Assignment 11

Why does this purpose matter at this time and in this place?
I believe that Steins's purpose for writing about the "1984" Macintosh Ad during the time she wrote and published it was to probably show how IBM was like the Big Brother then. IBM was like a monopoly and now it's as if the tables have turned and Apple is in the same position IBM was in in 1984. I think Stein is trying to enlighten her audience that technology is brainwashing society by constantly ''improving" itself. "The right technology- in this case the Macintosh- will provide salvation. The solution to the problems of technology is always a better technology." (Stein 299).

What events at the time of the text's production are likely to shape an audience's expectations about the topic?
Seeing that this text was published around 2002, there were a lot of things going on that could have shaped the audience's expectations about the topic. Apple was starting to gain control of the technology world with the first iPod coming out. Just like in 1984 with the "1984" advertisement, a lot of people felt as if they needed what ever new technology was coming out in order to remain relevant. Therefore, her audience could relate and find themselves in this text.

How does the composition end? How will the end affect how the audience looks back on the rest of the composition?
This composition ends with Stein sort of giving her opinion on technology and what it has/is doing to our society. The ending of this composition will affect the way the audience looks back on the composition because the audience will now see how she relates all her references to her purpose and why.

All of Stein's writerly choices work and flow together. She writes and publishes this essay at a certain period because her audience will feel and relate to it more because it was during Apple's rise to the top. She talks about a purpose that matters around this time and uses pathos to appeal to her audience's emotions. Stein uses a lot of references to prove her point and to back up her purpose. She concludes with giving her opinion and tone so the reader and her audience can get a feel at what she thinks of this topic.

[Group Work] Reflection

My group members and I were working together finely. We worked together nicely because we sort of had the same views. The only thing that may be difficult about working with others' ideas is that they may vary from yours and you may not agree. On the other hand, other people's ideas may help your essay because if you don't agree with them you can still incorporate them into your essay so that you are not being bias and so you can have different points of view in your essay.

What intrigued me about the group that focused on the theoretical framework is their drawing and how they related it to what Stein was saying and getting it. How everyone was the same back then with the IBM computers and in the "1984" ad, but everyone is still sort of the same when it comes to Apple products. To answer their question, I believe that Stein is trying to get across how consumers are subject to brainwashing. She stated that the answer to technology's problem is new technology.

To answer the question of the group that did the analysis, I believe Stein incorporated so many references to prove her point and to get her ideas across to man different people in her audience. I see this groups ideas working with my group because we did the introduction which states what the essay will be about and they did the analysis which goes into depth.

Assignment 5

I think Susan Orlean composed this article to inform her readers on the art of taxidermy and how serious it is to some people. The topic of her article is taxidermy, but I believe that her purpose is to take something that people look at in disgust without getting to know it and changing their view point.

It seems as if Susan Orlean wants her readers to learn about taxidermy and see how serious some people take it so that we will take it serious. I think she does this by giving the history of taxidermy and quoting people's conversations about where and how to get certain taxidermy items.

This article showed me that taxidermy isn't as bad as I thought it was. It actually serves a purpose. I think Susan Orlean wanted us to feel this way. Make us think this is a weird hobby, but change our minds..

Assignment 4

The context of this piece is the year 2009 in an airport. One year after a very controversial presidential election in which a lot of raunchy comments were being aimed at President Barack Obama. The context of this article relates to the purpose which is for readers to reflect on the way they view people they don't know and to address the things they complain about and why. In "Standing By", I believe that David Sedaris was addressing people like this. People who are judgmental and just complain because they can. 

I think David Sedaris was motivated by all of the hate surrounding him in today's society to write this piece. The most recent year he referenced to in "Standing By" was 2009., which was one year after the 2008 presidential election in which President Barack Obama won. A lot of people were being mean, hateful and judgmental to the president without even knowing him and what he's all about.

Almost everyone has judged someone based off of their appearance or have been judged based off of theirs. David Sedaris knows that this piece will touch the readers because they can relate. He wants the reader to reflect on their ways when it comes to people. I think Sedaris is trying to accomplish the goal of stopping judgments and hateful and spiteful remarks about people and just being positive and noticing the good in people before pointing out their flaws. Along with being judgmental, I think Sedaris wants the readers to reflect on complaining. In the piece "Standing By", a lot of people were just complaining about the airlines and blaming the workers because they can, which is what people do in today's society now; complain and blame others because they can. I think he wants the people who read this article to look at themselves and stop being so judgmental to people and complaining and blaming others for reasons that they are mad.

We live in a very judgmental society. The setting of this piece was at an airport which is very diverse, so there is a lot of judging going on there. Since he's writing in 2009, he's witnessed a lot of hateful and judgmental comments in the previous months due to the 2008 presidential election. I think he tried to accomplish his goals for this piece through a magazine article because people were probably tired of reading the newspaper and seeing politics and people judging President Barack Obama's first month. People wouldn't suspect an article with a meaning behind it an a purpose like this.

Assignment 3

I believe David Sedaris might have composed this text to show how hateful and judgmental people can be and not even notice it. I think Sedaris wrote in a sarcastic, witty tone so the reader can feel the emotions he was feeling when he was thinking and reacting to certain things because we all tend to feel the same way while annoyed...

I feel that the overall purpose of this text is to show how judgmental and hateful people are and he uses an airport as the setting because of it's diversity.

David Sedaris raised the idea of if airline industries are turning us into monsters or just shows the real us. "But what if this is who we really are, and the airports just a forum that allows us to be our real selves." (Sedaris 277). Sedaris kept mentioning an "Adolf Hitler" being paged over the intercom in the airport. I think he brought this up because people, being so judgmental, would judge that person off of their name and assume things without even knowing him. And his name probably wasn't Adolf Hitler either. That's just what people may have assumed.

I think David Sedaris wanted his readers to reflect on the way they judge people without even knowing them and complain just because they can. I think he used his experiences as examples to put us readers in the mindset of a judgmental person, then he brings up the idea of the airlines creating monsters or exposing and revealing them, which puts us in the mood to reevaluate ourselves.

Works Cited:

Sedaris, David. "Standing By". First Year Composition Reader. Boston: Pearson, 2011. 275-277. Print.

Sedaris' "Standing By"

"Standing By" is about David Sedaris, who missed his connection flight and was directed to the customer service line. He kept flashing back to experiences he had in airlines on the airplanes or in the airports. He began the text with a lot of complaining, but as the story continued he encountered a lot of complainers and judgmental people. Listening to the hateful and mean things people were saying while waiting for their delayed flights or to speak to a customer service representative, Sedaris began to reevaluate himself and his complaining questioned does airlines turn people into monsters.. or just reveal them?

Works Cited:

Sedaris, David. "Standing By". First Year Composition Reader. Boston: Pearson, 2011. 275-277. Print.

Assignment 2

I expect for this class to push me as a reader and as a writer..

I expect for this class to push me as a reader by helping me analyze pieces on a more critical level. Instead of just summarizing pieces, this class will help me analyze and dissect pieces to find out the purpose of why an author composed something, who their target audience is and what he/she wants the reader to think, feel or do after reading their work.

I expect for this class to push me as a writer by helping me expand and go into detail with my writing. I'm so used to getting to the point and not being able to go in deeper with my thoughts.

Seeing that this will be my second time taking English 101..

I already know what to expect about this course and the main things I need to focus on. From meeting with my course instructor more frequently to putting more time and effort into my working portfolio.

I think being a writer in English 101might relate to being a writer in other situations because you will be able to use the skills you've learned in English 101 all writing you do.