21st Century Art Work: "Feeling the Heat"

Feeling the Heat at first glance looks like a beautiful woman peacefully sleeping on a bed. The silky white sheets seem to be so comforting that she is grasping them in her hand. Her eyes are sealed shut and look as if they are unable to open because she is in such a deep sleep. Just as you begin to look away, something eerie catches your eye. You start to get an uneasy feeling about the picture. The fact that her dress strap on her left shoulder is misplaced is a little odd. The lady’s dress appears to be riding up much higher than it should be. It is almost as if someone just threw her onto the bed. Perhaps she had too much to drink and she is passed out. Or maybe she took a drug and is now reaping the worst outcome. She may have overdosed on a simple drug such as Tylenol or Advil, or maybe she took a much worse kind, such as Cocaine or Heroine. There is even a slight possibility that someone else gave her the drug and left her there.
Another possibility is she may have died. A peaceful death may have been a possibility. Hopefully she just lay down to take a short nap before going out for the evening. However, it could be a nap that she never wakes up from. The alternative to this is she was murdered. The fact that her arms are draped around her carelessly and her clothes and hair are messed up is a little disturbing.
The perfect white sheet she is laying on can also mean some significance. In today’s society, white symbolizes something very pure. For example, women wear a perfectly white wedding dress to let everyone know they are in their first marriage and are very pure. Because of this, the mystery women seems to be very pure and happy with her life. It could mean that she was very loved and well taken care of. If she was murdered, it could mean that someone that was very jealous of her could have done it.
This painting by John Waterhouse creates some interesting points and topics. There are many ways to look at the picture. Different ways of interpreting it is what makes it so interesting. My view on the topic can be completely different than yours. It keeps and makes are interesting and fun.

Free Write: Christmas

Christmas, my absolute favorite time of the year. No more school, lots of family and friends constantly around, snow, and of course, presents. It is the time of the year when most of the traditions are set and upheld. I can’t wait until the first snow hits the ground. Nothing is better than running out on the fresh snow on the ground, making sure that your footprints are the first to touch the flawless snow. My friends and I always go sledding down our huge hill at my house. We spend hours upon hours outside in the freezing weather just to have fun. This has been a tradition since I could remember. I also am excited for all of the big Christmas light displays that go up. Every year my mom, dad, brother, and I always take a trip from my hometown, Schuyler, to Lincoln to see the lights. We have done this since I can remember. Every year on December 23rd, my family leaves my house at five o’clock. We drive to Lincoln and pick somewhere to eat. Then we drive around and look at all of the lights. We normally end at the Animated Christmas Lights. They are hand-made, nothing pre-built. It is one of the prettiest things I have ever seen in my life. Another Christmas tradition I love is spending all the time with my family. Everyone from out of town comes back home. We spend numerous nights laughing and talking about the “old days.” Christmas is truly one of the most special times of the year. It is when everything feels right once again. You can re-connect with all of your family and friends again. Traditions will always be there, they will never be broken.

Vice Presidential Debate

Sarah Palin uses Logos in her debate very well. Palin is very rational while she is arguing the question, “What promises have you and your campaigns made to the American people that you will not be able to keep?” She tries to use a bill about oil company tax cuts that Senator Barack Obama voted on to persuade the people watching. She calmly explained that as a Governor of Alaska, she had to calm the oil companies down and explain to them that they will not have issues with the tax cuts that Obama voted for. She used a lot of facts to help explain to the people viewing the debate. She said, “The tax breaks of ‘05 were what gave the huge tax breaks to all the major oil companies in Alaska.” She clearly stated that this was not a good idea because it was unfair to all of the oil companies that they take such a huge hit. The reason they were all for all the tax breaks was because they thought it would help encourage people to go green. She interpreted a lot of what was really going on to make Obama look bad. For example, she made it seem like Obama was the only one, the only reason, why the tax cuts hit all of the oil company. However, if you look at the big picture, he was only one vote. She reasons to the entire crowd why McCain would be the best candidate. She made it very clear that all of McCain’s promises will still be the same. She tries to use clear reasoning to make the audience see that McCain is very trustworthy. She doesn’t say anything that will make the audience second guess if McCain will go back on his word or not. Logically, she persuades the audience to see her views. She wants everyone to see that Obama made a mad decision when it came to voting on the tax cuts, but she wants everyone to see that McCain is making good decisions. In the end, Palin does a very good job of using logos in her debate. She is very respectful in how she presented her topic and views. However, he was intelligent because she made Obama look bad and McCain look good. She used clear reasoning to make the audience see what she was trying to get across. She used a lot of facts in her debate to make her point come across. She also interpreted a lot of things, also. She interpreted the way that Obama voted for the bill. She only showed one side of the story, not the whole story. Palin did a great job of debating and using the different aspects in her speech.

Presidential Debate

The question that was asked to the candidates was "How much can we reduce our foreign oil dependency during your first term? Give a specific number." The first obvious thing I found about this part of the debate was that John McCain was using pathos. He was setting the mood and trying to convince the audience that Barack Obama was making a wrong decision or had a wrong point of view. He tried to put Obama in a corner and make the audience feel the same way he was. He was talking about the NAFTA, North America Free Trade Agreement. He was criticizing Barack for openly talking about trade agreements with other countries. Barack Obama really didn’t pick at McCain. He said his opinion about the question and stated his response clearly. However, he did not jump on anything about McCain. He tried to defend himself in a couple sentences at the end of his response. John McCain is a very credible man. He has served in the Army and has been faithful to our country all his life. I think this is why when I hear the word ethos, I think of him. When he spoke, I believed every word that he said. I can trust in him and his opinion. The answer to the question that he gave, seems sensible and well thought through. I also think that what he wants to do about the problem is obtainable. Barack’s response seemed far-fetched and I don’t know if he really had a plan or a bunch of little opinions stuck together. Maybe when he gets everything put together in a plan, it will sound better. I don’t know why, but when Barack Obama speaks, I have a problem with trusting and believing him. I really couldn’t find that many examples of logos. There wasn’t very many ways and examples of an exact logo. This debate was set up to influence and persuade an audience. I believe that both candidates did a very good job at stating where they stand on each and every topic. It is important for both of them to come off as credible and trustworthy. How you speak and present yourself during a debate is one of the most important parts of an election. If you say the wrong thing, you will lose votes. But if you can speak well and present yourself in a positive way, you will gain votes. Eventually this will lead towards you getting elected as President. Debates are full of different parts of logos, ethos, and pathos. Each part of a debate has a different aspect that is important to hit on. This debate was a great example of all of them put together to successfully persuade people.

Chapter 1 & 2 Questions

Chapter 1

~ What is the best way to analyze something rhetorically?

~ What happens if you analyze and take the information different than what the author meant it to be taken?

~ When authors add text to their work is it more affective? Or does it affect how we interpret?

Chapter 2

~ What is the best rhetorical strategey?

~ What makes a logo fail or not appeal to an audience?

~ What makes the most effective logo?