Bryson Response

Bryson Reading

Summary:

In this article Good English and Bad Bill Bryson the author argues against many of the functions and processing of the American language we call English. Also he argues against grammarians and how they make and develop rules for the English language. Bryson discusses and explains how our language is derived from so many others and one big one is Latin which is now a dead language and not only that Bryson goes on to explain how different the two languages are and how it makes no sense for it to be the basis of our language. Bryson talks about the effects of our language and all the impurities like how complex it has become in using it the right way. Also how we in actuality don’t even use it the right way most of times instead we use what sounds right or has been taught to us how to use it. Bryson has a strong dislike for grammarians and there way of attacking language and constantly adapting and making changes to things that don’t need changed or how they ignore things that make no sense because they choose to. In this article Bryson really tries to argue for how complicated the English language is and how people continue to make it more complex and difficult. This article is all about the negative effects that come from the English language, its uses and its meanings and how incorrect and complex it really is.

Synthesis:

I think that this article is very similar to Peter Elbows article about voice and how it is used in papers. I think that both articles in a way critique the English language and how people use it. They both talk about how words have all these different meanings and people all have different understandings. Peter talks a lot about how there is text that you read and text that you can hear and I think this difference has a lot to do with the English language and its rules. In these articles they both describe the effects certain words have and what they can do to writing or the structure of a sentence. Both authors are arguing about completely different topics but I think that Elbows article partly falls into Bryson’s when it comes to language and all the rules and uses of it.

1.       Before you read:

When I think about good English and bad English I think of how a person talks or writes. I think about whether they can properly apply the language without making mistakes or giving the wrong message. The first thing that comes to mind is someone who can’t speak English very well and I think this way because its morphed into our heads as children like this. As we grow we learn more and more and the language and the rules and what to say and when but some people don’t get this education or maybe come from another country and often don’t know how to properly use and apply or language and rules.

1.       Discussion and Journaling:

In the article on the first page Bryson goes into a rant about how grammarians like to use forms based on how they appeal to them or what they were taught. His discussion goes on to be about how they will attack a language concept but hide the impurities of another. This is what he called ellipsis and he uses What, Where and How as examples of this. That you can’t make a complete sentence with just one of those words, how it doesn’t meet the requirements yet grammarians argue that it is a short sentence. They say that when someone uses those words they are really expressing something longer such as what are you telling me?

3.Discussion and Journaling:

In the article prescriptive is how you should prescribe what language is and how it should be used and all the rules. Whereas descriptive is describing how language is used without taking a side or gathering an opinion. I deal with this a lot when it comes to grammar because unfortunately I was never any good at it. I have encountered this with beginning a sentence with words like and, but, because and more also I have encountered it with the use of well or good depending on the sentence.  I have received many instructions and criticism for writing and using grammar properly throughout life and these are just a few of the concepts that I had thrown at me.

1.       Applying and Exploring:

In the article Bryson describes language changing over time with many different examples as well as multiple different ways. Bryson argues about how words often will drop off part of its structure like the prefix or suffix or how they will often try and add things to a word in order to give it a different or new type of meaning. In the article they talk about many examples of this one was changing reliable to relionable. Also he talks about the development constantly of new words and or ways of using words such as his example of Shakespeare’s writing and words he used compared to words used now.  I believe we can see this everywhere in modern English in that every day people are developing new words such as putting tweeting and tebowing in the dictionary. This will continue to happen for language is always changing and grammarians as Bryson would call them are always trying to adapt the world of language. All this change and development is not something Bryson wants or likes he is against the concept of further changing the English language especially in the nature that he feels it is already far too complex as well as open for possibilities; there is no real distinction or rules that people truly follow.

