TOW #13 - A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte

In 1884, artist Georges Seurat depicted a picture of people lounging at a suburban park on a Sunday Afternoon. This famous work of art has since been recognized as one of the first works of "pointillism". In these paintings, artists apply small dots of color to form an image. Seurat used the technique of "optimal mixture", to show the thoughtfulness of a Sunday after noon. Specifically, he illustrates the differences in class in Paris at the end of the 19th century.

By putting many colors together, Seurat is able to show how the many colors in this scene are a reflection of the differences between the lower class and upper class lounging. For example, the man with the pipe is much lighter than the couple next to him. What seems to be the couple's pet dog is also very dark compared two nearby wild animals. Seurat's use of contrasting colors illustrates the drastic differences in society at this time. He also draws a shadow by using darker shades against lighter shades. This is significant in that it shows how the light and dark are not so far apart from each other, suggesting that these lines may be coming closer together over time.

Seurat is persuasive in his argument that the barriers between the upper class and working class are becoming less prominent. The setting of “La Grande Jette” was known to be a place where both the rich and poor spent their Sunday afternoon, making it crucial for Seurat’s purpose to be demonstrated. Seurat as an artist is able to communicate a deeper message through his use of color and light. His style of painting was widely controversial for his time; maybe the same way his views on society may have been. This painting deserves its popularity, as it exemplifies a universal theme of differences in class.

TOW #12 - How Not To Die (IRB)

      Is the standard American diet also standard for disease? Can eating the right foods and avoiding certain foods better, or even reverse, your health? Apparently so, as evident by Dr. Michael Gregor's "How Not To Die". Founder of nutritionfacts.org, Gregor writes this book on how to prevent the 15 most common causes of deaths through simple adjustments in one's everyday life.

      The structure of Gregor's book aids its purpose. Each chapter is titled "How to Not Die from ..." with the chapters given disease. So far, Gregor seems to order his chapters as follows: a personal anecdote on patients he has seen with this disease, statistics and facts on the popularity of this disease, a list of what foods prevent this disease, a list of what foods to avoid. The anecdote gives Gregor both credibility, as he has seen wide variety of patients as a doctor and has healed so many through his practice, and emotional appeal, as we can tell through the way he describes his patients that he really cares for their well-being and firmly believes that his take on modern medicine will help. The facts also work in tandem to show the seriousness of taking Gregor’s suggested precautions.

      Gregor is very persuasive at his argument. At a time where we put so much reliance on drugs and treatments to heal us, it’s hard to believe that such easy fixes to what we eat in a day can cause such significant outcomes. In his chapter on kidney disease, he quotes a famous retired athlete saying, “life is so much better without those medications – they made me feel so tired all the time” (164). Clearly, Gregor is not fibbing us when he says that the choices we make every day on deciding what to eat will affect us later – thus, we should look down the road 20 years from now and take control of our lives today!

TOW #11 - Thomas Paine's "The American Crisis" Chapter 1

In 1776, the United States was faced with a question that divided its citizens: Are you for the revolution or against? The people for the revolution were called the patriots; against, loyalists. As a colonist, the decision as to whether one is a patriot or loyalist was difficult, especially if you were not educated enough to comprehend the high level pamphlets of the scholars and politicians. Recognizing this, Thomas Paine published "The American Crisis" in which he addresses the common man to support the revolt against the British.

Thomas Paine was knowledgeable in the rhetoric. Understanding that much of his audience were devout Christians, he appeals to the religion of his audience. He speaks of "the devotion of a Christian" and "that God may bless you" if you should "show your faith by your works" (page 4). This effects his audience on an intimate level by giving them a call of action not only to fight not only for their country but God himself. Paine also builds an argument by describing the previous attacks and events by General Howe and General Washington (page 2). Since these pamphlets are for the "common man" to read, it is crucial for this explanation to be easily comprehensive. If Paine would have addressed these events without explanation, confusion and lack of interest would occur.

Paine delivery and tone adds to the persuasiveness of the article. Addressing his subjects as “we” gives a sense of unity between the politicians and colonists. It helps to demonstrate that the U.S. is fighting for a common cause: independence. Paine uses a mix of minimal, short sentences and extremely long sentences to show both urgency and complexity to the situation. Lastly, he uses repetition of the word “tis” frequently to begin his sentences, gaining the attention of the reader. Moreover, it is obvious why Thomas Paine’s pamphlets have such a reputation and perhaps why the patriots won: the beauty of the rhetoric!

