Observation 11: Field Trip to Lee Gallery

http://www.nhhistory.org/champney/ws7-lg.jpg I think this painting is a great representation of the peacefulness of nature. I think this painting appealed to me because I enjoy the outdoors. It shows some cattle drinking from a peaceful stream and some people relaxing in the shade. The fall colors of the trees and the mountains in the distance also give a peaceful feeling to the painting. The overall painting is very soft and somehow manages to capture my attention and make me think about time when I have been in the mountains and other places outdoors.

Observation 10: Personal Relationships

I don't think this was brought up in class, but i think the style of the radios in the movie (the cassette player and the cd player) is representative of peoples personalities. I think it shows how opposites can attract and differences don't really matter. I also think the cassette player could be associated with lower class and the cd player could be associated with higher class. Again this shows a difference in the two but it does not seem to matter to them. This, as well, is true in todays world in many cases. I think that the trouble the two had communicating in the movie is also important. I think this represents how hard it can sometimes be to say what you are thinking and feeling.

Observation 9: Follow Through Ch. 9

I do not think Kimball or Martinez would find Mukherjee’s essay to be persuasive. I personally saw this essay as a more informative essay rather than a persuasive essay. I cannot really see where she is arguing for anything, but just describing the way she sees society. She talks about how nationalities are divided in the US, some of them at their own will. For example, she says that some people get upset because their children forget or never acquire the culture of their country of origin. She expresses that it is alright and expected to form to the culture where you are living. Crevecoeur’s idea of a “new race” is similar to Mukherjee’s ideas in that she says people tend to form to the culture around them, and in turn, people become similar to each other.
Mukherjee discusses the term “hyphenated Americans” and says she feels these classifications add to problems with race tension. Using these terms singles out individuals and creates prejudice. She mentions fighting discrimination through protests and lawsuits. I disagree with this because lawsuits cause everyone to be scared to speak their opinions, rather than solve problems. She says she is sometimes condemned because she acknowledges erosion of memory (of culture) is a natural result of emigration. She implies that a merging of cultures is beneficial and is not something that should be resisted.

Observation 8: Amelie!

One particular thing I have noticed about this movie is that everyone seems either angry or depressed with the exception of Amelie. Everyone has depressed looks on their faces and rarely smiles. I think this could be an important thing to pay attention to due to the fact that the movie is about Amelie trying to do good things for everyone. It will be interesting to see if she can eventually change the overall mood of the characters. There are several imagination sequences that seem to foreshadow events in the movie. I feel like i can guess whats going to happen before it does. The colors in the movie are somewhat strange. there is a lot of yellow, but it certainly is not because everyone is happy. I do not know what the specific meaning of the colors are yet. I think the art that is being created is an interpretation of the way old man sees the people around him. The artwork that moves in the frames I think had something to do with the characters' consciences.

Observation 7: Advertisements

This Free Credit Report.com commercial is just about the best commercial in the world. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMXv0__CYSU I find it to be very effective because of the costumes that are worn support the message that is given, that is that your life will suck if your identity is stolen. It is a very interesting advertisement and is somewhat funny. They are clearly selling a service that will protect your identity and credit. This commercial has a very catchy jingle that I frequently find stuck in my head. This is another reason I believe this is an effective commercial.

Observation 6: Peer Review Process

From my partner's comments I learned that I sometime write a sentence that only I can understand. Her comments helped me look at my paper differently and helped me add in a few details that i might have missed. I was willing to change my wording in order to help others understand the point I was trying to make. My partner had some good evidence in her paper and it was all fairly easy to understand. I found the peer review sheet helpful because i wouldn't have even noticed a few of the things that were on it. After reviewing my partners paper, I started to think that if everyone in a class read mine, they would all find something they would suggest for improvement.

Observation 5: Martin's Big Words

One visual thing I thought was important about this book was the church. In most of the illustrations there was something to do with a church. I thought this was because churches are know to be places where people come together and Dr. King was essentially trying to bring people together during the civil rights movement. I think the enlarged texts are still important today because they are some of the things King said that had a big impact on the civil rights movement and they are still remembered today. Even though the story just barely scratched the surface of Dr. Kings work, I think it was a good way to introduce us to his work. I think it was easy to follow and interesting, which kept our attention.

Observation 4: Preparing for MLK's letter

In the first paragraph MLK says he does not usually pay attention to criticism but will respond because he respects his criticizer. Readers can see that he is not bothered by other people's negative criticism and keeps tries to keep his head up. He appeals to the emotions of the audience by saying he is in Birmingham because there is injustice and unfairness there. Unfairness appeals to the audience because most people cannot stand the thought of not being treated the same as others. King used several metaphors, shadow of deep disappointment, for example. These metaphors appeal to style because they help the audience better understand the points that are being made.

Observation 3: Community Based Writing Assignment

For my assignment I have considered the issue of using cell phones while driving. Some say they are very distracting headsets should be used. Some say it is not the phone that is distracting but the conversation a person may be having and phone should be banned from use altogether while driving. This issue would effect anyone who has a cell phone and a car so catering to an audience should be fairly easy. I do not know yet if this is the issue I will argue. I am just playing with ideas at this point.

Observation 2: The Toulmin Model

The main claim of the capital punishment argument is that capital punishment is society's means of self defense. The author uses the reason that society has the right to protect itself by using deadly force just like an individual trying to protect them self from a killer. This is made relevant by the example of Ted Bundy. It shows how taking his life was the best way to ensure he would never kill again. She presents a counter argument that states there is a possibility that an innocent person could be executed. She then says this is not very likely and it is a risk we have to be willing to take.

Observation 1: Chapter 1-2 in Aims

In the argument "You Also Have the Right to Tell a Bigot What You Think" the writer argues for the point of the first amendment. To me the overall point of the essay was everyone has the right to express their opinion, but everyone also has the right to criticize those who express their opinions. I did not like the writer's introduction because it talks about sayings that have popular over the years and I really do not think it had much to do with his argument. He does seem to argue fairly for both sides of his argument. I like the way he gave lots of examples in order for the reader to be able to relate this subject to their lives. The author seems to passionate about this subject; he says several times that the phrase "entitled to my opinion" makes him nuts.