In The Omnivore's Dilemma, Michael Pollen claims that the beef industry has industrialized and wasteful, disregarding nature. One way Pollen supports his claim is through his use of facts. Pollen uses factual information about the natural diet of cattle, how a steer's digestive system is affected by corn, and the implications of feeding corn to cattle on our natural resources and health. For example, by the time one steer has matured enough to be slaughtered, it will have taken 35 gallons of oil to support the food supply for that one steer. Pollen backs up these facts with reliable sources like a veterinarian, an economist, and a USDA microbiologist. Another method Pollen uses to support his claim is his use of personal experience and observations. Pollen goes on the journey from farm to feedlot with the calf and witnesses feedlot practices personally. Since the experiences are firsthand, Pollen's claim seems more credible. A third method Pollen uses to support his claim is word choice. To introduce the feedlot, Pollen uses the term "premodern city". He goes on to describe the feedlot like a city referring to the feed mill as a "local landmark" and the gravel roads as "streets". Through this choice of words, Pollen creates an industrialized image of the feedlot. This contributes further to his claim that the beef industry has become industrialized.
The success of Pollen's argument is compromised by his bias in the excerpt. Throughout the piece, Pollen villianizes the beef industry. He brings up facts that have little to do with feeding corn to cattle, and only serve to create bias against the beef industry. One such fact is that farmers fed rendered bovine meat to steer until 1997 when it was banned by the FDA. Pollen never addresses the beef industry's point of view or the flaws in his own argument. Ultimately Pollen is unsuccessful in his claim.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Everday Writer Chapter 7
One thing I learned from chapter seven was different ways to make outlines for my essay. I found the storyboard technique especially helpful. Outlining my essay in this way would allow me to move ideas and support around without having to constantly restructure my essay. Now that I can visually see the points I want to make, creating a storyboard can help me present my essay with a logical flow of ideas. A storyboard will contribute to the organization and logic of my analytical essay.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Central Claim for Epilogue by Terry Tempest Williams
Terry Tempest Williams main claim is to stand against wrondoing even if it means questioning your family, religion and everything you've been taught.
Williams' tone in this piece is defiant and angry at the government for allowing nuclear testing to go on where people were effected and at her mormon culture for failing to do anything about it. A passage that expresses her tone is, "The price of obedience has become too high. The fear and inability to question authority that ultimately killed rural communities in Utah during atmospheric testing of atomic weapons is the same fear I saw in my mother's body. Sheep. Dead sheep. The evidence is buried."
Williams also uses metaphor in this piece. She uses the word sheep to describe the women of her culture who have died of breast cancer. Sheep has religious significance for Christians in that Jesus calls his followers sheep and he is the shepard that leads them. This describes her culture's faith and obedience toward their Savior. Williams', however, uses the term sheep in a negative way, calling them dead sheep. Sheep, the animals, have a reputation for being too trusting and stupid. They follow mindlessly anyone who leads them. Williams' uses this definition as a metaphor for her people mindlessly following the government and enduring blatant injustice. The government allowed cancerous nuclear radiation to consume the mormon communities for years without the mormon community protesting or rising up against it. Williams' is in conflict between her two defintions of sheep. One is defined as faith and a sense of duty. Another is too trusting and blind.
Williams' tone in this piece is defiant and angry at the government for allowing nuclear testing to go on where people were effected and at her mormon culture for failing to do anything about it. A passage that expresses her tone is, "The price of obedience has become too high. The fear and inability to question authority that ultimately killed rural communities in Utah during atmospheric testing of atomic weapons is the same fear I saw in my mother's body. Sheep. Dead sheep. The evidence is buried."