TOW #10 - A 21st Century Modest Proposal

After our discussion of Jonathon Swift's "A Modest Proposal", for my TOW #10, I read a 21st Century imitation of this essay. In "A 21st Century Modest Proposal", Samuel Faktorow comments on the topic of Same-sex marriage by proposing reasons why the U.S. government should legalize marriages between all genders. Samuel Faktorow is a graduate of Colorado College with a degree in English and Drama. This article was published on November 18^th, 2014, less than a year before the Supreme Court legalized the issue. 

Faktorow uses parody as an element of satire in order to prove that same-sex marriage should be legalized. He mimics Jonathon Swift's essay for similar effects of that of Swift's. Swift's writing, already satirically structured, writes a comprehensive lists composed of six reasons why the Irish population should eat children. In Faktorow's proposal, he explains the different reasons why same-sex marriage would be beneficial for our country. This helps solidify and simplify the points Faktorow is making for his readers. Specifically, it breaks down the issue in a way that seems that this is the most obvious and productive solution. Like Swift, Faktorow is trying to prove to the government how they need to get a hold of themselves and face the elephant in the room. Unlike Swift, Faktorow is more direct (and more practical) with his suggestions to change the policies.

This essay is effective in proving its purpose. I especially like how he concluded his essay with a person touch. He states “Though I do have some personal interest in this matter, being a homosexual male, I confess that I have no desire to ever get married to anyone, so whether or not people choose to accept my proposal is of rather low importance to me” (Faktorow). To me, this appeals to my emotional connection to the author, as now I understand he has experienced this oppression first hand (This also establishes credibility). Overall, “A 21^st Century Modest Proposal” would impress Mr. Swift if he were around today.

TOW #9 - Harambe, A Dead Gorilla, Got Over 15,000 Votes For President Of The Uniteds States

http://www.snopes.com/harambe-15000-votes/

After this Wednesday's election, all of America seems to be in a debacle on just how the polls were so inaccurate. One possibility proposed was that of people voting for third parties. Well, after reading this article, it is probable that third parties weren't the only things that kept U.S. citizens from voting for Trump or Clinton. In fact, the write-in ballot may have caused such faultiness.

This article was written by Dan Evon, editor and chief and co-founder of Social News Daily. Dan's article receives him more than 2.5 million internet views per month. Dan wrote this article to explain how it is uncertain that 15,000 is an accurate number of how many people who actually voted for Harambe in the past election, but we can make a ball-park estimation that it's somewhere around there.

The author establishes his purpose quoting others' tweets and blogs. He quotes David Leavitt, as well as Men's Humor. By doing this, Evon gives way to explaining how people could have received untruthful information from the media. People and companies with big following may have heard of these numbers officially, or they could have easily made them up. It is hard to say with such little information from any direct sources. Dan is able to explain to his readers how things could get misinterpretated by reviewing the events of Tuesday night.

Dan is able to show the ridiculousness of this situation while relieving the hostility of many democrats. He does this by appealing to logic and explaining why this alleged incident could be false. It is reassuring to hear that America did not waste as many votes on this as I heard rumored. I condemn Evon on posting an article that articulates what REALLY happened and understand why he has such ethos via the internet.

TOW #8 - A Fisherman And His Beautiful First Mate, On The Run In 'Girl From Venice'

http://www.npr.org/2016/10/19/497840054/a-fisherman-and-his-beautiful-first-mate-on-the-run-in-girl-from-venice

I read a book review by Bethanne Patrick for my TOW this week. Patrick has a vast resume, which includes her own television show on PBS, "The Book Studio", a master degree in English from the University of Virginia and 3 published books. Interestingly enough, Patrick also is the founder of the hashtag on Twitter, "#FridayReads". In this review, she talks about Martin Cruz Smith's latest book, 'Girl From Venice', a fiction piece that take place during the Nazi-Germany time. Her purpose is to critique it and give readers a brief overview of what the book is about. She seems to be giving the book a positive recommendation, endorsing and praising Cruz Smith’s writing through her own writing.

