Rhetorical Analysis

On the dawn of a new Democracy, during which much change would forever shape our country Susan B. Anthony began an up rising that would revolutionize America. After she was arrested and fined for voting in a presidential election, she took up her case in the name of all american women in her famous speech "Women's Right to the Suffrage". This passionate speech is full of rhetorical strategies to appeal to the controversy of the day.

Fallacy

You may have heard someone guiltily confess before that they cry during hallmark commercials. One would generally respond to such a confession with surprise at the emotional vulnerability of the person. However when we further investigate the situation we realize that the emotional instability of the individual watching is not to blame for such a reaction but rather Hallmark itself. ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRX7tdh1Ww4) Here is just one example  were Hallmark is guilty of the logical fallacy Ad Misericordiam, were they go beyond pathos to shamelessly appeal to one's emotions in order to make a point or in this case sell a product.  I mean in reality an illiterate old man has nothing to do with selling greeting cards, the only reason they even pursue this story line is to stir up emotion and somehow connect it to their product thus making you more likely to purchase it. So next time you cry at one of Hallmark's shamelessly sappy commercials, don't worry you're not a nut case, it's their fault, it's uncalled for Ad Misericordiam preying on unsuspecting viewers.

Thick Description: Cook Field

Large barren field vastly different from the surrounding campus crammed full with trees, old brick halls, busy streets and side walks. To the distant viewer or driver-by it may not appear to be very large but one who is well aquatinted with the long trip across it’s flat terrain and dry, prickly, water depraved grass, knows otherwise. Tired students traverse the long expanse of the field talking amongst friends, on cell phones or simply preoccupied with other thoughts as they make the long hot journey to or from their east quad dorms, classes and meal halls. In each corner sits weatherworn batting cages, held together by sturdy metal frames whose dark green paint chips away to reveal a shade of peach from yesteryear. A single section of bleachers sits directly behind, separated from the field by the wire mesh fencing of the dome like cages. At the focal point of each concave cage lies a lonely patch of  barren earth from which two lines of faded white spray paint extend forth, through the grass,  like giant arms connecting it to the other bases. Encircling the field and it’s cages lies a thin asphalt track, now grey from long summers of piercing sun rays, and joggers gym shoes beating down on it. The track is partially shaded by the big leaves and sprawling branches of strategically planted trees which create four invisible walls. Massive tin polls with large florescent football lights, sporadically placed between every couple trees, tower over the borders of the field. In the southwestern corner, beyond the the baseball cages and track, the old brick bell tower sits amongst young trees. From behind the barrier of trees on all surrounding sides, cars parked in line against cement barriers face the field, peering in at it’s simplicity.  

Writing History

I’ve never really taken a keen interest in writing, and often feel as though it is a forced burden. Although I’m a creative person and generally enjoy expressing myself though art and drama, for some reason I seem to dislike creative writing the most. Perhaps these subconscious emotions are more deeply rooted and born from my past experiences with different teachers and the environment in which I was taught to utilize different writing skills. My jr. high and early high school english teacher utilized a very rigid and old fashioned teaching style focusing primarily on grammar and form. Although he was forced by the school to emphasize creative writing, he seemed to care little of content and writing style but rather of grammar, punctation and pronoun reference errors. I’m not trying to undermine the importance of such writing instruments but when taught for so many years that they where the only things that matter in my writing, I began to view writing, even creative writing as nothing but rules and restrictions. Junior year my english teacher was a very creative woman, but also very stressed and organized. Although our projects were very creative she would assign multiple writing projects at once, so many that she would often forget about some or cancel them midway through completion, creating unimaginable stress which I in turn now associate with writing.  the first positive class room experience I had with writing was in AP European History, where I was taught to write intelligent essays utilizing critical thinking and logic. On the whole I suppose my feelings associated with writing are those of restriction and stress, especially since my poor spelling and grammatical skills conflict with my perfectionism making the writing process very time consuming and wearisome.