Wednesday, January 27, 2016
(Due Thursday)
Choose ONE of the essays you've read in the Classification and Division unit. Identify the author's intended audience. Then, explain what rhetorical strategies the author uses to appeal to that audience. Respond in one developed paragraph (5-7 sentences) that includes one direct quote from the text.
The piece that I found to be most interesting was The Plot Against People. The intended audience is. He uses rhetorical devices including comic relief and satirical irony throughout his descriptions about various objects. He gives inanimate objects human characteristics and ambition. It uses everyday examples of what people do but blame the objects for it instead to make fun of the scientific community. For example “some persons believe this constitutes evidence that inanimate objects are not entirely hostile” (Baker 225). This shows the comedy used in the piece.
ReplyDeleteThe piece that I enjoyed the most was "The Technology of Medicine." His intended audience consisted of those who had a slightly elevated knowledge in medicine. This can be seen through his use of medical terminology of certain diseases that the general public would not be aware of. For instance, his diction reflected in this quote "In chronic glomerulonephiritis, for example, a much clearer insight will be needed into the events leading to the destruction of glomeruli by the immunologic reactants that now appear to govern this disease, before one will know hoe to intervene intelligently to prevent the the process, or turn it around."(Thomas 237). He uses rhetorical devices such as understatement when talking about the amount of money poured into medical techonology as seen here "Somehow medicine, for all the $80-odd billion that it is said to cost the nation..."(Thomas 234). In addition he also uses similes when comparing diseases that are handled with the same category of medical technology. This advances his purpose of explaining to his audience the use of medical terminology and how it should be more advanced than what it really is.
ReplyDeleteThe essay "Four Kinds of Chance" by James H. Austin has been the most interesting essay so far. The intended audience for this essay is anyone who has experience chance in their daily life, and those who don't fully understand what chance is. Austin uses both elevated diction and historical context to appeal to his audience. His elevated diction is evident though his choice of words such as: sensory receptivity, fortuitous, and culmination. He also successfully utilizes historical context when referencing the Spanish cave of Altamira, which was the greatest discovery for prehistoric cave art to date. The chance of this event is clear through the statement, "In quest of science, he happened upon Art."(Austin 231)
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe piece that I found most interesting was "The Technology of Medicine". I enjoy learning about different medications and how they're used. I liked how he used understatement when talking about the money and elevated diction throughout the essay. I believe his intended audience is people who are pretty familiar with the average medical terminology. Half of his diction is elevated medicine terms that the average person wouldn't be familiar with. For example, on page 237 he says, In chronic glomerulonephiritis, for example, a much clearer insight will be needed into the events leading to the destruction of glomeruli by the immunologic reactants that now appear to govern this disease..." (Thomas 237). I think this helps explain the use of the medical terminology and how advanced it really is.
ReplyDeleteI found that the "The Technology of Medicine" was very intriguing. My efe is professional health Science so anything concerning medicine or revloving around the medical field is attention grabbing. His intended audience were those already familiar with the medical field. He knows he can better reach those with previous knowledge of the subject. One of the rhetorical strategies he used was elevated diction along side his choice to eliminate colloquial language. As for the intext citation I think that Jordyn chose an excellent example. In chronic glomerulonephiritis, for example, a much clearer insight will be needed into the events leading to the destruction of glomeruli by the immunologic reactants that now appear to govern this disease..." (Thomas 237). It really helps to expand the knowlege available to the reader.
ReplyDeleteThe intended audience of The Plot Against People by Russell Baker is society as a whole. Most people in today’s society have felt the inevitable let down of technology at some point; usually when it is least convenient. One rhetorical strategy Baker uses is satire. For example, he writes “Women’s purses, despite their great weight, frequently travel through six or seven rooms to find a hiding space under a couch.” He uses satire to emphasise his critiques on technology, as well as to expose society’s dependence on it. Baker writes with a critical tone to suggest a humor he finds in the credence many people have to industrialized machinery.
ReplyDeleteI found "Four Kinds of Chance" to be very interesting. James Austin presents this piece of literature in a very creative and distinctive way. He distinguishes "Four Kinds of Chance" in a similar way to how humans react with others and their environment. Being a neurologist, Austin critically analyzes the outcomes of different types of chances. His intended audience is really anyone, more specifically people who thrive off of taking risks. Austin uses several different rhetorical strategies. First, he starts off with a rhetorical question which is always an attention grabber. He says "What is Chance?" and proceeds to breakdown the four different types. In addition to that, he uses extremely elevated diction, which helps to further advance his purpose. Austin writes "The term serendipity describes the facility for encountering unexpected good luck, as the result of accident, general exploratory behavior, or sagacity" (228). This quote was one of many that contained elevated diction while explaining his thought process.
ReplyDeleteThe piece "The Technology of Medicine" was very interesting to me. I have been thinking about possibly studying something in the medical field when I go to college, so this subject definitely intrigued me. The intended audience for this piece would most likely be for people who have a background understanding and interest in the medical field. Thomas states, "In chronic glomerulonephiritis, for example, a much clearer insight will be needed into the events leading to the destruction of glomeruli by the immunologic reactants that now appear to govern this disease..." (Thomas 237). In this quote alone, many medical terms are used that the author assumes the reader already has an understanding of. A rhetorical strategy that Thomas uses in this piece is elevated diction. The quote provided would be an example of this as well. Using an elevated diction proves to the reader that they author has a high level of knowledge for his topic. Thomas also uses similes throughout this piece of writing. Similes are very effective in any piece of writing, and they are especially affective in Thomas'.
