20 Gripes

This week, you will be reading the chapter, Proposals. 

This discussion board is your opportunity to explore a number of different options for a topic. Make a list of TWENTY things that you'd like to see changed in your world. Consider issues in your neighborhood or town, even state-wide. 

Think about things that irritate you-- at work, on the road, at home, at school. You could also consider past jobs or school experiences that you could suggest improvements.  I call this list 20 gripes.

Sentence Combining #2

Revise the following groups of sentences to form one sentence with a list of appositives. The use of higher order punctuation is encouraged.

A typical Swiss army knife includes a variety of tools.

The tools include a watch.

The tools include a tiny pen.

The tools include a nail file

The tools include a screwdriver.

The tools include a metal saw.

The tools include pliers.

And the tools even include a fish scaler.

In Rwanda, Dian Fossey lived among and studied gorillas.  Gorillas are shy, beguiling animals whose numbers have been decimated by poachers.

Revise each of the following sentences by adding at least one fact or detail in the form of an appositive.  For one sentence, add your own series of appositives.

1. College life is a series of shocks.

2. Sean rushed outside with his new double-barreled water gun.

3. Kylie remembered how thoughts of the dark cellar had filled her with numb excitement.

4. These are the characteristics of a successful student.

5. Teenagers often wear clothes their parents dislike.

Now compose your own example of a sentence using appostives to add detail to a noun.

Rhetoric in Context

All rhetoric exists in context-- what is the context or background to the piece of rhetoric you've chosen to analyze?

Discuss either the historical context or the contemporary context of the piece of rhetoric that is the focus of your analysis: I expect an in-depth exploration of all the surrounding issues that this piece of rhetoric touches on or is affected by.

Start with a brief description of the piece (this could be copied and pasted from your essay).

You are free to use this freewrite as part of your major essay.

Fallacies in Argument

RECOGNIZING LOGICAL FALLACIES
 Fallacies are lapses in logic that may result from misusing or misrepresenting evidence, from relying on faulty premises, or from distorting the issues. They may be the result of poor thinking, but they may also be a deliberate attempt to manipulate—as suggested by the origin of the term fallacia which is Latin for “deceit.” Fallacies are common, especially in persuasive writing. Here are some of the major forms of fallacies. Be alert for them in your reading.

(1) Ad hominem: Attacking the person who presents an issue rather than dealing logically with the issue itself. Faulty His arguments might impress us more if he didn’t have false teeth. [His false teeth have nothing to do with his arguments.]

 (2) Bandwagon: An argument saying, in effect, “Everyone’s doing or saying or thinking this, so you should too.” Faulty Everyone else is cheating, so why shouldn’t I? [The majority is not always right.]

 (3) Begging the Question: An assertion that restates the point just made. Such an assertion is circular in that it draws as a conclusion a point stated in the premise. Faulty He is lazy because he doesn’t like to work. [Being lazy and not liking work mean essentially the same thing.]

 (4) Equivocation: An assertion that falsely relies on the use of a term in two different senses. Faulty Your party platform is right about the economy—as far right as you can get. [“Right” in the first sense implies correct but in the second sense implies a side of the political spectrum.]

 (5) False Analogy: The assumption that because two things are alike in some ways, they must be alike in other ways. Faulty Since the books are about the same length and cover the same material, one is probably as good as the other. [The length and coverage of the books cannot predict whether one is as good as the other.]

 (6) False Authority: The assumption that an expert in one field can be a credible expert in another. Faulty The defense budget must be cut, as the country’s leading pediatrician has shown. [Pediatric medicine is unrelated to economies or political science.]

 (7) False Cause: The assumption that because one event follows another, the first is the cause of the second. Sometimes called post hoc, ergo propter hoc (“after this, so because this”). Faulty The new tax assessor took office last January, and crime in the streets has already increased 25 percent. [The assumption is that having a new tax assessor caused the increase of crime, an assumption unlikely to be true.]

 (8) False Dilemma: Stating that only two alternatives exist when in fact there are more than two (sometimes called either/or fallacy). Faulty We have only two choices: to build more nuclear power plants or to be completely dependent on foreign oil. [In fact, other possibilities exist.]

 (9) Guilt by Association: An unfair attempt to make someone responsible for the beliefs or actions of others. Faulty Senator Barlow must be dishonest because she belongs to the same club as that judge who was recently disbarred. [People can belong to the same club—or live in the same neighborhood— without committing the same crimes.]

 (10) Hasty Generalization: A generalization based on too little evidence or on exceptional or biased evidence. Faulty Teenagers are reckless drivers. [Many teenagers are careful drivers.]

(11) Non sequitur: A statement that does not follow logically from what has just been said—a conclusion that does not follow from the premises. Faulty Billy Joe is honest, therefore, he will get a good job. [Many honest people do not get good jobs.]

(12) Oversimplification: A statement or argument that leaves out relevant considerations about an issue. Faulty People who pass tests are lucky. [People who pass tests have usually studied and prepared.]

