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Reflective Blog

I feel that I have learned a lot about key concepts that have made me critically think about writing and how to properly structure an essay. I know that I still need much more revising when it comes to writing but I know that I have improved since the beginning of this course. Throughout the semester, I learned about multi-modality and many more concepts that relate to writing. This class has made me questioned my style of writing and with identifying my own characteristics. Now that the semester is ending, I do see rhetoric as a very valuable tool in writing and how we evaluate people. I learned that rhetoric can be applied to everything in the world and not just an academic environment. At this point, I do feel confident in my writing but I also find myself questioning the relevancy of it sometimes. I did not find anything to be useless in this class. Everything that we have done in the class has been beneficial to me in one way or another. My favorite aspect of this class was when we would share our essays with classmates. This was very helpful because the feedback allowed me to revise my essay in detail. Lastly, I did enjoy being a student of professor White because she has always been very informative and helpful in all aspects of the class. I really enjoyed being in this class for both semesters and I know that I have learned the essentials to becoming a better writer.

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Multi-modality Ad Post

The ad itself is comparing the Big Mac from McDonald's and the Whopper from Burger King. It is suggesting that the Big Mac does not live up to its name and that the Whopper is significantly bigger. Just based of the comparison, it is easily determined that the ad was created by Burger King. The visual element of size and quantity is emphasized for the Whopper as well as placing the Big Mac right next to it for a side by side comparison. There is no significant meaning in the colors being chosen as they are just regular pictures of burgers. Burger King also calls the Big Mac a “Medium Mac” which shows criticism towards Mcdonalds and suggests that it should not be called a Big Mac. Burger King is questioning the reasoning behind the creation of the Big Mac and why it isn’t even as big as the Whopper. Overall, my initial reaction to this ad is that Burger King really wants to outclass Mcdonalds and to demonstrate dominance.

The creator of this image, Burger King, intends to attract audience members who go to Mcdonalds. Burger King wants people to know that the Big Mac is small in comparison to their signature burger, the Whopper. The ultimate goal of this ad is to attract people who are looking for a quick meal and to show that Burger King offers a good size burger that Mcdonald's does not quite have. My prior knowledge of Burger King lets me know that they offer a wide variety of burger variations which would help make my decision in whether or not I want to eat there. This Burger King ad is intending to create more business for the company themselves as well as demonstrate that they are superior to Mcdonalds. The ad highlights the burger sizes from both establishments to let the audience know exactly what they would get. This visual ad is important to the company itself because it is a source of potential business that could be received. It impacts the consumer’s decision making process in determining which burger restaurant to eat at.

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Article Response 3/18

The article that my group and I analyzed was titled “Does Texting Affect Writing?”. I believe that the main argument of this article was to question whether or not that texting has an impact on academic writing. Both positions were questioned in regards to the affects of texting. After reading the article, I believe that texting does have an affect on the way we write. The article addressed how texting can create habitual writing habits that could be a detriment to a student. I agree with this because academic writing should be formal but texting tends to be informal which can overall affect the language in the writing. My group and I decided that the intended audience for the article were students, educators, parents, and employers because formal writing tends to be most important for these types of people. Also, our group determined that texting in a certain manner can affect the formality and tone of a particular subject. We thought of how texting can lead to a different meaning then intended. For example, an email to a friend using an informal style of writing is understood fully but if it were to be sent to a person of higher stature, it may be interpreted differently. To sum up, the article influenced me to be further considerate of the types of formal writing I am doing and to be aware of who the audience is. The fallacy of “Either-or” can be applied to the article because there are only two positions that can be supported within the article. The argument that texting does affect academic writing or the argument that there is no impact from texting. 

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Blog Post #2

1. Refreshing(+) Chilly(-)

Refreshing is the more positive connotation because it refers to something being more fresh and warm. Chilly can portray a cold environment which leads to negative connotation because it can be used to describe how bad the weather is. Refreshing also appeals to the audience when describing something and it is generally thought of positively. 

2. Plain(-) Natural(+)

Natural conveys more of a positive connotation because it describes something to be more authentic and realistic. Plain is more negative because it portrays something to be very simple and boring. Something that is plain does not amount to much value which is why I believe it is more negative. 

3. Clever(+) Sly(-)

Clever is portrayed to have a more positive connotation because it implies more of a positive nature as opposed to sly. When someone is thought to be sly, it can imply that they are getting away with something they shouldn’t have, thus the negative connotation. Both can be used in similar contexts but sly is more fit for someone is more daring. 

4. Cackle(-) Giggle(+)

Cackle can portray a more negative connotation because it can be a more obnoxious laugh than a giggle. Giggle is more of a positive connotation because it is less of a harsh laugh. Both can be used similarly but one is an extreme case of laughter. 

5. Snob(-) Cultured(+)

Snob is more of a negative connotation because it implies that someone is very sloppy. Cultured implies a positive connotation because it indicates that someone follows a set of traditions or rules unlike someone who is a snob. Snobs are seen to be negative compared to someone who is cultured because of habits. 

6.  Cop(-) Officer(+)

A cop is portrayed to be more negative because police officers come to mind immediately. Officer is more positive because there are many types of officers that can be applied, not just police. Cops often frighten people, especially when pulled over which is why it is more negative.

7. Skinny(-) Slender(+)

Both words are very similar and imply that someone is very light. Skinny portrays a negative connotation because it can imply that someone is weak. Slender is more positive because it can mean that someone is in better shape than someone who is skinny.

