TOW #29- Letter to a future APELC Student

Dear Incoming APELC Students,

The must be a reason you've voluntarily chosen to take AP English in your junior year of high school. Some students take it to challenge themselves. Some students take it for college credit, or because it's necessary to their major. I took it because I wanted to improve my writing and I genuinely enjoyed writing essays. If it's one thing APELC teaches you, it's that pretty much all the techniques you've used previously to write an essay are wrong. APELC teaches you that your writing should not fit into a formulaic five paragraph intro-body-conclusion essay. This class pushes you and expands your writing beyond boundaries you hadn't realized existed. Improving your writing isn't the only thing this class does for you. You also learn how to think differently. You learn to approach problems in different ways, look at things from different perspectives, and analyze farther than you had before. One of the most interesting and basic things you realize in the very beginning of the course is that analysis of text is not only analyzing written words, but it spoken words and visuals. This class highlights all the things you've been doing for years, and gives it a name and purpose. I had never thought I analyzed visual texts, but we've all been finding rhetoric in advertisements without even knowing it. You learn throughout this course without realizing you're learning so much. However, this class is definitely a shock: you will not get the grades you want, at least at first, but the grades will come with time and hard work. Each marking period your grade will increase, which is just a numeric representation of all the hard work you've put into the curriculum. Most students finish with a B average, including myself, which is the first B I've gotten in my high school career. Strangely, I'm okay with it, happy even, because I've proved throughout the year to myself that this course is possible and that I've grown as a student. I'm pretty sure on the first day of the course Mr. Yost told us all to "Relax, it's just school." At first (as well as the first three marking periods) I tried hard to ignore this advice, but once you realize the grades are not determinants of your character as a student and are not representations of how hard you work then the class becomes enjoyable. Once I learned that very tough lesson, APELC became one of my favorite classes because I wasn't stressing out about it. Looking back at the year, the lessons I've learned are what stick with me, not my grades on my assignments. My advice to you, incoming APELC students, is to have fun in AP English, because after all, it is just school.

Sincerely,

Shannon Trombley

 

TOW #28 - Reflection

Throughout the year, I have seen growth within myself as a writer, and TOWs have helped me to develop this change. At the beginning of the year, my TOWs did not have the flow that they eventually developed. Without even reading my essays and just thinking about the way I wrote, it seemed that as time went on the words came more easily and my essays were written much more smoothly as one idea flowed into the next. I think that I mastered creating a strong thesis and proving said thesis in my TOWs. It became much easier to crank out a well written thesis with a claim, context, and consequence. However, there is always room for improvement. I should have varied the rhetorical devices that I referenced in each TOW; I did not really strive to learn new devices and incorporate them into my writing, but instead I just used the same 10 devices over and over. I believe that the TOWs helped us prepare for the exam because we were able to crank out ideas into well written sentences quickly. However, on the actual AP exam there is no 350 word short answer, it is simply a full analysis essay. This is where TOWs fall short: the length of the essay does not help us prepare for the AP exam. Overall, TOWs are a someone helpful tool because they teach a student to organize their ideas quickly and accurately, but not necessarily in the quantity necessary for the exam in May.

TOW #27 - "Attitude" (Written text)

                On June 14th, 1983, Margaret Atwood delivered a commencement address to a graduating class of Victoria College. In her speech, she talks about her process of thinking about what to say in this speech. She talks about how she thought about it for awhile and was unsure about which route to take. She could either be very positive and sugar coat adulthood, where the flawless educational system will push them out of any troubles. However instead of portraying false information and giving false hope, she decided to be realistic and frank. As a writer, she expressed that it wasn't a wise career path to take as it is unreliable and risky. She states, "But sober reflection led me to the conclusion that this topic too was a washout; for, as you will soon discover, a liberal arts education doesn't exactly prepare you for life." She then went onto exposing the errors in the educational system and pointing out how unrealistic it is. She pointed out that many things that are taught in school are not true in the real world. Overall, most of her essay points out the negatives, yet realistic parts of adulthood. However, her pessimistic outlook has a point to her overall purpose. For example she states, "on the one hand, we ourselves live daily with the threat of annihilation. We're just a computer button and a few minutes away from it, and the gap between us and it is narrowing every day. On the other hand, the catastrophe the threatens us as a species, and most other species as well, is not unpredictable and uncontrollable, like the eruption of the volcano that destroyed Pompeii. If it occurs, we can die with the dubious satisfaction of knowing that the death of the world was a man-made and therefore preventable event, and that the failure to prevent it was a failure of human will". Atwood stresses the ability of looking at one thing with multiple eyes. We can then create more positive changes as our government runs on opinion of the people. Wthe use of humor and attention grabbers, she was able to not only hold the attention of her audience but deliver an empowering message.