Malcom X and Alexie Response

Malcolm X and Alexie Response

Summary: In the article Learning to Read it talks about Malcolm X and it is mainly just a piece from his autobiography and he talks about how much prison had changed him. Malcolm was a troubled person and was blinded but saw the light thanks to Muhammad and his intense studying in prison. Malcolm talks about how he studied immensely every day and night and started with copying, reading and remembering the dictionary. After this he advanced to reading and through these readings and Muhammad’s teachings he became well aware of so much regarding the world and especially things regarding the white man. A lot of this piece talks about the issues of the white man and how he has done wrong to all other races or people of colored skin. Malcolm argues for how wrong this is and how it is missed up that blacks still have to fight and do so much more for even just the little things while fresh immigrants can come and take these things for granted like it is nothing.  Then in Sherman Alexie’s short article The Joy of Reading and Writing he talks about how he himself came about reading through his father. He argues that he started through the visuals given in a superman comic and worked up to literally everything with word and he read whenever he had the opportunity. Also Alexie talks about how he was different than the norm how Indians were supposed to be dumb and not know any of these things but he was the opposite he was smart, lucky and arrogant. Alexie argues that he did all this and devoted all this time to save his life.

Synthesis: Neither of these articles aren’t related to any of our past readings they are both their own pieces and have their own side or story to tell. These articles can relate to each other in the sense that they both describe different ways these authors discovered reading and why they found so much joy in it. These articles discuss how it came into their lives and why they made an attempt to keep it there and finally how through doing this learned and advanced in so many different areas. Also how they found joy in the process and what it meant to them at the time as well as now. Lastly there are in common in the sense that they were both underprivileged and segregated in a sense but took this as an opportunity. This opportunity allowed them to advance their skills beyond others and develop a keen understanding for reading and writing.

1.       Questions for Discussion and Journaling:

I think that Malcolm is intending to speak to underprivileged people especially those that are of colored skin. I think this is so because his whole article is a bias clearly towards whites with all due respect and he expresses nothing but bad qualities and past actions about them. However, most of his article is about why he learned to read and how it affected him and shaped him.

3.Questions for Discussion and Journaling:

Malcolm had many influences the list that comes to mind would be the teacher that told him he couldn’t be a lawyer, Muhammad, the prison, the library, the dictionary and the numerous books he had read throughout his life. I think that the most influential was Muhammad because if it wasn’t for him and his teachings Malcolm might not have ever started reading and writing. I think also that the books were a huge role in Malcolm’s life because they made him think and analyze and eventually changed him and molded him into a different person. This person was the new and much smarter and moving Malcolm. I think the motivation that came from these was the new ideas, concepts and just overall learning Malcolm got from turning to every new page because it gave him pride and a desire to want more or know more if you will.

6. Questions for Discussion and Journaling:

I think that if I wasn’t motivated to find myself and what I wanted to be through college I wouldn’t be here. Also there is the idea that in order to get a job or be successful you have to go to college or have a miracle story but I am motivated to read and learn more in order to further my understanding and knowledge. This is because through doing this I am able to get better and more intelligent which will lead to success in college and out of college which is what I am here for in the first place.

1.       Applying and Exploring:

I think that being literate is completely changing not just in the United States but all over the world. As the world progresses so does technology and the ability to read and understand these technologies in today’s world is extremely important. The use of books and dictionaries is becoming a thing of the past for that and so much more is available online but it is also almost a completely new language when it comes to understanding and using these new technologies such as the internet and skype and so forth.

2.       Applying and Exploring:

I think that the big literacy impact on me was my older sister. My sister is older than me and therefore always was a few steps ahead in every process in regards to learning and school and so forth. I think that this motivated me to do more and learn more because I wanted to not only be like her but be smarter and more literate. Through this motivation I would help her study and learn her vocab words and ask her for help on writing and reading as well as my mom in order to advance my skills. I found my sister always doing her homework on time and checking it as well as sometimes re-reading things that she didn’t understand I took all her little tricks and techniques and put them to use for myself I wanted to make sure I was prepared. I didn’t want to be just prepared though I wanted to be the best or the smartest of the bunch in class as well as at home and even though that never happened it drove me to work hard and never give up. I was always in a reading skills class because I struggled with reading and understanding and so forth partially due to my ADD but regardless if it wasn’t for my sister I might have given up and who knows where I would be today.

