TOW #25- The Cover Of Ender's Game

Goals:

·      Pick something I am interested in

·      Make sure to tie it back to the original thesis

            Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card has become known as one of the best science fiction novels of its time, become a best seller, and become translated into a movie. However, in order to acquire all of those accolades, the novel first had to bring in a variety of readers and generate revenue.  Card’s original cover utilizes contrasting colors and names of awards won in order to attract its readers.

            When one walks into a bookstore and searches through the shelves, the first thing one sees are the covers of all of the novels. By illustrating the cover to have contrasting colors, Ender’s Game is able to appear bold and stand out on a bookshelf. When it came out in 1985, the graphics of the cover would have been considered impressive and aesthetically pleasing. Thus, in comparison to all the other books that would have been shelved in that time period, the contrasting colors would have made it more prominent and thus attractive to readers.

            By adding the numerous awards that Ender’s Game received on the cover, Card is able to attract readers by illustrating that Ender’s Game is in fact a quality book. For example by adding that Card is a “New York Times Bestselling Author”, the book is able to appeal to readers who want to read something with literary value or just want to read a book written by a popular author. Thus, by including the diverse awards that both he and Ender’s Game have earned, Card is able to attract more people to read his book.

            Even though many say never to judge a book by its cover, that can often is exactly what common people do. Thus, in order to have a successful book, it is often necessary to also have a successful cover. Card accomplishes that on the cover of his book Ender’s Game by using contrasting colors to make his cover stand out, and by naming awards to attract literary interest. It is through these strategies that Card is ultimately able to attract his readers, and ultimately have a successful book.

           

            

IRB Intro Post #4- The Other Wes Moore

The book I am going to read this last marking period is The Other Wes Moore. The book details the lives of two boys with extremely similar backgrounds. However, one grew up to become successful while the other is serving a life sentence in prison for murder. The book, written by the more successful Wes Moore, attempts to discover why boys with such similar backgrounds came to know such different fates. I chose this book due to a recommendation from Mrs. Smith and due to interest in the topic itself. From this book, I hope to gain insight into why different people meet certain fates while reading a unique genre of both an autobiography and biography molded into one.

TOW #24- Lost Girls by Robert Kolker part 2

Goals:

 -Properly analyze the effect of strategies

-       Don’t over-explain

-       One sentence conclusion

            In a case that is left unsolved, families search for answers, and the community comes up with their own conspiracies to provide answers for a mystery. The book Lost Girls by Robert Kolker, a man who frequently writes on criminal justice issues, shows an example of an American Murder Mystery in which all of the above are true. The story cannot truly have an ending, as the mystery behind the story has not been solved, or concluded. In order to illustrate the lack of a conclusion to the mystery as he concludes his book, Kolker utilizes a timeline and map and almost allows his audience to draw their own conclusions.

            Immediately after the story itself concludes, Kolker implements a map in order to draw a full picture of all major sites of evidence and suspects. In this way, Kolker allows his readers a full visual through which the audience can see the case.  In criminal cases, the location of crimes can be used as evidence in and of themselves. Therefore, by placing a map at the end of the book, Kolker allows readers to use the map to draw their own conclusions as to what makes sense, and to see the crime as a whole. By including this map, and drawing the audience in to observe it, Kolker successfully is able to create a feeling of uncertainty that is still present in the case.

            Following the map, Kolker choses to include a timeline of all major events and thus display all known evidence. This timeline all leads to the “ending” in which Peter Hackett, a suspect, is the recipient of a wrongful death lawsuit. However, this timeline does not show the results of this lawsuit, and thus illustrates the inconclusiveness of the case. It is clear that despite this lawsuit, this case remains unsolved. By showing all events to his readers in a single timeline, Kolker is able to provide a final conclusion to his book, which accurately displays the feeling of the case: inconclusive.

            Robert Kolker was, through his book, able to successfully implement a map and a timeline in order to conclude his book in such a way that suited an unsolved case, while also allowing his audience to draw their own conclusions.

            

TOW #23- The Whistle By Benjamin Franklin

Goals:

1.     Find an essay that has a purpose that isn’t obvious

2.     Be able to find the purpose of that essay

3.     Don’t over-analyze anything

            Benjamin Franklin is one of the most well renowned men in American History, known all over the country for his astounding accomplishments. In a letter to Madame Brillon, Franklin tries to give some of his wisdom to a woman, who he is presumably acquainted to. With the use of a personal anecdote and a combination of hypothetical and real situations, Franklin attempts to caution his friend not to value something too highly, and pay an unnecessary high price to get it.

            Franklin implements a personal anecdote in order to enlighten his friend on a time that he personally “paid too much for his whistle”. Franklin describes a time in which he bargained for a whistle, an object in which he found much joy at the time. As he blew it around the house and bothered his family, Franklin describes, that, “[his] brothers… understanding the bargain [he] had made, told [him he] had given four times as much for it as it was worth.” By describing a personal situation, he is able to express to Madame Brillon the negative connotation implied by paying too much for one’s whistle and imply why doing so can be a negative action that she should not repeat.

            Following his anecdote, Franklin uses a combination of hypothetical and real situations to exemplify what “paying too much for one’s whistle” actually involves. A real example Franklin chooses to include describes a man, fond of popularity, constantly employing himself in political bustles, neglecting his own affairs, and ruining them by that neglect.” In this example, Franklin is successfully able to show what this man is overvaluing, and what that same man is consequently sacrificing. As a hypothetical example, Franklin describes a person, “fond of appearance, or fine clothes, fine houses, fine furniture, fine equipages, all above his fortune, for which he contracts debts, and ends his career in a prison.” Here, a person again overvalued one thing, and paid an unnecessary price. By showing his point through different situations, Franklin is able to make sure Brillon understands what “paying to much for a whistle” really entails, and to make sure his acquaintance heeds his caution.

            By using an anecdote and a combination of types of situations, Franklin is successfully caution his friend not to value something too highly, and pay an unnecessary high price to get it, and be sure that she indeed takes his advice.

Benjamin Franklin
Image: http://www.learning-living.com/2013/04/ben-franklin-whistle.html
Essay: http://grammar.about.com/od/60essays/a/whistlessay.htm

TOW #22- 21 Reasons Why Student Athletes Are Employees and Should Be Allowed to Unionize

On going debates revolving around college athletics have recently gone to a new level: the issue of unionizing. Marc Edelman, with the use of a list and statistics, argues that college athletes should indeed be allowed to get paid and unionize.

            Edelman utilizes a list in order to make his argument clear, concise, and logical. To the reader, whom would be an ordinary sports fan or participant, an extensive essay wouldn’t be worth sitting down to read. In an ordinarily formatted essay, one can only make so many arguments without convoluting the purpose, making the essay too long, or losing the interest of sports fans simply searching for quick information. A list effectively is able to concisely make its points in a logical manner that, in this case, effectively communicates to the audience.

            Within this list, Edelman utilizes statistics in order to make a logical argument. For example, Edelman states that, “The typical Division I college football player devotes 43.3 hours per week to his sport- 3.3 more hours than the typical American work week.” With the use of specific facts and statistics, Edelman is able to prove to his audience that logically, a college athlete should be treated as employees by their respective schools. Edelman not only implements statistics about the physical labor, but about the revenue as well.  For example, he tells his readers that, “The NCAA currently produces nearly $11 Billion in annual revenue from college sport— more than…total league revenues of both the National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League.” By using a variety of specific statistics, Edelman is able to successfully create a logical argument.

            With the use of a list and statistics, Marc Edelman is successfully able to prove his argument that college athletes should indeed be able to unionize and receive pay.