TOW #26 - "Apple's Newest Hit" (Written text)

In a recent article presented by Forbes, people are starting to get excited about the reveal of Apple's new wearable technology: a touchscreen watch. This has been an ongoing invention for at least half a year, so for it to be released soon is such amazing news. However, many people feel this new product could end up hurting Apple. Forbes addresses the watch as being too expensive causing many people to not buy it. While many people would disagree, we have to remember this did happen in the past. When Google came out with the Google Glass, it ended up being a bit of a failure. First, people thought it looked ridiculous raising many questions on how wearable technology ever became an attractive product. Secondly, the glass was pretty expensive starting close to a thousand dollars. In the end, Google ended up stopping sales because there was just no profit coming in, so it didn't make sense to continue manufacturing. If the same problem happens with Apple, it could really hurt their stocks and income. Think of all the money put into developing this product, if it fails, all of that goes to waste. However, many people would argue that Apple hasn't failed us yet. I mean every product they have come out with has caused chaos, huge lines, and lots of people spending lots of money. Therefore, I would have to disagree with Forbes and say that this product could end up helping Apple. If it does boom, the profit will be huge and stocks will go up. However, that has to be a risk Apple is willing to take because there is a chance that the whole plan could end up going sideways. Overall, the article does a great job in introducing the pros and cons of Apple's newest invention. 

TOW #25 - Alcoholism (Visual Text)

Alcoholism is a serious disease, and Rzecspospolita seeks to point out the horror hidden behind the drink in this ad through use of familiarity, illusions, contrast, and parallelism between the text and the image. The foundation utilizes familiarity to drive home the point that Alcoholism can affect anyone, even you, Average Joe. The person portrayed in the text looks like your average 35 year old man, who after a long day at the office (as his button up suggests), headed home or to the bar for a relaxing drink. This recognizable scene is supposed to make the reader think, "Hey, I do that." The foundation then uses an illusion to show the true horror inside a bottle of Vodka. With a clear liquid, you would normally be able to see the man's smiling face through the glass, but instead you see the same man's face screaming, as if being tortured or trapped inside the glass. The contrast the illusion sets up between the fun, light, happy man's atmosphere and the scary setting inside the bottle makes the reader think, "maybe this drink isn't all fun and games." Lastly, the parallelism between the words and illusion goes a long way in driving home the point that the reader may need help with their addiction. The text says, "Don't try to check [for disease] yourself," because you cannot see the monster trapped inside the glass like everyone else can. Had the man pulled the bottle away from his face, he wouldn't have seen anything wrong, unlike everyone else, who can see the screaming man. This makes the audience realize that they cannot see the disease, but other people might. The ad aims to help potential alcoholics not only realize they should reach out for help but almost scare them into doing it through familiarity, illusions, contrast, and parallelism.

TOW #24 - "Into the Wild" by John Krakauer IRB #2

"Into the Wild", the retelling of Christopher McCandless' adventures through the Alaskan and American wilderness by John Krakauer, is better names Into the Symbols because of its abundance in symbolism which ultimately provides a better characterization of McCandless as well as a more personal retelling of the plot. The prominent use od deserts is one of the main symbols utilized by Krakauer. The desert presents a challenge to McCandless, and his perseverance to conquer the grounds and complete his journey is exemplification of McCandless' hubris. Similar to the desert, the mountains not only give scenery to the story, it symbolizes another obstacle for McCandless to conquer. When recalling his youth, Krakauer utilizes the mountains to present a test for one's own capability and character. Another prominent symbol in the novel is the "Magic Bus", named after the song by The Who, is symbolic of his luck. He stumbles across the bus as shelter, which is extremely lucky, and then he passes away in the "Magic Bus," which is symbolic of the end of his good fortune. Lastly, the rivers in "Into the Wild" are the final challenge for McCandless to conquer, but unlike the mountain and deserts, he fails to end victorious from his face off with the rivers. It is symbolic of his lack of planning and ultimately his Achilles heel, because he cannot cross the river in summer and fails to survive. "Into the Wild" is the perfect retelling of Christopher McCandless' treck through the Alaskan and American wilderness by John Krakauer, who perfectly captures McCandless' personality and his tough journey through multiple symbols throughout the novel.