Patrick uses specific diction to help her incorporate her purpose. She comments, "Suspense, romance, spying, action — this novel has a little bit of everything, and it works". Through her use of Asyndeton, Patrick is able to list the things she felt important to the novels. The fact that there are multiple descriptions that contrast from each other shows that "Girl from Venice" has a lot in store for a large audience. By opening her sentence with this, it also gives suspense and excitement to what the book entails. This is strategic of her, as by conveying that "Girl from Venice" caters to a variety of different people, she is able to better persuade her audience to consider reading the novel.

Bethanne Patrick is sufficient at proving her purpose. She explores the books different characters, important events and genre, all whilst not giving away any spoilers. It is obvious she enjoyed reading the novel and this is inflected in her tone. Overall, she does well at persuading her audience to read the novel.

TOW #8 - A Fisherman And His Beautiful First Mate, On The Run In 'Girl From Venice'

http://www.npr.org/2016/10/19/497840054/a-fisherman-and-his-beautiful-first-mate-on-the-run-in-girl-from-venice

I read a book review by Bethanne Patrick for my TOW this week. Patrick has a vast resume, which includes her own television show on PBS, "The Book Studio", a master degree in English from the University of Virginia and 3 published books. Interestingly enough, Patrick also is the founder of the hashtag on Twitter, "#FridayReads". In this review, she talks about Martin Cruz Smith's latest book, 'Girl From Venice', a fiction piece that take place during the Nazi-Germany time. Her purpose is to critique it and give readers a brief overview of what the book is about. She seems to be giving the book a positive recommendation, endorsing and praising Cruz Smith’s writing through her own writing.

Patrick uses specific diction to help her incorporate her purpose. She comments, "Suspense, romance, spying, action — this novel has a little bit of everything, and it works". Through her use of Asyndeton, Patrick is able to list the things she felt important to the novels. The fact that there are multiple descriptions that contrast from each other shows that "Girl from Venice" has a lot in store for a large audience. By opening her sentence with this, it also gives suspense and excitement to what the book entails. This is strategic of her, as by conveying that "Girl from Venice" caters to a variety of different people, she is able to better persuade her audience to consider reading the novel.

Bethanne Patrick is sufficient at proving her purpose. She explores the books different characters, important events and genre, all whilst not giving away any spoilers. It is obvious she enjoyed reading the novel and this is inflected in her tone. Overall, she does well at persuading her audience to read the novel.

TOW #7 - H.I.V. Arrived in the U.S. Long Before 'Patient Zero'

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/27/health/hiv-patient-zero-genetic-analysis.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fhealth&action=click&contentCollection=health&region=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront&_r=0

I read an article from the New York Times entitled "H.I.V. Arrived in the U.S. Long Before 'Patient Zero'". In this article, the arrival of the Aids epidemic in the United States is explored, and the original hypothesis of how it spread is proven wrong. Donald McNeil Jr., science and health journalist of the New York Times, wrote this. In 1975, he graduated summa cum laude from University of California, Berkeley (with a bachelor's degree in rhetoric!). McNeil is a critically acclaimed expert on this subject, being featured in the documentary Fire In The Blood, which focused on AIDS and drug use.

One thing the author does to achieve his purpose is giving background information. He defines the alleged 'Patient Zero': Gaetan Dugas, a French-Canadian flight attendant who was blamed for bring HIV from Haiti and Africa over to the U.S. This is valuable information, as if readers needed clarity on the meaning of the title, it is introduced if the opening statements of the article. Later, he tells about how there was flaws in the earlier investigations, as Dugas was labelled 'Patient O' for 'Outside California', NOT '0'. This is crucial to refuting the fact that Dugas was the "founder" of AIDS in the U.S. Through this, we are able to have an enhanced awareness of why the recent discovers described are so groundbreaking.

I think McNeil achieved his purpose. He cites credibly sources (scientists, doctors, historians), whose researches are recent and up to date. In this way, we are able to understand the fundamental facts behind the recent discoveries of how AIDS infected up to 500,000 Americans. He emphasizes numbers and years as a way to put things into perspectives for the readers, helping them to better understand the complex ideas in the article. Overall, McNeil’s use of the rhetoric was effective.

