AP Language and Composition Terms Review

Period 2

Red-Herring: Mnemonic and Definition

Definition:

• Something that distracts readers from a relevant or important issue in an argument to lead the audience to a false conclusion
• It can be used purposefully as a rhetorical strategy or it can be used as a logical fallacy in an argument

“Ten Little Indians” poem from And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

• A nursery rhyme originated in 1868
• Used as a major plot point in Agatha Christie’s best selling mystery novel And Then There Were None
• 8 Strangers are invited to an island house for the weekend. They are greeted by 2 butlers and they are told “Mr. Owen” the house owner is coming the next day. As the weekend goes on the people keep dying in the same way that the ten little indians die in the nursery rhyme.
• The rhyme is framed and hung in every room of the house
• Agatha Christie is known for her ability to craft suspenseful mystery novels
• Red herrings are very popular in mystery novels.

“Ten Little Indians” poem from And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

Ten little Indian boys went out to dine;

One choked his little self and then there were nine.

Nine little Indian boys sat up very late;

One overslept himself and then there were eight.

Eight little Indian boys travelling in Devon;

One said he'd stay there and then there were seven.

Seven little Indian boys chopping up sticks;

One chopped himself in halves and then there were six.

Six little Indian boys playing with a hive;

A bumblebee stung one of them and then there were five.

Five little Indian boys going in for law;

One got in Chancery and then there were four.

Four little Indian boys going out to sea;

A red herring swallowed one and then there were three.

Three little Indian boys walking in the zoo;

A big bear hugged one and then there were two.

Two little Indian boys sitting in the sun;

One got all frizzled up and then there was one.

One little Indian boy left all alone;

He went and hanged himself and then there were none.

“Ten Little Indians” poem from And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie: Effect

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• When there are only 4 people left, one man goes missing and the remaining 3 think he is the killer. However they find his body later washed up on the beach.
• His absence was a red herring that misled the characters and, presumably, the reader. It also paralleled the poem
• The red herring is used by Christie to divert the attention of the characters and the reader in a different direction, so that they are deceived
• It primarily serves to deceive the readers and the characters from finding out who the killer actually is

Archaic Language: Mnemonic and Definition

Definition:

• A word, phrase, or sentence structure that is considered outdated or old fashioned

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Mnemonic:

• Archaic sounds like archeology (study of old things)
• Archaic means old/outdated language

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Abraham Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address”

• President of the United States during the Civil War (Republican)
• Delivered to Northern citizens after the Battle of Gettysburg, which was the bloodiest battle of the Civil War
• Audience consisted of people mourning the loss of their loved ones
• Purpose: Lincoln is honoring the loss of the soldiers who died at Gettysburg as well as unifying a divided nation under the founding principles of the nation

Abraham Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address”

Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting-place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead who struggled here have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us--that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion--that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth."

Abraham Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address” Effect

• The opening lines of the speech Lincoln states “Four score and seven years ago” which is an example of archaic language
• He highlights the past and tries to emulate the founding principles of the nation
• The formality of the language highlights the serious tone of the event
• The speech is set up as a tetrad that goes from past to present to future, so the language is important to envisioning the past.
• His goal of revisiting the past is to discuss the founding principles of our great nation and try to unify the United States during the Civil War

Repetition: Definition and Mnemonic

• To reiterate a word or a phrase multiple times for stylistic effect

Winston Churchill’s “We Shall Fight on the Beaches”

• Prime Minister of Great Britain
• Delivered to The House of Commons June 4, 1940
• Given during the Battle of France
• Purpose = warn of Nazi invasion of Britain; assure British victory

Winston Churchill’s “We Shall Fight on the Beaches”

The British Empire and the French Republic, linked together in their cause and in their need, will defend to the death their native soil, aiding each other like good comrades to the utmost of their strength. Even though large tracts of Europe and many old and famous States have fallen or may fall into the grip of the Gestapo and all the odious apparatus of Nazi rule, we shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender, and even if, which I do not for a moment believe, this Island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British Fleet, would carry on the struggle, until, in God's good time, the New World, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old.