TOW #23 - "On the Rainy River" by Tim O'Brien

After winning the National Book Award in 1979 for Going after Cacciato, Tim O'Brien followed the masterpiece with The Things They Carries, a book of his experiences in war that shows him as the protagonist. "On the Rainy River" is an excerpt from the novel. O'Brien utilizes the repetition, alliteration, figurative language, and prose in order to emphasize how simple the emotional horrors of war are. His repetition allows him to draw the focus onto specific aspects of war the prove its overall negative connotation. He speaks of "a crushing sorrow, sorrow like I had never known before" (O'Brien 1077). The repetition of sorrow draws the reader to hopefully focus on the bone crushing despair war brings. His alliteration allows for the same effect when he writes, "a sudden swell of helplessness" (O'Brien 1076). The use of these rhetorical devices allows for O'Brien to simply show the toll war has on an individuals emotions. He also uses similes to compare the feelings of war to a way the reader may have felt before, so they can begin to relate and understand how horrible these experiences were. He feels "as if I had toppled overboard" (O'Brien 1075). The reader may possibly have felt this way at some point in their life, and once they realize that O'Brien and the other soldiers feel like this all the time during war and possibly even after, they open the door to truly comprehend how horrible war and its effects are. Lastly, O'Brien structures his story into long paragraphs, which allows the reader to feel to continuous dragging of that O'Brien felt by his emotions. This detailed retelling of war, "On the Rainy River", that helps O'Brien tell his journey of despair is made possible by his use of repetition, alliteration, figurative language, and prose.

TOW #22 - "The World's Problem With Sex Ed" by Jonathan Zimmerman

In "The World's Problem With Sex Ed", Jonathan Zimmerman, New York Times journalist, educates the public on the world issue of increasing sex ed in the younger grades. He gives information on the issue at hand by advocating for all sides including facts and expert testimonies, and then he proposes his own counterargument. With his opening, he shocks reader's with a startling but maybe progressive situation that sets the scene for the topic at hand. He describes the Unidted States sexual education system's expansion, with "second graders will learn about 'saying no' and 'improper touching'; third graders will be introduced to gender identity and sexual orientation; and seventh graders will learn of the dangers of 'sexting' and of sexually transmitted diseases" (Zimmerman 1). Although some say this is a good idea to make children more aware of the world and the dangers around them, other's globally disagree. He states that Reverend Charles McVety, of the evangelical church, believes that introducing this curriculum to children of such young ages is "'sexually explicit and radical thinking'" (Zimmerman). As Zimmerman points out, others agree with McVety, such as Mr. Marish, a Muslim immigrant from Kuwait, suggesting that "sexual relationships outside of marriage are frowned upon, 'but now all of a sudden it’s being heavily promoted by schools,'" and now the Chinese claim that these new school programs compromise their rights. Interestingly,
Zimmerman suggests that the issue to be focused on is not sexual education, but that these compromises and issues with sexuality actually come from the media, and that this is the true issue to be fought about. After several expert testimonies and advaocating for all sides, Zimmerman is able to create a common understanding and propose his own ideas on the issue of Sexual Education in "The World's Problem With Sex Ed."

Tow # 21- Visual Text Pepsi Advertisement

An advertiser's sole job is to completely sell their product to their audience, and that is precisely what Pepsi does by making it the simple and only focus of this specific advertisement. The first strategy they use is comparison. They put the easily recognizable Pepsi logo and name onto the left can. The can is also the more visually appealing of the two, when compared to the nameless red can on the left (which is easily recognizable as their largest competitor, Coca-Cola). The blandness of the can on the left plays on the five senses of the consumer, specifically taste. A bland can can only mean one thing: flat soda. A consumer would much rather take a refreshing sip from the appealing can on the right rather than the bland and most likely flat can on the left. The advertisement also utilizes the background to center Pepsi as the focal point. Had the background been red, the advertisement would have been directed more towards Coca-Cola. By having their background parallel the color scheme of their logo, the focus is again pointed towards Pepsi. Lastly, their use of personification really drive home their argument that Pepsi is the product for the consumer. They gave the straws minds of their own. The one being submerged in the Pepsi is in content with its situation, while the straw on the left that is attempted to be put in the Coca-Cola can is by any means trying to keep from even touching the soda inside. If the soda is not even good enough for the straw, what makes it possibly good enough for the consumer? Through strong comparisons, paralleling background to the product, and the personification of inanimate objects, the advertising team at Pepsi solidly marks Pepsi products as the focal point and the product of choice for consumers. 