Meta Moment: I think that my teacher would say the most important part of this text is how Malcolm went about his studying and attempts to advance his skills. I think my teacher would talk about how he did certain things and used other sources and continually practiced. I think this isn’t the most important part to get from the article. I think the most important thing I will take from this is through hard work and percervierence you can accomplish great things no matter your situation or surroundings.

Opinion on Articles:

I am not sure why these are important for us to read regarding our class like the other article but I do see why they are important or very enlightening to read. These articles remind you to never take things for granted and to always try your best. Also that through learning to read and write you can get and discover so much more in life regarding understanding people, places, things and even yourself. I think that both of these articles were actually pretty interesting to read and kept me drawn in even though their wasn’t really any story or suspense. Overall I am glad I read these and I have now learned and taken away a few helpful concepts and ideas.

1.Appling and Exploring(Alexie):

I think that if you are determined a motivated to read and write and you stay this way no matter your situation you can accomplish this. This is within reason though as to some may grow up blind, deaf, mentally handicapped etc. but if you do not consider these extremes I think that you can accomplish these task through hard work and vigorous training. These articles are all about how reading and writing affected them in the sense that it projected them further in their studies as well as allowed them to find themselves. Also this helped them find where their interest and hobbies were and pretty much as to what they wanted to do in their life and how they wanted to make an impact. I look at my own history and think about how reading just simple quotes or poems have changed me completely and how I go about my life and trying to make a difference or standout and be my own person.

Baron Response

Dennis Baron Response

        By Kyle Loftus

Summary:

In his article From Pencils to Pixels: The Stages of Literacy Techniques Dennis Baron talks about the concept of literacy technologies. Baron argues that there have almost never not been literacy technologies as they are everything made and used for literacy. Baron talks about the development of the computer early in his article and how it is so useful and effective in this day and age. Baron then goes further in depth explaining how this literacy technology sprang up from many other forms such as the first idea of literacy technology was carving into stone. Baron talks about how the technology then developed into the ink pen, then the pencil, the typewriter, the telegraph, the telephone and then finally the computer. Baron explains and argues how all of these started off as a ridiculous idea but it is these ridiculous ideas that bring about great new inventions. Baron argues they all would go through a process of introduction and use at minimal level because it was wanted to be a secret or it was hard to make. Then when it becomes easy and cheaper to make it begins to reach the public. After reaching the public it expands and gets accepted but later receives updates and changes to better the device. Baron talks about how this is never ending with these literacy technologies as they are always being critiqued and worked on to create the next best thing.  Baron also discussion humanist like Thoreau and their opinions on the growth and development of technologies and what they did to try and prevent it. Baron argues for how they couldn’t prevent the growth of technology in writing and writing in technology (computers). Lastly baron discusses the differences in writing and these technologies and how they were made, used and developed.

Synthesis:

This article is like John Dawkins article Teaching Punctuation as a Rhetorical Tool because they both are about the influences of time on writing and its growth and change. They discuss how it is ever adapting and changing to the time, how people are always looking for the next best thing or development. Also they both discuss and argue on those that try and keep it the way it always has been or try and prevent advancement. Dawkins is talking about grammar in writing and Baron is talking about literacy technologies but both are about the change in writing and uses revolving around it over time.

2. Questions for Journaling and Discussion:

I think that he almost implies this in some parts of the article because he does literally say it’s hard to see the growth and development of the computer happening. However, in the article he talks about how nobody ever thought after something was developed and useful something else better would take its place but it always has. Also he mentions there is always changes and developments being changed. Baron may mention the idea of further growth seems unimaginable and wild but based on his whole article his message is the opposite that over time the computer will become nothing like the pencil and some new necessity will take its place.