TOW #6 - Outliers: the Story of Success (IRB)

Recently, I finished my IRB, Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. I enjoyed it! This book, labelled as a "Psychology Non-fiction piece", was written for the purpose of analyzing various situation in which people defied lines of becoming accomplished. Most of Gladwell’s books are academic works, often focusing on areas of sociology and psychology. Outliers was published on November 18^th, 2008, and is deemed one of Gladwell’s better works.

One rhetorical device that was quite evident throughout the book is Gladwell's allusions to previous ideas. Each chapter discusses a different study that explores the examples of "outliers" seen in society. Gladwell aligns previously mentioned studies to demonstrate how there are common patterns at which guarantee success. For example, one study that showed up frequently was that of the proof kids born into privileged households are better advocates for themselves as compared to lower-classed children. He referenced the two children who were part of this study by name in order to make a more lasting and memorable idea. By referring to this study multiple times, and by strategically placing this chapter before ones that could be connected back to it, Gladwell better enforces his argument onto his audience.

I think that Malcolm Gladwell makes an effective and consistent argument in Outliers. I especially thought his concluding chapter, in which he uses the anecdote of his mother’s journey to the United States, was a good tie in of all the things he discussed. From the surface, if you just observe the facts, Gladwell’s mother may seem to be a complete outlier to the system; she is an immigrant from a poor part of Taiwan, whose parents had no money to send both her and her twin sister to university. But, as Gladwell refuted, these were not the only factors that took a role in Joyce Gladwell’s success story. I would recommend this book to any of my peers who are looking for an intellectually stimulating, quick read!

TOW #5 - The 21st Century Playgraund

This cartoon is by Mike Keefe, an American political cartoonist whose most credited work has been published in The Denver Post. In 2011, Keefe won the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning. He was educated at University of Missouri-Kansas City and Stanford University. I found his cartoons on the AAEC, or the Association of American Editorial Cartoonist

In this cartoon, the issue of Internet use at a young age is depicted. Keefe displays the harming effects of Mobile devices via dialogue. There is one kid that 'texts' another, "Yo, Dude, Waddup widat round thing next to your foot?". He is referring to the soccer drawn next to him. Keefe illustrates a confused child looking at the ball in awe in response to the text. The kid obviously was too busy looking at his phone to even release it was there. This demonstrates the carelessness and distraction brought on by phones. Further, the fact that he thinks "?" shows that he is unfamiliar with the object. A soccer ball, a symbol of the American childhood for athleticism and playfulness, is being identified as foreign, showing the loss of activeness and childlike enthusiasm brought on by technology.

The 21st Century Playground is adamant at displaying its purpose. Keefe wants to show that as technology begins to effect younger and younger age groups, soon children will no longer pursue regular "kid-friendly" activities. In my opinion, the audience this is most relevant to is parents of Elementary-aged kids. Keefe wants us to recognize that mobile devices are more than just a piece of equipment; they offer a different world of social media inside of them. If I were a parent, I would take the warning of this image and not allow my child to be consumed by this world at such a young age. It is scary to imagine that kids these days are more interested by screens than they are of games and physical interactions with other kids.

TOW #4 - How To Recover After a Half Marathon

I choose an article from a running blog for my TOW this week. Although I came across this own Pinterest, I found it suitable for this assignment. The blogger, Laura, is a distance runner and RRCA certified running coach. She has run numerous 10Ks and half marathons, as well as the Portland Marathon. Her half marathon PR is 1:38:40. She wrote this article to explain her remedies and recovery tips after completing a half marathon. Her audience seems to be anyone who has just trained for the half marathon themselves, catering to rookies like me who are not aware of ways to have sufficient recovery.

One rhetorical device she uses to achieve her purpose is showing a sample recovery schedule. It is common for runner blogs to share their personal schedules when giving out tips and ideas. In giving a general guideline as to what activities can be done on a given day, Laura aids the reader’s comprehension as to what recovery looks like. She also is able to show the gradualness of the recovery process by showing a span of days. Her central argument of showing that the recovery period is essential for your muscles and should be taken seriously is supported by this general plan. It also gives her a sense of credibility, as she has been through this process enough times to have an outline of what this stage looks like to her.