ReplyDeleteThe audience intended for "Four Kinds of Chance" by James H. Austin is the general public. There is no specified audience because all people are destined to cross paths with chance, whether their luck is good or bad. Austin arranges these types of chance in emphatic order, beginning with the familiar and then moving onto those unknown by his reader. As the essay progresses, Austin's use of pacing, knowledge of history (incorporating historical context), and comparisons become key tools for advancing the understanding of his audience. At the beginning of the essay, he addresses his readers by saying "you" and "we." Austin states, "Chance is unintentional and capricious, but we needn't conclude that chance is immune from human intervention" (Austin 227). By directly addressing the reader, Austin creates a connection between himself and the reader and allows him or her to immerse themselves into the literature as well as reflect on how this topic has had an impact on their life.
ReplyDeleteAlexa Belanger
ReplyDelete"The Technology of Medicine" was the essay that I found to be the most attention grabbing. The medical field has always been one of my biggest interests. I believe that the intended audience would be people who have had experience in the medical field and are familiar with its terminology. "It is what physicians must now do for patients with intractable cancer, severe rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, stroke, and advanced cirrhosis"(Thomas 236). This quote represents how Thomas uses medical terminology that not every average person would understand. Thomas assumes that his audience are already aware of the meaning of these terms throughout the essay. Two strategies that Thomas uses are elevated diction and similes throughout his essay. These are two strategies that grab readers attention. The elevated diction is more for people who have experience in the medical field because of the various terms that Thomas uses throughout his piece.
"The Technology of Medicine" by Lewis Thomas was the most interesting piece we have read so far in this unit. Thomas' elevated diction and usage of advanced medical terminology reveal that the intended audience is possibly someone more educated. With the mention of the total annual cost of the United States' medical expenses mentioned and the mention of how this will eventually be detrimental provides evidence to the fact that this could possibly be directed towards legislatures or policy-makers. Or this drastically large number, especially the cost of doctors "coping with defeat," could possibly be directed towards medical researchers, to inspire them to find a less costly way to pay for medicine. The essay could also appeal to doctors, who could look at this and classify the type of medicine they deal with into one of these categories.
ReplyDeleteThe Plot Against People was a very interesting essay. This essay has an audience of society as a whole with satirical tones. The entire essay talks about the lack of trust we have in items with them always running off and finds a way to make it humorous and not too harsh with criticism. The way he speaks makes you think about our dependence on technology and how much it matters to us and it makes us less free. It's a very funny but eye opening essay.
ReplyDeleteThe Extendable Fork is a division and classification essay that analizes types of people who eat off of other people's plates. The intended audience for this essay is directed towards the general public. However, people who often find themselves eating off of others' plates can easily relate to this essay and find it appeasing. The most efficient rhetorical devise was the use of dialect. This adds comic relief and a better picture into the authors knowledge and experience. "reaches over for the first tim to sample his bride's fettuccine only to be told 'Don't you like what you're having?' He knows he's in for the long haul". (Trillin 221). Dialect brings in another element into the essay and adds additional perspectives while also serving as examples for his statements.
ReplyDelete“The Extendable Fork” by Calvin Trillin was the essay that in my opinion was the most relevant. I felt as though that this essay reached to the broadest audience. The intended audience for this piece was everyone. Every single person in one way or another has met a food thief and they haven’t they probably are the food thief. The author’s voice truly came out in this piece. It might of been because he was writing in first person point of view but his voice made the piece for interesting. For example when he says “I eat more the way a shark eats-tearing off whatever seems exposed and easy to get at” (Trilin 221). I feel like this quote is not only comical but shows the author's voice.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteI chose "Technology of Medicine" as the essay that I find strongest. I think this because the purpose of this essay was to display how expensive medical technology really is in America. It showed logical appeals by discussed the advancements that technology has made over the years and the effect it has on the costs. "Somehow medicine, for all the $80-odd billion that it is said to cost the nation, has not yet come in for much of this analytical treatment."(Thomas 234). It displays ethical appeals by analyses and compares our understanding of medicine with the costs of others to warn people of the annual cost of medicine in America."It seems to me a inevitable fact of life that as many of these as can be will be put together, and as much money can be found will be spent ( 238 Thomas).
I found the piece "The Technology of Medicine" to be intriguing. I have always had an interest for the medical field. I feel that the intended audience for this piece would probably be for people who have an understanding or interest in the medical field. A rhetorical strategy that Thomas uses in this piece is his usage of ethical appeals by using analyses and comparing our understanding of medicine with the costs of others to warn people of the annual cost of medicine in America. "It seems to me a inevitable fact of life that as many of these as can be will be put together, and as much money can be found well spent." (Thomas 238). Thomas also uses elevated diction. Thomas states, "In chronic glomerulonephiritis, for example, a much clearer insight will be needed into the events leading to the destruction of glomeruli by the immunologic reactants that now appear to govern this disease..." (Thomas 237). In this quote alone, many medical terms are used that the author assumes the reader already has an understanding of. This quote provided Is a great example of his use of elevated diction. Using elevated diction shows the reader that the author has a higher level of knowledge for the topic.
ReplyDelete