TOW #7- “Aria: A Memoir of a Bilingual Childhood”

          In the “Memoir of a Bilingual Childhood”, Richard Rodriguez shares the conflicts he had to withstand growing up as a bilingual Hispanic living in America. He expresses his complicated encounter with the American culture and continues to reveal the positive and negative affects it had on him. Attending a private school with Caucasians, Rodriguez felt that he had to abandon his Hispanic culture and speaking Spanish because it yielded him from learning English. He soon began to feel a disconnection between him and his parents and “no longer kn[ew] what words to use in addressing them” (para, 18). Although he felt that it was important that he assimilate to the American culture, he felt “guilty” and felt a “sad confusion” (para, 41) at home. Through Rodriguez’s use of anecdote, he is able to appeal to ethos and pathos in order to emphasize the struggles he faced growing up as a bilingual child.

            When establishing ethos, Rodriguez shares his experiences of having Spanish as his primary language by gradually revealing the conflicts he faced when learning to speak English. Humiliation, terror, and sadness, he describes, sums up his childhood. This reveals his credibility as the experiences and feelings that are describes, were what motivated him to write the memoir. Pathos is revealed when he explains his poor relationship with his parents. He describes how he “shared fewer and fewer words with them” (para, 35), as he tried to neglect the culture that used to be important. He also claims himself as a “victim of a disconcerting confusion”(para, 46), emphasizing the emotional impact the new culture and language had on him.

            Overall, Rodriguez’s use of anecdote that helped to appeal to ethos and pathos is a successful method of emphasizing the distraught he felt growing up as a bilingual child. As a bilingual child myself, I was able to connect to his experiences and reflect back to the South Korean Culture that I came from. 

TOW #6- China’s Big Test

          In most Eastern Asia countries, it is a strong belief that elite U.S. education is beneficial when applying for successful jobs in foreign countries. In 2013, “U.S. reached more than 270,000” Chinese students, with a “16.5% increase each year” (Rauhala, 5). During the October SAT test in 2014, however, the College Board administration has found evidences of students in China illegally obtaining and sharing test materials, and told the students that their SAT results would be delayed. This left the Chinese students with devastation as college admission deadlines approached. In the article, “China’s Big Test”, Emily Rauhala reveals anecdotes and juxtaposes two ideas in order to compare and contrast different existing opinions on Chinese students in America.

            In the beginning paragraphs, Rauhala introduces a story of Xu Quing, a Chinese student preparing to study abroad. Her anxious process of studying for the SAT test and the shocking response after receiving an e-mail from the College Board reveals the author’s sympathetic feelings toward the innocent Chinese students who were affected by those who cheated. The writer also includes China’s nature of cheating my mentioning “Gaokao”, an exam that determines the lives of young Chinese, which give them undeniably high pressures, essentially become a leading cause to why they cheat. Not to mention, the Chinese parents have stressed the importance of education since they only have one child due to the “one child policy”. The writer than, juxtaposes the Chinese students and the American students to portray a different side of the situation.

            Showing a different view of the problem, the author mentions how Harvard has admitted only “5.9% of applicants for the class of 2018” (Rauhala, 7), stressing how it has gotten more difficult for Americans to get accepted in colleges. The parents in America are worried that the foreign students will take over the jobs and positions in high authority. They have recently begun to voice the unfairness as the Chinese are taking advantage of the time difference between America and China to allegedly cheat on the exam. This has added more to America’s uneasy relationship with East Asia.

            Overall, Rauhala’s anecdote and juxtaposition of two opinions leaves the readers with a great understanding of the existing conflict between China and America.

TOW#5- "This Won't Hurt A Bit"

            While browsing through a social media page, I came across this eye- opening picture. This visual text was used by a vegan journalist, who uses photo-shopped images of women wearing makeup to convince other women to stop purchasing from cosmetic companies that brutally test on animals. Through the use of imagery, perspective, and pathos, the journalist arouses the emotion of readers.

            Without an explanation of what animal testing is like, the picture itself describes the violence that it contains. The bloody and swollen face of once a beautiful woman is attention seeking, emphasizing the brutal effects of animal testing if it was done on human. When I first encountered this photo, I was scared to find out how undeniably cruel animal testing was. It was an eye- opening experience to see the true story on behalf of tested animals.

            Although many pictures that argue against animal testing often portray poorly treated animals, this journalist used a different point of view to make women into victims of the violence. This change in perspectives allows women to relate personally more than the picture of abused animals. Not only that, but his change in perspective evokes guilt and anger for the readers.

            The journalist uses pronoun such as “you” to emotionally approach to the readers. Even though it is hard to sympathize abused animals, this picture of blistered woman evokes sympathy and even guilt as it allows the readers to reflect on human’s poor choice of actions.

            Overall, this dark and cruel piece is shocking to many, and the guilty feeling is what makes this text effective in raising awareness of violence that takes place in animal testing and in persuading women to avoid buying animal tested products.

TOW #4- "The Soloist" (Part 1)

          Portraying a complex nature of friendship, Steve Lopez recalls back to the time when he became friends with Nathaniel Ayers, despite their differences. When Lopez first met Nathaniel, he worked for the Los Angeles Times and was thirsty for story for his column. He was lucky enough to encounter Nathaniel, a homeless man playing an old, destroyed violin on Skid Row. Ayers at the time had more than just the ability to make music. He had a story. A story that eventually gave heart aches to thousands. Determined to find out what caused the talented man to live on the streets, Lopez decided to become friends with Nathaniel to find out his story. Discovering that Ayers used to be an ambitious, charming classical bass student at Juilliard that dropped out due to his mental disorder, Lopez believed that his story was perfect for a successful column. When his column was published, Lopez was attacked with companies sending him new instruments for Nathaniel to play. With an audience who wished for Nathaniel’s success as a musician, Lopez realized that he had the power to change Nathaniel’s life and decided to look for ways to help him. However, Lopez continuously faced crushing disappointment whenever he tried to convince Ayers to be treated at a hospital. In order to spread the awareness of mental disabilities, Lopez reveals his emotion in his memoir, The Soloist.

            By revealing his anger towards uncured mental disabilities that he witnesses during his journey with Nathaniel, Lopez evokes the feelings of readers to make them realize the importance of knowing about mental disabilities. For example, Lopez recalls back to when his aunt and uncle committed suicide and how he later noticed that he and his family didn’t recognize them as being “mentally sick” but as “depressed”. He shows remorse when he realizes that depression is a treatable medical condition and makes sure that the readers are aware of his realization. He also mentions the “unsolicited comment” made by Tom Cruise and criticizes his stereotypes about mental illness. By stating Cruise’s comment that said mental illness was caused by “chemical imbalance and lack of vitamins” (Lopez, 82), Lopez mocks Cruise saying that he would” like to give Cruise a tour of Skid Row and see if he thinks a vitamin deficiency explains the mad scene there” (Lopez, 83). By including his strong emotions towards mental illness, Lopez successfully calls attention to the awareness of the mentally ill and how it can be cured with help. He tells the readers of all age to stop being bystanders to mental illness and to make changes by educating others and by taking actions. Through his use of pathos, Lopez is successful in portraying his purpose.