I think that Laura achieves her purpose well. She earns automatic ethos when you see that she is a certified running coach, so the facts she gives on muscle injury are reliable and give a cautionary tone to her work. I also appreciate her anecdotes about her own recovery experiences and feelings (another device at which she gains integrity). I will keep this article in mind when I finish the half marathon in 2017.

http://www.thisrunnersrecipes.com/how-to-recover-after-a-half-marathon/

TOW #3 - Celebrity Apprentice Political Cartoon

For my visual text, I choose this political cartoon by Nate Beeler. Beeler is an award winning editorial cartoonist who earned his reputation for his works in the Washington Examiner. He received his journalism degree at American University (a school in which I am interested in). This image was published in the Columbus Dispatch in November of 2015, so this text was intended for an audience of adults voting in the upcoming election. The purpose of this text is to spread awareness to Beeler’s audience of the dangers having Donald Trump as the next president will bring. The cartoon depicts our Republican Candidate for the 2016 election, Donald Trump, on the left, and Nazi-Germany's dictator, Adolf Hitler, on the right.

This cartoon is a parody on Donald Trump's show, Celebrity Apprentice. Apprentice was a reality T.V. show that gave celebrities the ability to pitch their ideas to a board of well-known businessmen. In this image, Hitler is in Trump's role of the show, using his classic line "You're Hired". In addition, Trump appears to be "Hailing", an action Hitler is predominately known for. By reversing characteristics of both subjects, the artist illustrates the similarities that Hitler and Donald Trump share. By drawing parallels between the two, this supports the authors purpose. Obviously, Hitler is arguably among one of the most infamous political leaders, so having a president who shares similar views as him would not be ideal for the future of the United States.

I think this cartoon is persuasive in showing Beeler's purpose. I have heard of many people comparing Trump's beliefs to that of Hitler's. This cartoon makes that juxtaposition more evident to me. What's frightening to me is that this image was published about a year ago, yet Trump remains in the election. 

TOW #2 - Women and Honor: Some Notes on Lying

My second TOW is from The Best American Essays of the Century. I read the essay "Women and Honor: Some Notes on Lying" by Adrienne Rich. Rich has been credited "one of the most widely read and influential poets of the second half of the 20th century". Her essay shows just this. As a lesbian and feminist at a time where women's rights were tested, Rich writes about the effects oppression on women have on our relationships, both men to women and women to women. She logically explains why when women grow trusts in others, they are often let down and feel out of sorts when this trust is broken.
One way Rich persuades her audience of women to take an interest in her ideas is by repetition. In explaining the process of forming an "honorable" relationship, Rich says,"It is important to do this because it breaks down human self-delusion. It is important to do this because in so doing we do justice to our own complexity. It is important to do this because we can count on so few people to go that hard way with us" (414). By repeating the opening line for each of these statements, the readers are more alert to what proceeds after. Rich uses repetition to isolate significant points and gain the readers attention to her issue at hand. In doing this, the authors purpose becomes more valid: to prove that women lie out of habit as a cause of our patriarchal society.
I thought this essay was very persuasive and mind-opening. Rich's purpose serves universally. Although this piece was written in 1977, I was able to still find truth in her words about women's position in society today. As a female in a place where men typically have the power, it is empowering to me to take from Rich's example and to identify myself as more than just a stereotype.

TOW #1 - "Outliers: The Story of Success"

This week I read a large portion of my IRB, Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. Outliers was Gladwell's third published book (after Tipping Point and Blink) and is considered by many his best work. Similar to his other novels, this book is classified under the genre of "Sociology-Non Fiction". Gladwell’s writing’s focus particularly in areas of sociology and psychology, topics used in his column in The New Yorker as well. The premise of Outliers is how every person who is a "success" earns this by a commonly seen factor. Contrary to the title, Gladwell tries to persuade his audience through numerous studies how there are no true "outliers" to this circumstance.

His audience, the average member of society who has a preconceived notion on how to be successful, is presented this fact in forms of different rhetorical device. Logos is an example of which used by Gladwell. By having distinctive statistics to back his purpose up, Gladwell makes a more reliable testimony. For instance, he cites a study done by Anders Ericsson, a Swedish professor of psychology, who found established the '10,000 hour' rule. In this theory, it is proven that if one practices something for the duration of 10,000 hours, they will achieve expertise on this activity. Two prime cases of this theme are Bill Gates and the Beetles. Both are validation that after 10,000 hours of performing a skill, for Gates, computer programing and for the Beetles, rehearsing, one can master it. By using two highly well-known and appreciated 'successes', Gladwell effects his audience in having more confidence in his teachings. This is because the audience can better visualize these individual’s achievements and therefore, can better understand the time one must allot to be on that level of success.