4. Questions for Journaling and Discussion:

The overhead is an old technology that was in every single classroom when I was younger. This was a device where you put a paper on a flat surface and using a light and reflection device it would project the image onto a wall or some other surface. This technology soon became useless and irrelevant in the classroom just like the pencil and the typewriter because better developments were made. These are all useful items but are almost more time consuming and overall less efficient than later models made therefore they were throwing away and the new tools became a necessity. For the overhead this was the projector itself which you could just hook up to a computer and post anything onto a surface or wall that you wanted.

3. Applying and Exploring:

When you think about technologies that keep and don’t keep information there are a few positives and negatives that come to mind. The positives are that if you forget something or want to show something to friends and family you can easily. Also it might be something you want to look at later or maybe have someone explain it to you. Although these are all good there are some bad things that come with it as well such as you could maybe say or send something on accident and you can’t take it back and now this other person has it or knows it. Also you could say something mean or wrong and this person now has this to hold against you. When you think about not keeping hold of information it is pretty much the exact opposite of what I just said. I think that you could say word and other document uses on the computer are because if you don’t save your information then it is eliminated and gone.

Meta Moment:

I think that it makes sense to think of writing this way because it is a technology by definition. The problem is that when people hear technology they think just computers and machines and so on. When in fact technologies are just developments, ideas and objects that are made and used with a specific purpose. This can alter my understanding of writing because it is now a process of knowing writing is among everything and is part of all growth and change throughout.

Article Discussion:

I think that Barons article was an interesting one and was in a sense intriguing to understand what he meant by literacy technologies and so forth. Also I was curious to read on throughout to develop better understanding as well as learn what it all entails. The article used examples very well to helping to make it relatable and easier to understand. Overall I think this article was very interesting and useful because it opens your view on writing and technology and how they go hand in hand. This was very fun to examine and give attention to especially getting to see writing in a whole new perspective.

Brandht Response

 Summary:

In her article Sponsors of Literacy Deborah Brandt has a short introduction about sponsorship for literacy and argues for how nobody real gets and developments literacy or literacy skills by themselves. She goes more in depth describing how we learn through what she calls sponsors and things can be programs, schools, technologies and or people. These sponsors are our way of receiving and sustaining literacy skills and information.  In her first section of the article she talks about peoples different access to sponsorship and gives a strong example scenario between a privileged white kid and a underprivileged Latino girl and how even though they live in the same area there sponsorship access is much different. These differences affect what we learn and how we learn it Brandt says. She then enters a smooth transition in which talks about the effects of ones sponsors and how they are influenced on them. How it has risen and then need for further awareness and specialty in certain skills is very important. She goes into an example again talking about Dwanye Lowery and how the union and his work affected what type of learning he had to go through and what processing this required. I mean that the skills became narrowed minded and he had to learn specific skills and critical thinking or problem solving for certain literacy instead of a overall broad spectrum learning.  Brandt then argues about the appropriateness of literacy and how underprivileged women in the 20^th century began to see more opportunity in the workforce such as a huge rise in secretary or desk jobs became available. These women were then trained and taught the processes and forms of which highly educated and high ranked men did their jobs. These two women used this in support of their ideas and values and in essence she argues how it is transferred from person to person and how it is passed down like how one used it for her religious group and one for helping with her family and bills and so forth. She then ends describing her goals of the article and how we should use literacy to further people’s education in literacy not just regarding their jobs and future but really just individual studies and their desires and needs in regarded of this category.

Synthesis:

I think that this article highly relates to Kantz in the essence of influences and how they affect us. Kantz and Lowery both agree with the fact that influences are in fact how things work and where we become or develop ourselves and our skills. Both of their articles talk about the effects of influences around us and the ideas they develop in us and how these ideas often become our uses and new ideals and values from which then we transfer on to others and or use to influence. The big difference is the relevance of the two are completely different subjects to argue on but they are both using the same idea or argument that influences are in essence or do become us and how go about certain things or otherwise how we use these influences to better ourselves.