TOW #20 - IRB #1 "Into the Wild"

In "Into the Wild", the story of Christopher McCandless' adventures through the Alaskan wilderness as well as across North America, Jon Krakauer uses several rhetorical devices that help to characterize Christopher and retell his amazing journey. Most prominent in the book are the anecdotes. For example, Krakauer uses several interviews to tell different parts of Chris' life. Wayne Westerberg, an elevator operator who becomes a close friend of Chris and offers him a place to stay, tells of many accounts of Chris' abnormal tendencies. He speaks of Chris' intelligence, work ethic, and the strangest of all: a need to travel the country by himself. This gives the reader an inside look to Chris' true personality on a friendship level, so the reader can understand Chris' actions and truly be immersed into the story. Another important aspect of telling this particular story is the imagery used to describe the locations of Chris' travels. Krakauer describes a stop on Chris' journey; "Carthage, South Dakota, population 274, is a sleepy little cluster of clapboard houses, tidy yards, and weathered brick storefronts rising humbly from the immensity of the northern plains, set adrift in time. Stately rows of cottonwoods shade a grid of streets seldom disturbed by moving vehicles. There's one grocery in town, one bank, a single gas station, a lone bar." He then goes on to even further describe the scenery, so the reader has a clear mental image of exactly what Chris had seen, and it is almost as if the reader is standing in Chris' shoes, gazing upon the town. This allows the reader to get the full effect of the story, and ultimately helps Krakauer achieve his goal of retelling this amazing journey. Through anecdotes from several sources as well as descriptive imagery, Karukauer effectively characterizes Chris and brings the reader on the road with him.

TOW #19 - Watson and Crick Nature (Written Text)

As science advances, so do the theories that were previously thought to be concrete. Watson and Crick, two renounced scientists in the field of microbiology, do nothing more than follow this pattern in their paper "Nature" by correcting and further developing the previous hypothesis of DNA structure. In their paper, they highly rely on logic as well as strong counterarguments to argue their hypothesis as the most probable. Firstly, their logic shows their strong knowledge of the subject and connects the dots between experimentation and hypothesis for readers. They state that, "It has been found experimentally that the ratio of the amounts of adenine to thymine, and the ratio of guanine to cytosine, are always very close to unity for deoxyribose nucleic acid [...] if an adenine forms one member of a pair, on either chain, then on these assumptions the other member must be thymine; similarly for guanine and cytosine" (Watson and Crick 1). By using hard results from thorough experimentation, Watson and Crick developed a structure that fit with the facts and that is widely accepted as the model for DNA today. The two scientists also argue against previous hypothesis for the structure, such as those of Pauling and Corey. The previous structure was believed to have the phosphate groups facing each other on the interior of the complex, where Watson and Crick point out that, "the negatively charged phosphates near the axis will repel each other" (Watson and Crick 1), and therefore proves the old model to be unrealistic and leads way for their model to take the spotlight. Today, Watson and Crick's model for DNA structure stands soundly in all biology textbooks, and is not likely to be argued against any time in the near future. Clearly, Watson and Crick made a sound argument for their model through unarguable logic and thorough counterarguments.

TOW #18 - JFK's Inaugural Address (Written Text)

Just as any president would, President John F. Kennedy made his Inaugural address in Washington D.C. on January 20th, 1961. His goal in delivering the address was to show the nation hope during the Cold War and to will the nations around the world towards his goal of peace. JFK remarkably uses simplicity, anaphora, and antithesis in order to reach the broad audience. The skilled orator knows he is speaking to world full of people from all different educational levels, so he uses extremely simple language that all his listeners can understand and keeps the message short and sweet. He proudly states "In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility - I welcome it"(Kennedy 1). He keeps his language simple so it is easily comprehended by the average citizen. His use of anaphora also allows him to really deliver a memorable address. In numerous paragraphs, he starts off with similar phrases, "To those old allies... To those new states... To those people in the huts and villages ... Finally, to those nations who would make themselves our adversary... " (Kennedy 1). This use of repetitive phrases puts people globally on the same level, and allows him to draw attention to the fact that we should all come together, as equals, and end this war. Finally, Kennedy utters many strong antitheses that are sure to be remembered for generation and generations to come. Perhaps his most famous antithesis in this speech is, "And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you- ask what you can do for your country" (Kennedy 1). By first stating what you should not do and then its opposite of what you should do, Kennedy lays out a road map for the thoughts of his country's citizens that leaves no confusion for what he wants from the American population. Kenned creates a compelling Inaugural address through simplicity tailored to the audience, anaphora, and several antithesis that leads the way to peace.

IRD Intro #3 - "Into The Wild" by Jon Krakauer

"Into The Wild" is written by Jon Krakauer,  and details the experience of Christopher McCandless travelling across North America and his life spent in the Alaskan wilderness in the early 1990's. The reason this book caught my eye is because Krakauer interprets McCandless' self-disciplinary actions as influenced by the writings of Henry David Thoreau, which I have some background knowledge on. Hopefully, I can make connections between my knowledge outside the book and the book itself.