Williams also uses metaphor in this piece. She uses the word sheep to describe the women of her culture who have died of breast cancer. Sheep has religious significance for Christians in that Jesus calls his followers sheep and he is the shepard that leads them. This describes her culture's faith and obedience toward their Savior. Williams', however, uses the term sheep in a negative way, calling them dead sheep. Sheep, the animals, have a reputation for being too trusting and stupid. They follow mindlessly anyone who leads them. Williams' uses this definition as a metaphor for her people mindlessly following the government and enduring blatant injustice. The government allowed cancerous nuclear radiation to consume the mormon communities for years without the mormon community protesting or rising up against it. Williams' is in conflict between her two defintions of sheep. One is defined as faith and a sense of duty. Another is too trusting and blind.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Grizzly Man Questions
1. Herzog's purpose in revealing Treadwell's death early is to change the story. New questions are asked when you learn that Tim is killed by the very animals he loves so much. It almost makes his love of bears more heroic. Later in the story we learn the circumstances behind Tim's death. Tim didn't like the bear that mauled him. He was also supposed to leave the month before but didn't because there was problems with his ticket. So, after a fight with his girlfriend, they stayed. I think Herzog keeps this information until the end of the film, because it paints a more tragic picture of his death. It makes it seem like Tim wasn't supposed to die. It gives the viewer more compassion towards Tim.
2. When Herzog uses I believe, He brings his thoughts and opinions into the film. This affects his credibility because he presents the film from his own point of view and chooses material to support his own beliefs rather that presenting all evidence. Herzog enters his own film as a character because he's trying to make sense of what happened. We see in the scene where he presents the audiotape to Amy that he seems to have a personal connection to Tim's death. I think Herzog is just as confused by Tim's life as everyone else is. He's trying to reconcile Tim's passion for the bears and what Time said he was doing with what was actually taking place.
3. Herzog depicts Timothy Treadwell as a troubled, mentally unstable person. He shows clips of Tim's that no one was supposed to see. He shows footage of Tim's private thoughts. In these clips, Tim's personal demons are on display. We learn that he longs for companionship and also that he had a drinking problem until he discovered the bears. In one scene Tim is using profanity against the park rangers. He rages, swears, and says awful things about them. Then Tim turns right around and gives a pleasant conclusion to his summer with the bears. Herzog seems to say with this footage how unstable Tim really was. His friends and family depict Tim as a passionate, loving person who was very much unstable. The instability is consistent with how Herzog depicts him.
4. I think Treadwell was trying to find a purpose and escape reality. He had a life filled with highs and lows and many disappointments. I think Tim was looking for a way to escape. His life with the bears gave him a purpose. Tim ignored the reality of what he was actually doing in order to preserve this life that gave him love, and the feeling that he was helping. He says multiple times in his tapes that he feels like what he's doing is right. He also says he's the only one helping the bears when, in reality, they are protected on a reservation. He ignores the reservations rules to keep 10 feet away from the bears and camps in areas in the park for longer than allowed. We learn that these practices can habituate the bears to human presence and ultimately harm the bears. Herzog depicts Tim as accomplishing nothing but harming the bears he sought to protect. I think Herzog's purpose in making the film was to show the negative side of Tim Treadwell's life.
5. The film is arguing that there is a distinct boundary between the human world and nature. We can never truly be part of the nature because wild nature has very different rules than the human world. Only twice in the film, Tim confronts death in wild nature. One time is a bear cub that was eaten and once is a fox eaten by wolves. Tim mourns these deaths as if his own friends had died. He ignores the fact that in nature, predation is normal. Tim treats death as an isolated occurrence when it’s the rule.
6. I don't think Tim has a sentimentalized view that the universe is in harmony and balance. I think Treadwell did have a sentimentalized view of nature as a perfect world that the human world wasn't. The human world was filled with disappointment for Treadwell. He tried to make nature everything the human world wasn't for him. Herzog included the statement, "I believe the common denominator of the universe is not harmony, but chaos, hostility, and murder because from Herzog's point of view, Tim's life was filled with chaos, hostility and murder. He was killed by the animals he was most passionate about. This supports Herzog's claim that nature is wild and fundamentally different than the human world.
7. Herzog didn't release the audio of Tim and Amy's death out of respect. Instead, Herzog films Tim's old friend listening to the tape. We see the friend's face contort in pain and see her react to the audio. This is almost more shocking to the audience. We see how terrible it is on another’s face and are left to imagine exactly how horrible it is. In depicting the details of Timothy and Amy's death, Herzog risks disrespecting Timothy and Amy. Their death was gruesome and very private.
8. Timothy Treadwell's background brings more doubts into my mind about the stability of his mental state. Herzog depicts Tim's upbringing and parents as a normal All American boy. I was not surprised by his childhood, but was very surprised by his history. I was especially surprised when I learned that Tim had tried to make it in Hollywood and changed his name and identity when he lost a part. I think Herzog waited to share this so the viewer would have an open mind to Tim's work with the bears.