1.       Questions for Discussion and Journaling:

These are the people and sometimes things that are relevant or would appear in ones memory in the learning of literacy. These are all the influences one would experience some examples she list are teachers, editors, and supervisor and so on. These are people in a relationship with the sponsored and are often times richer and have a lot more knowledge and they use this to lend or give their information or influences to the sponsored for in return something or credibility.

2.       Questions for Discussion and Journaling:

For example in this article Brandt talks about how hired women employees became secretaries or desk workers and learned many of task that their bosses(high educated and advanced males) had to do so they then were able to take over certain jobs and help relieve work from the boss. This job coming to women was a good job with good pay and advanced their literacy skills in writing, reading, categorizing and so much more but also gave the boss less work to do and another employee that could do strong and effective things for him in essence gaining things himself.  I see this in my life all the time when I use to get tutored for English when I was younger it advanced my skills and understanding in mainly reading but also writing and my tutor gained as well pay from this .

4.Questions for Discussion and Journaling:

These are systems, uses and people at which we receive sponsorship. They are the affective uses we bring upon or accumulate in order to be furthered or more advanced in literacy subjects and uses. These are imported and structured things and entitlements we use in order to accustom better literacy uses, techniques and developments.  There are the qualities and abilities we get acquired because of these stratified systems such as living in a middle class family with good connection to a college as to a poor family living in the country. These stakes are the further development and knowledge needed in order to be better off in a career or in your life. The growth and development of literacy is continuing and is always changing and on the rise so is the stakes which are the things needed in order o make it or be successful if you will.

1.       Applying and Exploring:

When I think about my literacies and their influences on me I would think mainly of my parents, school education and religious education. I would always learn from my parents I mean that’s the influences or sponsors that first taught me to read and write then there is school which taught me so much more in language and all the concepts and ideas that go into it. This sponsor taught me pretty much everything in regards to my literacy but then there was also religion which taught me a few things but this literacy wasn’t necessarily based in skills in writing and reading or development but more understanding, interpreting and critical thinking because we had to understand why things happened, how they happened, what certain messages where being presented as well as understanding the bible and phrases and so forth. I have not had full access to college literacies yet which I really want but I am beginning my development in hopefully a four year process of this.

2.       Applying and Exploring:

My school had multiple times eliminated certain books from what was considered readable and almost always for my English classes we were assigned a certain book till high school where we could choose which one exactly we wanted to read. This was an agonizing process and was extremely unfair for us students limiting or creativity and ability to choose our sponsor. Also because we had certain list we were unable to choose another option that was acceptable so in essence we were limited and controlled in our influences and sponsors throughout my schooling.

1.       Meta Moment:

I think that this article is a direct match with the goal of understanding literacy and also becoming aware of the forces that have shaped e as a writer and reader. The entire article gives examples and directly talks about how these affects take place and how exactly you get your sponsors and who they are. Also the effect they have on us and how we develop specific skills and techniques and so forth. I think that this has really furthered my understanding of the idea of literacy and sponsors and helped me think more in depth about the influences in my life and how they have restricted or formed my type of writing and reading. I think it is still going on with me today as I have required courses and assignments in college. They limit you to certain things or you need certain requirements which are just how they plan to influence you into the shape they perceive their students being.

Final Thoughts:

I think that this article was pretty confusing and hard to understand with certain wording and also it was still very dry to me even with the constant examples. I will say that the example allowed me to understand what exactly Brandt was trying to say if it wasn’t for these examples I would have been lost. Also this article has opened my eyes to writing and reading and my further understanding of development of it and all that goes into it and so forth. I think overall it had some interesting points but I don’t think it was very useful or effective for furthering my writing or understanding sponsors and choosing my direction.