 (13) Red herring: Dodging the real issue by drawing attention to an irrelevant issues (sometimes called ignoring the question). Faulty Why worry about a few terrorists when we ought to be doing something about acid rain? [Acid rain had nothing to do with the actions of terrorists.]

(14) Slippery slope: The assumption that if one thing is allowed it will only be the first step in a downward spiral. Faulty Handgun control will lead to a police state. [Handgun control has not led to a police state in England.]

 EXERPTED FROM CHAPTER 31G OF THE HARBRACE COLLEGE HANDBOOK
 (15) Scare Tactics: An attempt to convince an audience purely based on the emotional appeal of fear

(15) Sentimental Appeals: Persuasion based solely on nostalgia or some other emotional sentiment.

(16) Dogmatism: An argument based on a pre-conceived belief system or religious doctrine.

 (17) Straw Man: An argument, usually in a debate, based on a paraphrase of an opponents standpoint on an issue—a retelling of their stance on the issue which is easily torn apart or shown to be deficient.

student rhet anlys response

In the student essay, the what was the  main claim of the p.o.r. being analyzed?
What were the student essay's strengths?  What weak points could have been improved upon?

Student Example Rhetorical Analysis

Cody University

Scott Whitington

English 1010

4 April 2015

Too High A Price To Pay

Without doubt most people over sixteen years of age drive a car. Our entire population feels the burning sting in their wallet as gas prices continue to rise. Our entire economy is dependent on cheap transportation— all those cheap products from China wouldn’t be cheap if the enormous transport ships starting charging double due to fuel costs.  Why has the price of gas seemed to spike recently? Could it have something to do with the weakening of the U.S. dollar, inflation, or commodities trading? It’s possible, but like most items, oil prices are affected by supply and demand. There is speculation that the current rising prices may be attributed to the turmoil in the Middle East. Kimberly Amadeo, who has 20 years experience in economic analysis, confirms this on her blog. Her blog on About.com states that “high oil prices were caused by investors' fears about unrest in Libya and Egypt.” Both Libya and Egypt are members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, commonly referred to as OPEC. There is a specific piece of rhetoric making a number of claims on this issue: the “Petrocide” t-shirt is a powerful satirical image.

                                      

This piece of rhetoric, in the medium of a t-shirt, was made to appeal to young, progressive men and women who strive for change in both society and government. This shirt should also identify with most people on certain levels, like the average American driver for instance. It presents its stated claim with a graphic image of a featureless human figure literally committing suicide with a gasoline nozzle on the center right of the t-shirt’s front. Its implied claim is that gas prices can lead people to commit suicide; this is very interesting whether viewed on a global or national level. This shirt is not only drawing on certain economical stressors and their relation to suicide, but it may also be addressing other deaths associated with the power struggle for oil and gas. Yet another thing we could surmise is perhaps it is an environmental statement addressing how we are held hostage by gasoline by both the prices and our reliance. So on some level it is suggesting a person seek alternate modes of transportation that benefits both their wallet and piece of mind. A figure of a man stands on a green background holding a gas nozzle to his head like a pistol; the figure blows out his brains with the nozzle of the gas pump. Sharp white lines and scattered dots come shooting out the other side of his head representing the splatter in this death by petroleum. The four glaring dollar signs in the window of the gas pump help deliver this shirt’s shock and its wit. The whiteness of the pump and figure contrast nicely compared to the green of the background. The green on the shirt no doubt symbolizing greed or environmentalism, and is making a statement about the negative aspects of gasoline or the benefits of freeing one’s self from it. The white perhaps represents emptiness or an inability to stand against it, though innocence or purity of its victims could be another possibility.

This shirt’s image presents itself solely as a joke since logically a person cannot commit suicide with a gasoline pump without some form of ignition or treat the nozzle as a pistol in hopes of reaching some sort of end. This would be considered some form of fallacy, either a visual non sequitur due to the conveyed action not following its premise or an oversimplification as it leaves out relevant considerations. Despite, if fallacious presentation, it does relay an interesting assertion relating to logos, an appeal to logic that is extremely difficult to ignore. It is true that many strains in life often lead to suicide and these strains can often factor in a variety of social or economic stressors, though they’re mostly attributed to economic factors such as job loss or debt. According Jonathan Harris of the Huffington Post among others, this established pattern between economic strain and suicide has been observed in the United States since the Great Depression were “the suicide rate increased by 21 percent in the early 1930s.” Though the rising of gas prices add a significant amount of economic strain, the evidence to support a direct correlation with suicide seems lacking unless you take into account how gas prices effect the prices of other trade goods. An implied claim also addresses the plight of many people in oil rich countries like Iraq and Libya. Many die so our supply of gasoline remains intact. Whether due to over exaggeration or perhaps an image with a ringing of truth behind it, this t-shirt presents a picture that its target audience should find both disturbing and illuminating.

