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.