8. Statesman(+) Politician(-)

A statesman portrays more of a positive connotation because it represents more of a respected figure or leader. A politician is seen to have more of a negative connotation because they can just be someone who is simply involved in politics, not always a good representative. Statesmen have more respect than an average politician

9. Smile(+) Smirk(-)

Smile is more of a positive connotation because it implies more happiness and gratitude than someone who is smirking. Smirking can be seen as negative because it can mean that they are taking something as a funny joke when it is not. People can also tend to smirk as a way of faking a smile. 

10. Domineering(-) Assertive(-)

Domineering is portrayed to be more negative because it is seen as more arrogant and aggressive. Both words imply to be on the offense but Domineering is just more intimidating. Assertive is positive because it just means to be more aggressive but in a more positive manner. 

11. Conflict(+) Battle(-)

Conflict is more positive because it can just imply an argument instead of a violent fight. Battle is portrayed to be negatively connotative because it implies more than a simple argument. A battle can imply a violent fight or protest whereas in a conflict, there are less fights.

12. Amazing(+) Cool(-)

Amazing is more positively connotative because it implies a spectacular event that occurred that is full of happiness. The word “cool” just simply implies that someone is merely impressed with something and not so much charismatic. Amazing is more suited for enthusiasm and a sense of achievement. 

13. Strong(-) Powerful(+)

Strong is less positively connotative because it only implies that something is good or above average. When someone is described as powerful, it means they have challenged themselves above and beyond. Being strong only implies a sense of being above average. 

14. Good(-) Beneficial(+)

Good has more of a negative connotation than beneficial because it does not imply an exact result of something. If we do something, we can say that it was beneficial to our knowledge. Good only implies that something is positive in nature for us.

15. Career(+) Job(-)

Career implies a more positive attitude because it indicates more of a long term investment for a person. A job just implies that you are there for the sole purpose of making money. A career is something that is more enjoyable and worth staying at. 

16. Friends(+) Classmates(-)

Friends are more positive because you can be more personal with them compared to a classmate. Classmates are trustworthy to some extent but not as much as a friend would be. Both are people that can offer and advice but only so much. 

17. Fat(-) Overweight(+)

When calling someone fat, it implies more of a negative connotation than overweight because it is more often used as an insult. Overweight is usually just indicating to someone that they are too heavy. Both can be used as insults but calling someone fat is more insulting. 

18. Attractive(-) Gorgeous(+)

Attractive is more negative connotative because it only relates to how the person or object looks. Gorgeous is more positive because it a much stronger compliment than attractive. Both are used for descriptions but gorgeous is expressing more feelings for an object or person.

19. Tired(+) Exhausted(-)

Tired is more positively connotative because it implies that the person still has energy to continue on. Exhausted is more negative because it can imply that a person is unable to move forward. Both are used when describing the state of a living being but one indicates a deeper sense of being tired.

20. Change(-) Revision(+)

Change is more negatively connotative because it implies only a simple adjustment. A revision is more positive because it indicates much more growth and room for improvement. For example, just changing an answer will not grow knowledge but revising something and finding it’s reasoning will be most helpful. 

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In-Class Assignment

The first thing that comes to mind when I think of a house is where I sleep everyday with a roof over me. When I think of a home, I think of my neighborhood and hometown. This is where I am most familiar and where I have been for my entire life. I think of house and home as similar entities but one is the roof over my head and the other is the location of where I know the most knowledge of. I believe that real-estate advertisers use the word home more frequently than house because of background. The background of the home, the neighboorhood, and surroundings are crucial for buying a house. Real-estate advertisers use home because it refers to these concepts instead of just the house itself. 1. The general meaning of these three sentences is having an unexpected occurence. The words, suprised, amazed, and astonished all approximately have the same denotation. They all refer to an unexpected event. 2. Astonished can further explicate an unexpected event in terms of how suprised someone is. One would be more likely to be astonished because of how shocking the scene would be.

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Rhetorical Analysis in the Real World: A Useful Thinking Tool Post #1

The article “Rhetorical Analysis in the Real World: A Useful Thinking Tool” focuses on the numerous ways of how we apply rhetorical analysis in society. After reading the article, I can see how Burke's Pentad is emphasized without being mentioned and how a rhetorical analysis addresses the basic questions of who, what, when, how, and where. One category of rhetorical analysis that pertains to the general audience of the article was when we anticipate an encounter that we must overcome. I agree that when we come across problems in life, we have to rhetorically analyze the best options that are possible to give us the best outcome. Another argument that was made about the goals of a rhetorical analysis in a text was to reveal assumptions and the values behind them. For example, when I read articles that are relevant for an essay, I search the text for the underlying purpose and I search for the imagery. The author is conveying that we analyze everything we come across, whether that pertains to an image or essay. Rhetorical analysis can be applied in all aspects of life and the author used the image of a calm woman to analyze every specific detail in order to come to a conclusion of the purpose of the image. Overall, I believe that the main purpose of the article is to reveal that rhetorical analysis itself is a tool that analyzes one’s perspective of a given subject. I can connect the main idea of perspective to the way I explore the world and coming across situations that require a look at the broader spectrum of things. 

How can rhetorical analysis be used to solve a problem?

What is the purpose of analyzing something rhetorically?