TOW #17 - World Hunger Visual Text

The World Food Programme has worked to aide countries with hunger problems since it was established in 1961, and with this ad they aim to draw attention to the cause. The use of several rhetorical devices, including contrasting images and an allusion, helps grab the audiences attention and sparks an interest or at least a glance towards aiding world hunger. Clearly, the elephant smack dab in the middle of the image grabs the viewer's attention. Initially, the viewer might believe this is an ad for the WWF (World Wildlife Fund), which often times uses cute animals to help their cause in aiding animals globally. However, the WFP is not specifically concerned with animals, but more malnutrition issues. The elephant stands in a enormous pile of food, which goes along with their mission of ending world hunger. The two contrasting images, ideas and causes makes the reader wonder, "Why is an organization using something unrelated to their cause coupled with the exact reason for their cause to prove their point?" The allusion then connects the dots for the audience, in which the text states, "Stop ignoring the elephant. Join the fight against world hunger." This is an allusion to the well-known saying, "we must address the elephant in the room." It is inferable that the elephant in the room is world hunger, and the World Food Programme wants the audiences attention and concern on this important issue. Essentially, the WWP wanted the audience to address the elephant in the picture. The WWP certainly grabs the audiences attention with an allusion to the elephant that contrasts with their purpose, and effectively highlights the concern the audience should have on the issue of world hunger, the elephant in the world.  

TOW #16 - IRB #2 "In Cold Blood" By Truman Capote

"In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote, although a work of nonfiction retelling of the Clutter family murder, has meaning to it as well. The message of "In Cold Blood" is essentially life has happened before you, and life will happen after you; it's looking at the bigger picture rather than viewing the murder as a world-stopping tragedy. This message the author portrays with his twist on the events is shown strongly through his symbolism and his tone. This is clear because the ending scene of the book is completely fabricated by the author, which means it is not to recount history but to actually tie in a message. The tone as Dewey departs the cemetery is wistful, as "she disappeared down the past, a pretty girl in a hurry... Then, starting home, he walked toward the trees, and under them, leaving behind him the big sky, the whisper of wind voices in the wind-bent wheat" (343 Capote). The path the girl takes is symbolic of the future, and the sky behind him is symbolic of the past. The author specifically makes note of these two symbols, rather than ignoring them which would have giving the message "the past and future don't matter." Instead, they symbolism tied in with the wistful and thoughtful tone portrays the message "we must acknowledge and learn from the past, and think about and strive for the future, and life may keep moving but every second is important." Symbolism is used yet again to enforce this message with Nancy's diary. In her diary on the final day of her life, she wrote about the seemingly trivial events of her day. However, the facts that these were her last words in her diary enforces the idea that even the most trivial moments are important enough to pay attention to as if every day were your final day. Capote utilizes strong symbols and tone in order to relay the message that every moment of life, whether it be past, present or future, is never too small to pay attention to and appreciate.

TOW #15 - "The Destruction of Culture" By Chris Hedges (Written Texts)

Often times, the most challenging task an author can take upon themselves is challenging social norms and a common belief among a civilization. In "The Destruction of Culture," Chris Hedges battles the belief that war is something a person fighting should be proud of, that its a selfless and noble act. Rather, he presents war as it truly is, a demon that can bring forth the destruction of a society. As a man who has witnessed and covered many wars, including those in the Balkans, Central America, and the Middle East, one of the most powerful rhetorical devices he uses to argue his claim is personal anecdotes. As he stands with mourners in Albania, he "pulled back the cloth to uncover the faces. The gouged-out eyes, the shattered skulls, the gaping rows of broken teeth... I stared into their lifeless faces... I could not wholly believe what I saw in front of me. This sense that we cannot trust what we see in wartime spreads throughout the society. The lies about the past, the eradication of cultural, historical, amd religous monuments... We lose our grip" (1043 -1044). By correlating what he viewed for himself and his personal view on the matter to the effect it has on the society as a whole he effectively argues his point that war should be viewed as a death sentence for socety. His logical conclusion also play a part in convincing the reader of this twist on reality. After an interview with the director of a production of Hamlet, he concldues that "Every reporter struggles with how malleable and innacurate memory can be when faced with trauma or stress... They struggle to connect disparate images. And those who see events with some coherency find there is an irreversible pull to twist the facts to conform to the myth" (1046). By providing an explanation to the reader of why these realities get molded into the myth, he allows the reader to follow his train of thought and think, "Okay, I see why that's logical." Through his use of personal anecdotes and drawing logical conclusions, Hedges effectively argues against the common belief that war should be viewed as noble instead of a ticking time bomb on society.