2 of this book, consisting of chapter 12-30, Berendt takes the reader through a series of murder trials, conflicts, and discussions regarding the murder of Danny Hansford. Jim Williams, the alleged murder, is placed on trial not just once, not just twice, but actually four times. While Williams was at jail, he tried his best to ruin Lawton's of becoming District Attorney (which he did become), the prosecution lawyer to got Williams into jail. But life outside of William's cell continues to run normally. During his second year in jail, Williams is given a fourth trial in which the jury concluded that Williams is innocent, thus concluding this book. With the way this book was written, it would most likely appeal to readers who love crime-filled stories, but this book would captivate anyone. The main purpose of this book was not only to entertain readers, but also to illustrate life of Savannah, Georgia and to show the complex process of the court system. Throughout all of part 2 of the book, Berendt uses a variety of rhetorical devices. Firstly, he uses vivid imagery to clearly depict the scene and show what the narrator is witnessing. This allows readers to be in the shoes of the narrator and make it seem as if they are in Savannah themselves. Additionally, Berendt's use of dialogue enhances the reader's experience when reading the book. Instead of making this book a boring text that spits out information, Berendt incorporates speech to make the book flow like a novel, successfully letting Berendt to achieve his purpose and give his readers a great book to read.