You Were Right - Built to Spill

Claim: The lyrics show that an ex-girlfriend caused the writer to become depressed and negative.
Support: The lines "You were wrong when you said everything's gonna be alright," and "And when you said manic depression's a frustrating mess," show the singer's very negative attitude caused be a certain person, presumably an ex-girlfriend.

Claim: The tempo is upbeat to contrast with the sad, depressing lyrics of the song.
Support: The song has a moderately fast tempo but has an angry, frustrated sound.

This song was not very effective because the meaning and purpose were not clear. The lyrics were very vague and the sound of the music contrasted with the lyrics in a way that made the whole song hard to comprehend.

Reading Critically

The title, information about the author, and when and where the work was published are proven to be very beneficial to a reader's understanding of an essay. Before reading an essay, one should examine these facts in order to get a feel for what might go on in the essay before actually reading it. While reading, one should annotate, by underlining, writing questions, pointing out key points, etc. After reading the essay, it is beneficial to summarize it. First, summarize by paragraph, and then condense these summaries into two or three sentences. Then, a reader should analyze the essay, by looking at main ideas, support for the main ideas, writing strategies, language, and more. The analysis step also includes the steps of inference and synthesis, since they are so similar. All of these steps help us read more critically and better understand what we are reading.

Young Life - Bo Bartlett

Claim: The kid wants to be a hunter like his dad.
Supporting fact: The kid is holding up a stick just like his dad is holding up a gun.

Claim: The woman is proud of her husband.
Supporting fact: She is holding him, and they are right in front of the deer.

Claim: The man is proud of his kill.
Supporting fact: The deer is on the top of the truck where it can be seen instead of in the back, and the man is standing right in front of it.

In the painting "Young Life" by Bo Bartlett, the child aspires to be just like his father. The father is holding a long gun to his side. The child, who is placed to the right of the couple, is holding a large stick. The boy has positioned the stick to resemble the way in which his father is holding his gun. This syncretism shows that they boy would like to be like his father. Syncretism between the man and child is also apparent in their clothing. The man is wearing an orange hat, and the boy is wearing a similarly colored shirt. Between their similarities in position and clothing, Bo Bartlett shows that the boy wants to be just like his father.

Shame - The Avett Brothers

This song is about a man's misdeeds and what he did wrong in a relationship.
The speaker's attitude toward the subject is regretful. Three words that support this are:
1. "Sink"- This word seems very negative and gives off a message of helplessness.
2. "Overwhelming" - This word coincides with the word "sink" and shows that he is full of regret and helplessness.
3. "Boatloads" - This word goes along with the other two words, and also emphasizes that he had a lot of regret and was overwhelmed by it.

“Batting Clean-Up and Striking Out” SOAPSTone

Subject

The subject of “Batting Clean-Up and Striking Out” by Dave Barry is the difference between men and women on subjects such as noticing dirt and the importance of sports. This is supported by Barry saying, “The primary difference between men and women is that women can see extremely small quantities of dirt.” The subject is also supported by the quote, “The opposite side of the dirt coin, of course, is sports. This is an area where men tend to feel very sensitive and women tend to be extremely callous.”

Occasion

“Batting Clean-Up and Striking Out” was written around 1988 in New York because it was published in 1988. However, it was obviously written recently because it mentions television such as in the line “we could actually feel the World Series television and radio broadcast rays zinging through the air... and all the while the women were behaving as though nothing were wrong.” 

The time and place influence the piece because it makes it more American. For example, this need to watch the World Series is an American trait. Also, the reference to television makes it more modern since most people have TVs now, especially in America.

Audience

The general audience of “Batting Clean-Up and Striking Out” is women. The author is trying to point out what women do that irritates or confuses men, as illustrated in the lines “the women were acting as if nothing were wrong,” and “She is in there looking at the very walls I just Windexed, and she is seeing dirt!” 

The specific audience of “Batting Clean-Up and Striking Out” is wives, particularly American wives. Throughout the essay the author talks about things that his wife and his wife’s friends do that he does not understand. 

Purpose

David Barry’s purpose in “Batting Clean-Up and Striking Out” is to entertain, and also to inform. The entertainment purpose is shown throughout the author’s use of a humorous tone. The informative purpose is shown by the author clearly indicating things that women do differently, such as when he says, “The primary difference between men and women is that women can see extremely small quantities of dirt.” This is also supported by the line, “The opposite side of the dirt coin, of course, is sports. This is an area where men tend to feel very sensitive and women tend to be extremely callous.” The author is informing the reader of differences between men and women.

