Sunday, November 24, 2013

TOW#10: "Chinese families still at mercy of officials despite announced easing of one-child policy"(Article) by Simon Denyer

When Will It End?

A woman named Lois, who lives in China, was excited to hear the news about how China was going to ease the "one child only" policy. So she decided to have another child. Little did she know, the policy was not actually at ease yet. If a child was born on a date before the policy was eased, it would be an illegal child and the parents could end up with a $50,000 fine.

Simon Denyer is credible because his profession is to write for foreign affairs in South Asia. He also uses statistics and quotes an actual person who has a dilemma dealing with this situation. He uses statistics by saying, "But China’s overall population level will not be affected much and will still peak below 1.5 billion in about 20 years, from about 1.3 billion now, officials said." (Denyer). This was used to theorize that even if the "one child policy" were at ease, the population wouldn't increase as dramatically as the Chinese government believes it would.

Denyer wrote this to show that this policy is still going on today and it has an impact on many people. As hard it as it may be to believe, many families are having a really hard time dealing with just having one child. Denyer is also trying to show that the fine for having another child is ridiculous. It is crazy to pay $50,000 just for having one extra child. But this also shows how serious the government is taking the policy. 

There was no specific intended audience. The article was to show the entire world the small things that are making life as difficult as they shouldn't. This article could also be used to cry out for help or notice so other countries may help get rid of this policy for good.

Denyer appeals to pathos because of his usage of quoting an actual "victim" of the situation. By quoting an actual person, it allows the audience to feel bad for the mother who is afraid to have another child because of the government's extreme consequences. 

Denyer was able to accomplish his purpose. He was able to use reliable statistics, first person accounts, and emotional attachments in order to show that the "one child policy" in China is ridiculous and it should be eased as soon as possible. 

("Simon Denyer/The Washington Post - Zhang Yufei, 42, left, his son Zhang Enlang, 13 months, his mother-in-law Li Zhihong and his wife Ma Yanyan, 30, pose for a photograph in their family home in Beijing, China on Nov. 20, 2013. After a relaxation in China's one-child policy, Zhang and his wife want a second child, but only after Beijing's heavily polluted air improves." (The Washington Post))

Sunday, November 17, 2013

IRB Intro: "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls

This book is about a girl named Jeannette Walls who had unconditional love for her family despite its ups and downs. I chose this book because many people have recommended it to me. Every single person who has read this book, as far as I know, loves it. So I decided to give it a shot as well.

I am looking forward to seeing life in another person's point of view. I've never had any major struggles in my life, compared to Jeannette Walls, so it will be interesting to be in another person's shoes, imagining what they saw, feeling what they felt. 

What I hope to gain from this book is another viewpoint of life. I feel that I am unaware of real hardships and struggles. So by reading this book, I feel that I will be able to read another person's life and see how they struggled and fought through it. My hopes are pretty high for this book, I can't wait!

TOW#9: "Ravaged Philippine City Ponders a Grim Road Ahead" by Andrew Jacobs (Article)

How Did This Happen?

Last Week, a typhoon hit Guiuan,Philippines. It has been said that there hasn't been this much activity since World War II. Now people are left with no homes, no food, no clothing, nothing. There were approximately 100 deaths, which may not seem like a lot, but the territory damages are massive. Everything was destroyed. "Not a single roof was left intact..."(Jacobs).

Although, Jacobs did not witness himself the actual typhoon, he quotes many people who saw it and have nothing now. He also uses many statistics like death rates. 

He manages to report the information without making it sound boring. He makes it sound like a story, especially by quoting of people. He also talks about people who are practically helpless like Ms. Bagores. She had neither insurance nor savings to begin with. How was she supposed to send her daughter to school now? 

By using people like Ms. Bagores, Jacobs appeals to pathos. He allows the audience to feel bad and want to contribute in helping them. He says, "Elenita Bagores, an unemployed teacher, put on her best face as she and her 15-year-old daughter, Rica, washed out blankets and school clothes in a pail. Behind them sat a pile of lime-green wood that had been their home" (Jacobs). He makes them appear pitiful, hopeless, and lifeless.

This typhoon was indeed one of largest catastrophes in many years. That is why this situation, in general, is so significant. By writing this article, Jacob is able to show how catastrophic this event truly was and the immense amount of damages that are left behind. 

Although the typhoon has occurred in the Philippines, Jacobs wants to share the situation with the entire world so that they can help people there. Doctors are needed, and supplies,like food and clothing, are needed. Right now the Philippines has nothing. They need all the help that they can get. And by getting this message through the world, Jacobs is able to convince outside countries to help them. 

Andrew Jacobs didn't just re-tell a happening; he told a story. But it wasn't a "once upon a time" type of story. It was a real story and it is still happening today. By using pathos and statistics, Jacobs is able to show the audience that the people in the Philippines are practically ruined and they need help. 

"A family in Guiuan outside a makeshift shelter they constructed after their home was destroyed.  The town bore the full brunt of Typhoon Haiyan." (Bryan Denton for The New York Times)
            

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

TOW#8: "A Stolen Life" By Jaycee Lee Dugard (IRB)

Who Knew?

At the end of "A Stolen Life", Jaycee Lee Dugard describes her freedom after 18 years of captivity. Oddly enough, it was her kidnapper, Phillip, who admitted that he kidnapped her. One day, his parol officer calls him down to the station and Dugard happens to be with him. The officer asks Jaycee what her name was. She had not said her name in 18 years. Finally, she writes her name down on paper instead. The parol officer did not recognize the name until Philip admitted that she was the girl that he had kidnapped. In that moment, Dugard was free.

How did Dugard write about such a story? Wasn't she afraid? She felt that she was protecting him if she had not told people her story. Throughout this horrifying journey, she remained sane. She said that if she got angry, then Philip would have won. Dugard is one of very few people who survive kidnapping and assault. This allows her to appeal to ethos because it shows that she is a very bold woman. No one can make any comments contradicting what she has to say because she lived through it. People do not know what she truly felt despite her detailed descriptions throughout her book.

Dugard wanted to show other that if she could survive something as horrible as that, then other people should be able to stand up to pretty much, everything. She is reaching out to people who are scared and intimidated of speaking out. She is also trying to show other people who may misunderstand what really happens when someone is kidnapped. People are deceived by hollywood movies because the kidnapping that occurs there isn't AS bad as what people are used to hearing. Now after hearing a real, tragic story, people see a new side of the idea of kidnapping.

Dugard appeals to pathos throughout the entire memoir. Since the story is in first person, readers can understand her feelings throughout the journey. She talks about how she is always lonely, which allows people to pity her. The fact that she was such a little girl when she was kidnapped makes people feel awful for her and saddened by her situation.

Dugard most definitely achieved her purpose. She appealed to ethos, pathos, and logos. Her purpose was to show a real story of a kidnapped person. By using all these strategies, Dugard was able to achieve her purpose.

( http://news.lalate.com/category/jaycee-lee-dugard/)
Jaycee Lee Dugard-Now