TOW #13 - "Horror Stories From NY Prisons"

This article is found at nytimes.com.

          The Editorial Board at the New York Times wrote an article about the treacherous conditions of New York state prisons. The Justice Department pulled the state of New York into court because of the brutality towards the prisoners at the Rikers Island jail complex. The guards are becoming so horrible towards the inmates because they know that the union will protect their job and that district attorneys wouldn't prosecute them. The authors believe that the only way to fix this problem is to get higher-up political figures involved even if there is so much pressure out on them. They are angry that this problem hasn't gained attention from the political leaders yet. One way that the authors convey their message is their use of strong vocabulary words. By using the words "infest," "sprawling," and "deplorable," it shows how gruesome the conditions are for the inmates. It adds to their purpose because it will help to convince their audience of the severity of the issue. Another thing that the authors did was appeal to logos by including so many facts and statistics that prove the issue exists. The audience would be more willing to be convinced and try to do something about the problem if it was able to be proven relevant.
         The authors' purpose is to try to put to bed this problem, and to get the political figures' attentions. It's disgraceful, in their opinions, that they let this issue get this far. They used a conniving and offensive tone to make those people listen to them. I actually don't think they were able to achieve their purpose because they solely relied on facts to do it. Facts are important for an argument essay, but they can't be the only thing that you use to convince your audience. This is obviously a really horrible issue but sadly, I don't think this article was able to do anything to help.

TOW #12 - "Bossypants" (Part 1)

          Bossypants, an autobiography written by the hilarious Tina Fey, is a book I really cannot get enough of. Her writing seems so effortless, and the specific rhetorical devices and strategies do not seem forced at all. I am really enjoying it so far because of how real it is. Most biographies are very straight-forward and just mention little note-worthy stories. Fey includes every kind of story, and since most of them are embarrassing, it makes the reader feel so comfortable. She must have written this biography about herself to portray the idea that no one is perfect, and that definitely includes the celebrities that we so greatly look up to. 

          Fey even alludes to certain people when talking about her body issues. After listing many attributes "a woman needs to have" she says, "The person closest to actually achieving this look is Kim Kardashian, who, as we know, was made by Russian scientists to sabotage our athletes" (Fey 23). Besides just making fun of Kardashian, by mentioning those people who are known to be the icons people look to for beauty, it makes the reader really understand what message she is trying to get across. The last part, though it is obviously not true, allows Fey to further state how no one is naturally perfect, but we honestly shouldn't try. 

          Another great strategy that Fey is known for is her humor. The pages are filled with sarcastic remarks, and some of the funniest lines I have ever read. It allows her to really show her personality, and depicts that she is not afraid to be controversial and inappropriate. One of the greatest lines is when she says, "Anyone who knows me will tell you that I am all about money. I mean, just look how well my line of zodiac inspired toe rings and homeopathic children's medicines are selling on Home Shopping Network" (Fey 4). It's ironic, sarcastic, and something so creative that no one else could have even come close to. I love Fey's personality, and I think that by the end of the book she will easily be able to explain her purpose through her wonderful, and convincing, choice of words.

TOW #11 - "The Unfair Treatment of Ebola Workers"

     This article written by Richard A. Freedman of the New York Times. He argues that instead of those taking care of the Ebola patients being protected from contracting Ebola, they are actually in a lot of danger. Freedman says that it isn't fair to them because they have volunteered for this, and this is occurring. He uses an appeal to logos to prove that this problem exists, and that the points he is making are valid. After explaining how the Ebola virus works, he uses substantial facts to back up the general points he was making and showed them in detail. He says, "A report issued by the Yale Global Health Justice Partnership and the American Civil Liberties Union last Thursday found that at least 40 people in 18 states received quarantine orders and were confined to their homes for up to three weeks, the maximum period in which symptoms develop." He uses a reputable source to convince his audience. Another strategy that the author used was using a personal story to also establish the validity of his argument. Freedman talks about a certain Dr. Craig Spencer that treated Ebola patients in New Guinea, and had to be isolated along with his fiancee and two friends, but none of them developed symptoms. It's not fair to them that they have to be quarantined for a long amount of time, when all they wanted to do was help. I think the purpose of Freedman's essay would be to expose the aspects of Ebola treatment that aren't as hopeful as the way that we look at it. We like to think that our doctors are over there doing great work, which they are, but at the same thing they are exposing themselves and we need to understand that sacrifice. They were definitely able to get their point across because of their fully developed strategies that helped to convince the audience of the importance of this issue.