Speaker

The speaker of “Batting Clean-Up and Striking Out” is the author, David Barry. He believes that women are unaware of things that are important to men. This is shown when he says, “My friend Maddy, who once invited some people, including my wife and me, over to her house for an evening of stimulating conversation and jovial companionship, which sounds fine except that this particular evening occurred during a World Series game.” 

David Barry also believes that women tend to notice things that men don’t notice and don’t necessarily care about. He expresses this by discussing how his wife asked him to clean the bathroom, and he did even though he thought it was fine, and then she asked him to clean it again because it was still filthy. He also implied that his Etch-a-Sketch was more important to him, and he didn’t really care about the “filthy” bathroom.

Tone

David Barry exhibits a happy and humorous tone throughout “Batting Clean-Up and Striking Out”. His humorous tone is expressed in lines such as, “Nevertheless, because I am a sensitive and caring kind of guy, I ‘clean’ the bathroom, spraying Windex all over everything including the six hundred action figures each sold separately that God forbid Robert should ever take a bath without, and then I wipe it back off with the paper towels, and I go back to whatever activity I had been engaged in, such as doing an important project on the Etch-a-Sketch.” This shows a humorous attitude toward the subject.

Voice

1. In literature, voice is how the text sounds and how it is perceived. Voice is the attitude of the author. It is created by using different word choice, sentence structure, and connotations.
2. "Well that's just great." This is a sentence that I use a lot that reflects my sarcastic tone. Using "great" instead of a more exciting word shows that I don't really think that whatever I'm talking about is great. Using "well" at the beginning  of the sentence adds a more sarcastic voice. Using a period instead of an exclamation point also shows the sarcastic voice in this sentence.
3. Death is a subject that people may talk around. It is talked around because it is a serious subject and one doesn't want to bring it up immediately or say it bluntly. To avoid this bluntness, people will talk about other things first, and when the subject comes, use gentler words such as "passed away" instead of straightforwardly saying that someone died.
4. Voice is important in nonfiction because it needs to sound serious and educated. We avoid overused words and try to use intelligent ones. We also tend to avoid using unnecessary words and writing in first person.
5. We can develop our voice by using different techniques and writing things using different tones and approaches. Reading will also help one develop his voice. Practice is essential to getting better at anything, so just practicing writing will help develop voice.

Beatles vs. Dubstep

I like the Beatles' version of "Eleanor Rigby" better because it's more focused on the vocals than the bass, and it's more calm. I'm also very used to the Beatles' version, so the dubstep version struck me as strange and unnecessary.
The Beatles' version is also more pleasing to listen to. It is much more calm. The bass is not as strong, so it is easier to listen to. The Beatles definitely had mastery of what they did so their original version is more aesthetically pleasing.

Kandinsky vs. Pollack

I like the Kandinsky because it is very geometric and uses bright colors rather than the dull, neutral colors used in the Pollack. It is also less busy than the Pollack, which is more appealing to me.
The Kandinsky is also more pleasing to look at than the Pollack. It uses colors that appeal more and is less random and busy. There are shapes that can be made out rather than random blobs of paint. There are lots of different things you can focus on, whereas in the Pollack there isn't really anything to look at specifically.

Sign Language

The single effect I got from this video was a sense of community, optimism, and that one should enjoy the simplicities in life.

This single effect was enforced by Ben's optimism towards his job and the people around him, which showed he really appreciated things. The close shots of the video made what he was saying very personal and the bright colors Ben was wearing enforced his optimism. The music played in the background took away the normal loud noises of a large city which made it seem more together and more like a community.

This video could have been done with different costume, such as Ben and the girl wearing dull colors like everyone else. This would have been a negative change. It was good that they had on bright colors because they stood out and it showed them as optimistic. They also had corresponding clothes which showed a connection, and if the costumes were different this important connection would have been lost.