This t-shirt image’s strongest appeal to support its claim is pathos, an emotional appeal to its audience. As this shirt addresses both the topic of death and gas prices, an overwhelming wave of mixed emotions among both the target audience and broad audience in relation to the imagery is both complicated and expected. Its target audience should find its morbid imagery somewhat humorous, as combines its social commentary and ironic wit to create a dark, visual satirical image. It exaggerates its stated claim with very little basis in reality and presents an interesting idea that gasoline—the livelihood of this country— could very well be the death of us whether literally or economically. The dually implied claim that gasoline is associated with suicide and other deaths may make its target audience feel hopeful, like they are making a difference in the world. They would more inclined to buy in terms of helping communicate this message that gasoline does contribute to death in some way and that perhaps something should be done to help rectify it. The shirt’s broader audience is harder to define in terms of emotion. Some will be overwhelmed with their frustration and the anger one initially feels over the shirt’s context in its relation to gasoline. Others may be offended by the imagery itself and how it relates to suicide in particular. While it could be considered edgy and fun in some peoples’ eyes, it could also be considered irreverent in someone else’s with its graphic depiction of violence. This very depiction of violence may be where this piece of rhetoric’s emotional appeal is weakened as it could potentially alienate its broader audience who cannot see the deeper meaning presented by the shirt’s author and publisher.

The publisher of this t-shirt, NorthernSun.com, doesn’t provide much in ways to appeal to ethos, a character’s authority or reputation, to support their claim. In fact, their own proposed authority is over the making of fine witty novelty goods. Appealing mostly to a liberal audience with a biased sense of moral certitude, their site mostly contains novelty goods leaning towards the progressive that should appeal to its target audience of young progressive men and women, though its broader appeal may not mesh well with this particular source, as some would find it contemptuous or sophomoric. This website establishes political, economical and environmental arguments and rhetoric through various mediums, like the position taken up with this t-shirt over current gas prices. Therefore taking this site’s authority on the matter would be suspect. This publisher does not have the appropriate qualifications or the right observational attitude for addressing social and economic issues such as the claim they have made with this t-shirt on the issue of gas prices. Though while arguably an expert in exhibiting humor on various platforms, this website should be considered a false authority as its credibility comes into question regarding its actual knowledge of socioeconomic cause and effect.

After analyzing the T-shirts claims through the appeals of ethos, pathos, and logos, this argument presents itself rather strongly despite its lack of authority. It is clear that this piece of rhetoric’s emotional appeal played the greatest role in the effectiveness of this argument. This image’s impact plays off both the stated and implied claims of the image, and could elicit a variety of responses from both its primary and secondary audiences, depending how they interpret the image’s context and the symbolic meaning behind it. Its logical appeal is also warranted due to the underlying truths it presents in the causation between gasoline and death. Unfortunately, the anonymity of the author and the bias of the publisher prevent it being truly noteworthy as the issue of trust comes into question. Still, its emotional conviction and logical backbone make this piece of rhetoric something that is not easily forgotten.

Works Cited

Amadeo, Kimberly. “Why Gas Prices Are So High.” U.S. Economy. About.com,

03 March 2011. Web. 29 March 2011.

Harris, Jonathan Daniel. “Suicide Rate Up Since Recession Began, Debt A ‘Way Of

Life’ For 99ers.” Huffpost Impact. Huffington Post, 24 Sep. 2010. Web.

29 March 2011.

Major Essay #2

Rhetorical Analysis
Your assignment is to critically examine an argument of your choice. This argument can be verbal, visual, aural or combination of the three. Write a rhetorical analysis that discusses how the argument works and evaluates its effectiveness. Consider some of the following questions when constructing your analysis, but please do not use these questions as an outline for your essay. These questions should help you generate ideas. It is possible that only a few of them will be applicable to your topic.

1. What point/claim was the argument making?
2.What was the MAIN point it argued?
3. Who was this main point targeting?

4.      What is the context (personal, historical, social, and cultural)of the argument?

5.      What emotions does it evoke from the audience groups?
6. Does the author have credivility to make these claims?

7.      What reasons and evidence supports the argument’s claims?

8.      What types of evidence are used (examples, analogies, facts, statistics, testimony)?

9.      How can you analyze this evidence?

10.      Are there any fallacies in the argument?

11.      If you are using a counter-argument to contrast the evidence this author uses, consider which makes a more convincing argument and why.

12.   Consider the best way to organize your essay: this assignment calls for description (of the argument), analysis and evaluation (analyze its effectiveness).

A successful rhetorical analysis will fulfill a number of goals:

• Explain the structure of the argument (using the terms of rhetoric).
• Analyze how the argument functions; this could include any fallacies within it.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of the argument based on your analysis.
• Immediately capture the interest of the audience with a catchy “lead.”
• Use storytelling and/or descriptive language to create a vivid picture of a scene from your argument that is interesting to read.
• Consider the entire class as your audience.
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of organizational strategies.
• Be around 1000 words and follow the document formatting rules outlined in the course syllabus.*

If you have additional questions about these requirements, please let me know.  I am here to help you succeed, so please use me as a resource.
* If you wish to include an image, it must be used in a way that explains the point you are making in the text.