Bell Hook Response

Bell Hooks Response

Summary:

In this short article Hooks talks about an autobiography and the writing that goes into it. She explains how this isn’t really a recalling or story of your life but argues that it is just a set of distinct memories or things that have stood out to you. Hooks also talks about her own life and the memories that went into it. She also mentions the idea that sometimes we create things or memories in our head that really never happened or we may have altered in our mind for some reason.

Synthesis:

I think this article is really something on its own but can relate to Peter Elbows article on voice when she talks about how we choose to think of certain things or remember them by ourselves. That these are our own decisions not that of others.

1.       As You Read:

I can’t think of any memory that I have completely fictionalized but I can recall memories or thinking back on things and believing they happened a certain way. Then through talking with others I discover that it didn’t in fact happen the way I thought it did. Also I can think on memories that are far more vivid to me than others because of the importance or severity such as getting stitches or having surgery done and so forth. These memories are most likely altered but not fictional just because of how I remember them but if I look back on them now I know they weren’t as bad or exactly how I thought they were.

4. Questions and Discussion:

Hooks original goal was to not kill herself from the past but to let go or break its hold on her today. Hooks did not meet this goal but instead a much better goal I would say. Hooks reached a goal of reviving the girl form the past she was able to rescue this girl and release her from being the enemy anymore. I think that Hooks in a way achieved her goal but it was in no way once so ever the way she predicted it to go but instead far better reliving and saving the Gloria from the past.

3.Applying and Exploring:

I think that when we write down a traumatic event or a memory that is more vivid and important to us it comes out a lot different than what happened an how we thought about it in our head. I believe this is because when we write these things down we see them for so much more and realize there significance and just let ourselves go. I think that we begin to let it write us and it just flows onto the paper and we just let everything we can think on or recall touch the paper instead of thinking up main points. Then when this happens the incident becomes so much more real and effective to us. Also it can be altered from before because we tend to lay it all on the line and let it speak for itself.

Thoughts on the Article:

I think that this article was a decent read and was in a sense interesting to think about. I had never thought of writing an autobiography as recognition of memories but instead took it for what I always learned in grade school. This perspective was appealing and interesting to read and after doing so I really agree with Hooks. I am unsure of the relevance to our class with this piece but I was interesting to read and get this new perspective on this type of paper.

Anne Frances Wysocki Response

Anne Frances Wysocki Response

Summary:

In the article The Sticky Embrace of Beauty Anne Frances Wysocki argues for a different side of visualization or understanding. Wysocki discusses beauty, aesthetic, and form throughout the article. She speaks beauty and what it truly is and how we should see it. Wysocki uses multiple authors to support her opinion and side of visual discussion. She talks about looking at beauty as imperfection’s and not just a focal background or “blank page” of beauty as she calls it. Also she discusses form that is grounded in a local and particular realm rather than that of the universal. She talks about this idea of universal seeing and understanding. This concept that everyone understands and knows beauty universally or throughout society. She uses authors like Kant in her discussion or argument; she quotes Kant for saying that the judgment of beauty is inherent and “universal”. Kant says this happens when someone sees and gets pleasure out of something and its form. This allows the object said to be beautiful to be made abstract and distanced. This means you see it for its beauty and image only and make no relation or feeling towards the object. Wysocki argues that teachers shouldn’t teach students about visual design and accepted rules for visual arrangement. She says we should instead question the social and cultural practices that supposedly make something beautiful. She says we should examine things as strange and look for wait stands out of the frame not just what is lying in the center. She feels that using form or the idea of a blurred imagine of beauty is a cover up and hides reality of imperfections and strangeness to the social norm. We should make and see things for being visually pleasing and stimulating. Also that we should analyzing and attempt to make what we take for granted unfamiliar to us so that we might see and appreciate its differences as more as “beauty”. Wysocki shows how form is rhetorical, controlled by choices made in history and cultural context. Wysocki feels we should try and jump out of this accepted idea or ideas and look for things that are real and strange to us instead of social norms and fake images of perfection.