SOAPSTone: Shooting an Elephant

Subject:

The subject of George Orwell’s “Shooting an Elephant” is that pressure and fear of embarrassment can lead us to make choices that we do not agree with but that are looked at as the right or legal choice. The influence of pressure in making decisions is illustrated by the police officer who was summoned to do something about a ravaging elephant in the bazaar. He took a rifle but had no intention of shooting the elephant, however the natives believed that he was going to shoot it so they followed him. In order to avoid looking like a fool in front of thousands of natives, the officer shot the elephant, even though he didn’t really want to. Legally, shooting the elephant was the right thing to do because a mad elephant had to be killed. However, the officer did not have any desire to shoot the elephant.

Occasion:

The time of George Orwell’s “Shooting an Elephant” is the 1920s. This is illustrated by the statement that it took place in Moulmein, Burma, because at this time Burma was still a province of India, and still called Burma (as opposed to modern-day Myanmar). The time is also illustrated by the descriptions of what was happening, such as the imperialism, the natives’ lifestyle, and oppression against Britain. These things illustrate the 1920s because they are relative to this time period.

The place of George Orwell’s “Shooting an Elephant” is Moulmein, Burma. This is illustrated by the essay directly stating that this was the setting. The descriptions of culture also support that this was in Burma, a province of India. 

Audience:

George Orwell’s specific audience for “Shooting an Elephant” is the British public. The author’s target audience is identified by the constant mention of imperialism and his oppression towards Britain. The author’s general audience for the essay is Western civilization because he constantly criticizes imperialism and some people would say that the Western civilizations are imperialistic. 

Purpose:

George Orwell’s purpose in “Shooting an Elephant” is to inform the reader that what is legal and what is ethically acceptable are not always equivalent, and being pressured into making decisions may cause bad decisions. The variability of decisions is illustrated by the lines “Besides, legally I had done the right thing, for a mad elephant has to be killed, like a mad dog, if its owner fails to control it,” “But I did not want to shoot the elephant,” and, “I often wondered whether any of the others grasped that I had done it solely to avoid looking a fool.” These various quotes prove the purpose because the police officer did not want to shoot the elephant and had no intention to, however legally it was okay, and he didn’t want to look like a fool in front of the thousands who were expecting him to shoot the elephant. The pressure led him against his morals, and he let the legality justify his decision, even though it went against his own beliefs.

Speaker:

George Orwell, who wrote Animal Farm, believes that “imperialism was an evil thing.” This value is illustrated by this quote in the essay, and also how he goes on to prove that government or legal control is not the best choice. Killing the elephant was not the best choice but it was the legal choice. This directly influences the purpose.

George Orwell also believes that group pressure influences people to make bad decisions. This is illustrated in the quote “I often wondered whether any of the others grasped that I had done it solely to avoid looking a fool.” He made a bad decision because of the pressure and not wanting to look stupid in front of so many other people.  This is shown in the part of the purpose about how pressure influences bad decisions.

Tone:

George Orwell exhibits a powerless and critical attitude about imperialism and pressure. An example of this powerlessness is where he says “There was only one alternative,” and then goes on to shoot the elephant. This tone conveys his view that imperialism is negative and causes people to make bad decisions.  

Good Old Desk by Harry Nilsson

Subject - a desk
Occasion - 1972
Audience - people who work
Purpose - to entertain
Speaker - Harry Nilsson
Tone - happy, thankful

This song is talking about God. The desk is a symbol for God.
1. "Such a comfort to know it's got no place to go, it's always there."
2. "It's the one friend I've got, a giant of all times."
3. "We never say a word, but it's perfectly already with me."

"The Runaway" by Normal Rockwell

Norman Rockwell's painting "The Runaway" shows a child, presumably a runaway, sitting on a barstool talking to a policeman and a diner employee. This seems simple, however the meaning of this painting is much more intricate than it appears. The policeman and diner employee do not appear to be concerned with why the boy is there or where he came from. During the time period of this painting, this same kind of attitude was occurring in America. People were coming home from the war and looking into the future, not relying on the past. Rockwell's "The Runaway" overlooks the fundamental rift that was rising in America throughout the 1950s - an emerging counter culture that was not concerned with how things were in America but rather how they are.

Across the Universe by The Beatles

Three images:
1. "Words are flying out like endless rain into a paper cup."
2. "Limitless undying love which shines around me like a million suns."
3. "Thoughts meander like a restless wind inside a letter box."

The first image could be a symbol for the writer's mind and how he has lots of thoughts and ideas but not all of them fit or stay in his mind.