As mentioned before, Gladwell’s purpose in writing this text is to argue against the spectacle that outliers exist when it comes to success. So far, I think the author has done well with this, although I cannot say if he completely accomplished his purpose yet. He has not mentioned any counter ideas that are too far outside of the box of how someone achieved success. In other words, I am curious to see if Gladwell will mention a bigger ‘phenomenon’ of success and be able to refute this.

IRB #1 Intro Post

For our first IRB, I am reading Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. I was having trouble deciding on a book, so Ms. Pronko recommended a few titles previous students have enjoyed. Gladwell's style of writting is very different from what I would usually read, but I have always been interested in psychology, so hopefully this book will enhance that interest. I also think it is important for me to expand my horizon, especially in the beginning of the year.

A Hundred Thousand Straightened Nails by Donald Hall

Mount Washington, New Hampshire. Source: http://www.nhbfa.com

A Hundred Thousand Straightened Nails by Donald Hall (Page 252) is a description of the life of the author’s uncle, Washington Woodward. Throughout the story, Hall reflects on the insignificance of Washington’s existence, often connecting this idea with the setting, New Hampshire. Donald Hall, a graduate of Phillips Exeter Academy, Harvard and Oxford, is a respected writer and literary critic. Known primarily for his poems, he has received numerous awards, including most recently the National Medal of Arts in 2010, presented to him by President Barack Obama.

The author’s purpose in writing this essay is to show that most people live pointless lives that have little impact on the world. He demonstrates through Washington that although his uncle had little principles or close relationships, his “hermit” lifestyle was satisfying to himself, which, at the end of the day, is all that matters. Hall’s intended audience seems to be people who have high expectations for the repercussions of their lives.

Setting affects the mood of Hall’s essay. He describes his ancestor’s legacy in terms of “the decay of New Hampshire” (252) and “the disease that afflicted New Hampshire” (253). The way Hall sets up the atmosphere of New Hampshire gives an overall “gloomy” or “melancholy” mood to his story. This aids the reader’s comprehension of his purpose, as commenting on a setting negatively creates a dull outlook on life in general. I found that Hall accomplished his purpose. As he goes continues to recall Washington Woodward’s life, it becomes more apparent to the readers that his isolated and bizarre way of living was fulfilling for Woodward, a fact that should be admired. Shown by his uncle’s life, Hall is able to communicate that living to be remembered is less of an accomplishment than living to be happy.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou Speaking at President Bill Clinton's inauguration. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQQThtav41o

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou narrates a period of time in Angelou’s early childhood. This essay highlights the reality of an African American child in a time of segregation as well as Angelou’s relationships and feeling towards her family members while growing up. Mary Angelou was a civil rights activist whose writings focus primarily on racism. She worked with both Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcom X and recited her poem, On the Pulse of the Morning, at President Bill Clinton’s inauguration.

This passage is an excerpt from the opening sections of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Angelou’s first autobiography. In this piece, Angelou tells her readers of how events in her life changed her perspective on being a minority. This essay was written for people who feel silenced from a superior race, gender or other factors. By watching her relatives respond to oppression, Angelou is able to conceive that if one does not let their persecutor get to them, they are better off.

One important rhetorical device used by Angelou is her anecdotes. Examples of her fond memories with family members provide evidence that though racism was dealt with on a daily basis, they were still able to relish life. In one particular story, Angelou’s mother gets humiliated by a group of young white girls in their family store. Rather than showing the girls her vulnerability, her mother chooses to ignore them, singing as she continues to clean the store. Singing is seems to be a metaphor (that appears a number of times in the passage) for happiness and celebration, another rhetorical device used by Angelou. This further proves that through oppression, liberation can be found. Angelou accomplishes her purpose in this way, as she uses real life experience to inspire her readers through hardships.

Aria: A Memoir of a Bilingual Children by Richard Rodriguez

Do you think bilingual education is a good idea? Source: Children of Immigration http://pages.vassar.edu/children-of-immigration/education/bilingual-education/