TOW #8 - Hurricane Patricia

            For my TOW number eight, I read a piece about Hurricane Patricia. It tells readers about the Hurricane. While reading, I learned about the low air pressures and the high wind speeds. This article was published on weather.com, a website dedicated to forecasting the weather and sharing weather related news. The website is dedicated to giving the most accurate information it can give.

            This article was published to inform people about this weather crisis occurring in Mexico. The intended audience is, therefore, everyone else in the world. The text was written shortly after the hurricane dissipated, so everyone could be aware of the weather that occurred.

        This article relied heavily on the use of didactic. Its purpose was to teach readers about Hurricane Patricia. It did not do anything more than that. The article was purely informative.

            The author’s purpose was to inform readers about this hurricane. I think they could have gone above and beyond by informing readers of how they could join in the effort to help the people who were affected by this storm. Even though this article was a bit minimal, I think that the author did achieve their purpose of teaching readers about how severe Hurricane Patricia was.

Tow #7 - IRB: Fast Food Nation

            This week, I read the second half of my IRB, “Fast Food Nation,” by Eric Schlosser. This book shows readers what goes on behind the curtain in the world of processed food. This text aims to inform readers about how fast food is made, by displaying both the good and the bad. Eric Schlosser is a credible source because he spent two years conducting research for this book. In addition to that, he coproduced the documentary Food, Inc.

            The audience for Schlosser’s “Fast Food Nation” is the average American. Eric Schlosser wanted to inform readers of the effects that fast food production has had on workers. This book asks readers to take a closer look at the demand in fast food production and how it harms production workers. While fast food is not exclusive to America, Schlosser believes that the problem that is fast food is getting out of hand. After workers continued to be severely harmed in the production of fast food products, Schlosser’s research brought light to a subject that was previously being brushed under the rug.

            Schlosser uses a lot of anecdotes to further his points. He shares stories about different ways different workers have been injured while working to create fast food products. He also informs readers how big companies that employ these workers who get injured brush their injuries (and sometimes deaths) under the rug, and inspire fear of reporting said injuries. These anecdotes further Schlosser’s purpose of showing how terrible fast food is in America, and how it does more harm than good in a multitude of ways.

            I think that Schlosser does not achieve his purpose. I feel horrified, but I don’t think I will begin a fast food boycott, and I don’t think anyone else will either. Also, Schlosser writes in such an uninteresting way, that I had to take a nap after reading just one-fifth of the second half of the book. I honestly would only recommend this book to an insomniac.

TOW #6 - Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Debate

            This text focused on Hillary Clinton in the Democratic political debate. While other candidates were mentioned, this article focused on how well the author thought Clinton had done. This essay described a few points of the debate, as well as mentioning many of the candidates who participated. Stephen Collinson wrote this piece. This man is a senior enterprise reporter for CNN Politics. He was tasked with covering the 2016 presidential campaign. This presidential race will be the fifth one that Collinson has covered.

            This piece did not go very in-depth with the actual debate. There was minimal information about what was said. Collinson’s essay was geared towards people who watched the debate, as they already knew what was said. This piece was, obviously, written after the debate had occurred. Its purpose was to analyze the surface level of the debate. It also aimed to prove how good of a job Hillary Clinton did.

            One rhetorical device used in this essay was positive diction. Collinson wanted to show how pleased he was with Clinton’s performance. The essay started off with, “Hillary Clinton delivered a poised, polished performance” (par 1). By using such upbeat phrasing, readers get the sense of how much Collinson liked or enjoyed what Clinton said in the debate. With his use of positive diction, Collinson achieved his purpose of showing how Clinton did a better job that the other presidential candidates by getting readers to feel positive towards her performance in the debate.

            For this particular piece, the author’s purpose was to show readers that Hillary Clinton did the best job out of all the democratic candidates in the debate. Collinson did achieve his purpose, as he cited specific moments in the debate and used positive diction to prove that Hillary Clinton gave a superb performance in the debate. He wanted to show readers that she is a strong contender for president.

TOW #5 - Moms Demand Action

            This image is protesting the gun laws in America. The child on the left is holding a Kinder Egg; something that has been banned in this country, while the child on the right is holding a deadly weapon that is perfectly legal. This advertisement was created by Moms Demand Action For Gun Sense In America; a group of everyday people who want to protect their children and the rest of the population.

            The audience of this image is other everyday people. If Moms Demand Action could rally enough people, then maybe the gun laws could be changed.  This piece came out in response to the gun laws of our country. These laws upset a great many people, and this group is looking to do something about it.

            This piece uses juxtaposition, as there are two objects side be side, one of which is legal, and one object that is not legal. This use of a rhetorical device helps the organization achieve their purpose because it makes viewers think about what it is that they are seeing. By putting a small, minor object next to a large assault rifle, the audience can begin to understand the magnitude of the situation.

            The author’s purpose here is to protest the American gun laws. Obviously, this single image did not change an American law, but I do think that the organization achieved their purpose. Their purpose was to alert viewers of the danger of guns, as well as the irony of the fact that they are legal, but Kinder Eggs re not legal.

TOW #4 - Fast Food Nation

            For my IRB, I read Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser. This book is about the developments of the fast food industry in America, and how it has affected the average citizen. Schlosser used statistics to show things such as how many gallons of soft drink per year the average American consumes. Eric Schlosser wrote that he spent two years doing research for his book. He also coproduced the documentary Food, Inc.

            The audience for this text is the average American. Eric Schlosser wanted to inform readers about how the fast food industry has affected America. This book asks readers to take a closer look at our food system. While fast food is not exclusive to America, Schlosser wrote this book because he believed that the problem that is fast food was getting out of hand.

            This book is an extended didactic. Schlosser aimed to teach readers through the use of statistics and stories. In my opinion, he used so many statistics and facts that the book got boring. One fact that Schlosser used to inform readers on the expansion of McDonald’s was, “McDonald’s spends more money on advertising and marketing than any other brand. As a result it has replaced Coca-Cola as the world’s most famous brand. McDonald’s operates more playgrounds than any other private entity in the United States.” (Schlosser 4). This quote shows how McDonald’s works to appeal to younger audiences and pull in more funds.

            The author’s purpose is to inspire readers to both understand the industry and choose to eat healthier foods when possible. Who wants to hear that the average American eats over 39 pounds of frozen French fries per year? I know that statistic will inspire me to eat less fries.

            I think that Schlosser does not achieve his purpose, as his book almost put me to sleep, and I kept thinking that I am below this average American. I think people would not want to hear just how unhealthy they can be, and would not be scared into changing their habits.