2. When Herzog uses I believe, He brings his thoughts and opinions into the film. This affects his credibility because he presents the film from his own point of view and chooses material to support his own beliefs rather that presenting all evidence. Herzog enters his own film as a character because he's trying to make sense of what happened. We see in the scene where he presents the audiotape to Amy that he seems to have a personal connection to Tim's death. I think Herzog is just as confused by Tim's life as everyone else is. He's trying to reconcile Tim's passion for the bears and what Time said he was doing with what was actually taking place.
3. Herzog depicts Timothy Treadwell as a troubled, mentally unstable person. He shows clips of Tim's that no one was supposed to see. He shows footage of Tim's private thoughts. In these clips, Tim's personal demons are on display. We learn that he longs for companionship and also that he had a drinking problem until he discovered the bears. In one scene Tim is using profanity against the park rangers. He rages, swears, and says awful things about them. Then Tim turns right around and gives a pleasant conclusion to his summer with the bears. Herzog seems to say with this footage how unstable Tim really was. His friends and family depict Tim as a passionate, loving person who was very much unstable. The instability is consistent with how Herzog depicts him.
4. I think Treadwell was trying to find a purpose and escape reality. He had a life filled with highs and lows and many disappointments. I think Tim was looking for a way to escape. His life with the bears gave him a purpose. Tim ignored the reality of what he was actually doing in order to preserve this life that gave him love, and the feeling that he was helping. He says multiple times in his tapes that he feels like what he's doing is right. He also says he's the only one helping the bears when, in reality, they are protected on a reservation. He ignores the reservations rules to keep 10 feet away from the bears and camps in areas in the park for longer than allowed. We learn that these practices can habituate the bears to human presence and ultimately harm the bears. Herzog depicts Tim as accomplishing nothing but harming the bears he sought to protect. I think Herzog's purpose in making the film was to show the negative side of Tim Treadwell's life.
5. The film is arguing that there is a distinct boundary between the human world and nature. We can never truly be part of the nature because wild nature has very different rules than the human world. Only twice in the film, Tim confronts death in wild nature. One time is a bear cub that was eaten and once is a fox eaten by wolves. Tim mourns these deaths as if his own friends had died. He ignores the fact that in nature, predation is normal. Tim treats death as an isolated occurrence when it’s the rule.
6. I don't think Tim has a sentimentalized view that the universe is in harmony and balance. I think Treadwell did have a sentimentalized view of nature as a perfect world that the human world wasn't. The human world was filled with disappointment for Treadwell. He tried to make nature everything the human world wasn't for him. Herzog included the statement, "I believe the common denominator of the universe is not harmony, but chaos, hostility, and murder because from Herzog's point of view, Tim's life was filled with chaos, hostility and murder. He was killed by the animals he was most passionate about. This supports Herzog's claim that nature is wild and fundamentally different than the human world.
7. Herzog didn't release the audio of Tim and Amy's death out of respect. Instead, Herzog films Tim's old friend listening to the tape. We see the friend's face contort in pain and see her react to the audio. This is almost more shocking to the audience. We see how terrible it is on another’s face and are left to imagine exactly how horrible it is. In depicting the details of Timothy and Amy's death, Herzog risks disrespecting Timothy and Amy. Their death was gruesome and very private.
8. Timothy Treadwell's background brings more doubts into my mind about the stability of his mental state. Herzog depicts Tim's upbringing and parents as a normal All American boy. I was not surprised by his childhood, but was very surprised by his history. I was especially surprised when I learned that Tim had tried to make it in Hollywood and changed his name and identity when he lost a part. I think Herzog waited to share this so the viewer would have an open mind to Tim's work with the bears.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Walden by Henry DAvid Thoreau
Henry David Thoreau has both abstract and concrete language. Thoreau's abstract language talks about living simply and meaningfully. He believes one should not just go through the motions of life and stand on the sidelines but honestly live it. An example of this language is when Thoreau talks about students. he says, “I mean that they should not play life, or study it merely, while the community supports them at this expensive game, but earnestly live it from beginning to end." Thoreau's concrete language discusses his surroundings and home at Walden Pond. Thoreau describes his house and the process of building it. He describes the nature around Walden Pond. An example of this is when he begins to build his house, Thoreau describes the surroundings. "It was a pleasant hillside where I worked, covered with pine woods, through which I looked out on the pond, and a small open field in the woods where pines and hickories were springing up." Thoreau mixes abstract and concrete language in order to paint a picture of a life lived to the fullest.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Poem
She comes downstairs with a smile dancing on her lips.