Synthesis:

This article is similar to the Kant article in that she takes his ideas and thoughts from him and uses some of his concepts as her own. She feels some of his ideas and worth’s are good but the majority is her arguing against his concepts because he was sexes and didn’t see women in the picture as well as failed to analyze beauty in correct formats. Although this is true for her article she does use his ideas and concepts of central images and how images were placed or how it is placed can affect its appeal or meaning. Also she discusses form and background of images and puts this in to context to help drive her point of beauty and strangeness in images as well as the universal system of nature.

2. Questions for Discussion and Journaling:

This article is set up in a purposeful manner to use visual appeal and directedness toward key points and issues. Wysocki purposefully sets it up with images and examples to help explain her point and also give an easier and more direct summary of what she states. Also she places dull gray or highlighted marks or sentences of worth as well as to help give meaning to past sayings. This is a high visual appeal I think because it has bold print for its titles and all the other examples I listed earlier. Also she sets it up in a certain organized flow that everything works great together and can easily relate back to her past topics and discussions. Wysocki does a good job of setting up a high visual setting and making certain things standout to the reader more than others.

2.      Applying and Exploring Ideas:

I think that it can go with both actually it is hard to pick between the two. I think that some beauties are universal like having your own kid or like the concepts of shapes discussed In Wysocki’s article. That we have this natural appeal to these things because of nature for instance the idea of round objects appeal to us humans because it reminds us unconsciously about our mothers and being in the womb. How this was so comforting to us that we later find things similar in shape and form naturally appealing. Although I believe this I also believe that we ourselves form beauty due to society and what is considered beautiful and jaw-dropping. That all these tv shows, magazines, actors, models and so forth affect us and make us have this image in our head of how we should be and look when in fact nobody actually looks this perfect for everyone has imperfections. I think that both of these points of socially and naturally formed beauty are true but I also believe that most beauty comes from the eye of the beholder. I think that as we grow we discover things and principles that are attractive or pleasing to us. These concepts or elements then go hand in hand with our desired beauty or what we perceive as beautiful.

Wysocki states, "There is no question that there is a certain necessity to effective visual composition because a design must fit a viewer's expectation if it is to make sense… but if design is to have any sense of possibility—of freedom—to it, then it must also push against the conventions, the horizon, of those expectations" (97). How does this statement apply to Wysocki's article? Does it apply to any other visual art? If so, how? 

Meta Moment: This applies to Wysocki’s article because although she talks about beauty among people to be what is socially accepted she also discusses how it is to be what is strange to us. This strangeness is extremely important and valuable because it is what jumps out or stands out to us. This standout or jumping appeal to our eyes is what we call visual appeal this is in fact beauty and recognized as such not so often but Wysocki feels that it should be. That we shouldn’t see beauty through magazines and these blurred forms of “others” but instead see the differences and qualities that jump out for what they are and represent. This realm or concept of strangeness gives us the idea of beauty and attractiveness to self but instead of seeing it to ourselves we should attempt to have it noticed and formed in others socially and universally.

Opinion on Article:

I think this is by far the most confusing article I read. The terms and concepts in this article were ill explained and presented with very hard vocabulary. She spoke to the audience as though we were all experts or had a very good idea of visuals. This was annoying and bothered me while reading but I tried re-reading some parts and looking at the examples. I will admit the quotes and examples she used did help a lot with my understanding and it made the article easier to read. The article was slightly dry and elongated but the overall idea and meaning of it was useful. I think that how she argues for visuals and how she argues against it make a lot of sense. Also that these concepts she presents we should do and attempt to give to students are true and useful. Thinking on this I believe the article was useful and moving in my thought process of visual aspects and appealing. This article was drawn out and hard to read but overall gave good insight on visual and past arguments about it and current ones. I think it was a useful read and has altered my perception and changed my idea of beauty to notice the strangeness and things that standout to me.

Voice in Writing Again: Embracing Contraries

Voice in Writing Again: Embracing Contraries

1.       Summary:

In the article “Voice in Writing Again: Embrace Contraries” by Peter Elbow the focus is talking about voice. Peter Elbow opens up talking about the Greek’s, philosophers and famous authors and their opinions on voice. Peter argues that voice is hard to keep from writing that intuitively and unconsciously we apply voice to our writing when we feel a relation or passion towards it. He talks about how many try to use the either/or method when discussing voice, that they accept one theory and discredit the other. Peter argues to instead make a compromise and have a both/and theory in which we must look at a piece of writing through one lens and then through another. Also that we must look at it through text which means to highlight the visual and spatial features of print. Along with that we should look through the lens of voice which highlights the language uses and how words differ based on who says them and how. He argues voice can help with effective writing in carrying meaning and purpose and that it can also help students become better writers and make better revision by hearing voice and using it in words. He then discusses how only looking at text usually makes the writing better because when students learn to read without voice they have to fully understand words and phrases. Also that it can teach students to separate language and voice and see effective writing and techniques beside pervasion.

2.       Synthesis:

This article relates a lot to Berger in the ideas and attempts to get students to better understand and use certain techniques when going about their work. These pieces are talking about two completely different things, Peters is about writing and reading and Berger is about photographs but they both focus on how you look at these pieces and the process at which to do it. Peter and Berger talk about how you need to look for the identity in the piece, why the author made this and what they are trying to say. Also they both talk about how small key features tell more than most of the entire piece like when Peter talks about how you can see where the author put their voice in a paper by comparing sections and how they are written. Then Berger argues about the ways at which women are posed or what the setting in the background looks like. IN these two article both authors talk about in their own way looking at different works through a lens and identifying the key features or things that speak from it.

1.       Before You Read:

When I am creating a profile for Facebook I tend to keep it as close to whom I truly am as possible. I am a very honest person so I try to describe myself to the fullest with my qualities, the things I enjoy, my hobbies, things I’m involved in and just overall background. I am almost smart about putting information about myself out so I choose to be smart and limit the things I say. I also leave out revealing information like my address or phone number. I think it’s important to be true to you but it’s also very important to be smart and safe.

2.       Before You Read:

I think that having the chance and ability to use I in a paper is a very good opportunity. This allows you to put feeling, emphases and personality into the paper. Also this can allow for more in depth thought in the paper because you don’t have watch how you describe things or place your information in the paper. Another thing is it allows you to put creative thought in your piece and not have to worry about placing bias and also you don’t really having any limitations or restrictions on what you can say.

1.       Journaling and Discussing:

I think that voice is a way in which to put yourself or your own identity into writing. This is to say that you describe and place your own side, meaning and feeling on the topic or issue being discussed or written about.  There are many other definitions that you can see about voice whether it is your literal voice or discussing or saying an opinion out loud. This is all well in comparison to what Elbow says because he talks about how voice is what the text says or how it talks to you.

1.       Applying and Exploring:

Sincerity- this is truthful writing or writing that is honest and believable by the audience or reader.

Resonance- this is writing that is added to the regular format in order to add excitement or power.

1.       Connecting the Reading:

I think that this connects the matter that your voice will inherently come out in the paper whether you realize it or not. The way you write a paper and the information you use is just a factor of your voice and how you choose to use it within the lines. They both speak on how it is rhetorical and is a quality of your writing; that it will appear visually and especially vocally.

3.       Article Evaluation:

I think that this article was a little on the dry side and at times was hard to understand because of the different vocabulary. The article was also complicated because of the analogies used and I think it was poorly developed for reader understanding. Although I think all of this Peter made strong arguments about writing and reading and how you should go about it. I think that his way of reading through the two different lens (texts, voice) is very logical and an extremely effective way of reading and understanding a piece and the author who wrote it. Also how he attempts to compromise analysis and going about writing with or without voice as both/and process instead of accepting and booting another. Overall I think the piece was ok but the message was strong and is very useful especially sense I am writing my construct on voice or identity in an academic paper.