She is happier these days, more likely to laugh than yell.
His black car speeds around the curve of the driveway trailing gravel dust in its path.
Her smile grows wider.
She kisses him hello. He holds her hand.
They say goodbye to my mom and tease my sister.
He climbs back into the car, only letting go of her hand for just a minute before touching again.
Always touching.
The call comes later that night.
I tell myself it isn't true and pretend life's was normal.
Quietly coloring a picture for a person who isn't there, I deny what I know.
He's gone.
She looks at me with steely eyes and a hardened expression.
A quiver in her chin was all that betrays the hurt that mars her petite body.
The quiver overtakes her. Sobs like screaming. My mother rushes over. Hugs her, rocks her, comforts her.
Suddenly she’s a child.
Fall comes all too quickly bringing college.
My mom is busy with extra long sheets and towels. She sits, blank.
Moving day's here. Through the chaos of boxes, parents, and new freshman, a heart-shaped leaf lands in her path.
A sad smile crosses her lips.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Blood Dazzler by Patricia Smith
In Blood Dazzler Patricia Smith describes New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina through poetry. In the prologue, she describes the city itself. She personifies New Orleans as a prostitute, a woman normal, upstanding people are strangely attracted to. She describes New Orleans as seducing the average person. I think she does this so the reader will get a sense of the relationship of New Orleans to the rest of America. New Orleans is known as "The Big Easy". It's a place people flock to in order to enjoy its pleasures and escape their lives. Another reason the author establishes this relationship early on is so the reader will be fully aware of the difference in America's attitude toward New Orleans before Katrina and after.
Another element Patricia Smith weaves into the story of New Orleans and Hurricane Katrina is the contrast between the poor's experience during Katrina and the affluent’s experience. This contrast is most evident in the poem in Only Everything I Own and Inconvenient. In Only Everything I Own Smith describes someone who lives modestly. Their one room house was their grandfathers. They eat food from their own garden. Their house is the most important and most expensive thing they own. This person has no choice but to stay in New Orleans because they have nowhere else to go. At the end of the poem it says, "That blistered sky has learned my days and hates me for everything I have." This person has had to work for everything they have. They have had a hard life. In contrast, in Inconvenient Smith describes an affluent family. The first line of the poem says, "Go. What, again? What nuisance, this back and forth." It goes on to say, "Best to consider this whole mess a holiday, a simple trade one home for its vacation version." The affluent family views Katrina as a mere nuisance, an inconvenience. They have the money and resources necessary to escape. In fact, they consider Katrina a chance to vacation. They are not worried about losing everything they have or preserving their life. The biggest thing they have to worry about is missed garden parties. The affluent family is even bored. This provides a stark contrast to the poor who are concerned with losing everything they have.
Another element Patricia Smith weaves into the story of New Orleans and Hurricane Katrina is the contrast between the poor's experience during Katrina and the affluent’s experience. This contrast is most evident in the poem in Only Everything I Own and Inconvenient. In Only Everything I Own Smith describes someone who lives modestly. Their one room house was their grandfathers. They eat food from their own garden. Their house is the most important and most expensive thing they own. This person has no choice but to stay in New Orleans because they have nowhere else to go. At the end of the poem it says, "That blistered sky has learned my days and hates me for everything I have." This person has had to work for everything they have. They have had a hard life. In contrast, in Inconvenient Smith describes an affluent family. The first line of the poem says, "Go. What, again? What nuisance, this back and forth." It goes on to say, "Best to consider this whole mess a holiday, a simple trade one home for its vacation version." The affluent family views Katrina as a mere nuisance, an inconvenience. They have the money and resources necessary to escape. In fact, they consider Katrina a chance to vacation. They are not worried about losing everything they have or preserving their life. The biggest thing they have to worry about is missed garden parties. The affluent family is even bored. This provides a stark contrast to the poor who are concerned with losing everything they have.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)