Winston Churchill’s “We Shall Fight on the Beaches”: Effect

• “We shall fight” repeated in subsequent clauses
• Creates a sense of urgency, determination, and single-mindedness in the piece
• A national sense of resiliency is the desired effect
• Repetition provides a reminder of the extent to which the British will go to defend their country; links the catalogued efforts of the Brits
• Instills a sense of confidence in the B.E.F. and wider population

Metonymy- Definition and Mnemonic

A metonymy is a word or phrase that is used to stand in for another word. Sometimes a metonymy is chosen because it is a well-known characteristic of the word.

Mnemonic Device - using a METAphorical NAME = METONYMY

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Example of Metonymy

“White House refuses to comment on Mueller probe claims”

“The White House has refused to confirm or deny media reports that the US President could be interviewed by Special Counsel Robert Mueller about possible collusion between Donald Trump's campaign and Russia during the 2016 presidential race.

"The White House does not comment on communications with the Office of the Special Counsel out of respect for the Office of the Special Counsel and its process," said Mr Trump's lawyer Ty Cobb.”

• RTE

Analysis

The “White House” is used as a metonymy in this passage and its effect is to stand in for the president. If the term was used literally it would not make any sense because the white house being a literal building can not talk. The “White House” is referring to the President who is refusing to comment on collusion between Trump’s campaign and Russia.

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Synecdoche - definition and mnemonic

Synecdoche is a literary device in which a part of something represents the whole, or it may use a whole to represent a part.

Syn - syn, think synonym meaning that the part of the thing is referring to the whole thing, also think SYN is a PART of the whole word

Synecdoche passage

We can never be satisfied, as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

Martin Luther King Jr

“I Have A Dream”

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Analysis

By using either flesh or bodies to represent people, MLK takes a part of a person, the body, to represent people as a whole. King uses this to express to his audience that all the oppression African Americans are facing correlate with their skin color.

Asyndeton and Mnemonic

• Being that asyndeton comes from the Greek word for unconnected, it is the absence of conjunctions between words and clauses.

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• Break it up!

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A

syndeton

Without

conjunctions

Without conjunctions

=

Asyndeton

General Douglas MacArthur’s “Sylvanus Thayer Award Acceptance Address”

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• General in charge of commanding American troops in the Pacific during World War II
• Leader of United Nations forces in Korea
• Speech given May 12, 1962 at West Point (New York)
• Main purpose is to inform soldiers to always keep their duty, honor, and country as their top priority

General Douglas MacArthur’s “Sylvanus Thayer Award Acceptance Address”

… Duty, Honor, Country: Those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, what you will be. They are your rallying points: to build courage when courage seems to fail; to regain faith when there seems to be little cause for faith; to create hope when hope becomes forlorn…

And 20 years after, on the other side of the globe, again the filth of murky foxholes, the stench of ghostly trenches, the slime of dripping dugouts; those boiling suns of relentless heat, those torrential rains of devastating storms; the loneliness and utter desolation of jungle trails; the bitterness of long separation from those they loved and cherished; the deadly pestilence of tropical disease; the horror of stricken areas of war; their resolute and determined defense, their swift and sure attack, their indomitable purpose, their complete and decisive victory -- always victory. Always through the bloody haze of their last reverberating shot, the vision of gaunt, ghastly men reverently following your password of: Duty, Honor, Country.

General Douglas MacArthur’s “Sylvanus Thayer Award Acceptance Address”: Effect

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• “Duty, Honor, Country” is primary example of asyndeton used throughout excerpt and speech
• Emphasizes fundamental aspects to being the best possible soldier
• In general, the use of asyndeton emphasizes urgency- audience hears no pause or definitive ending to list
• This implies that the list keeps going and there is more to be done
• Overtly warning soldiers of horrifying times in their careers
• Explains the importance of reverting to the three key aspects of their job to encourage the other troops as a good leader

Polysyndeton and Mnemonic

• In opposition to asyndeton, polysyndeton is the frequent use of conjunctions, particularly when they are not necessary.

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*Use acronym FANBOYS* (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so)

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• Break it up, again!

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Poly

syndeton

More than one

conjunction

More than one conjunction

=

Polysyndeton

Ronald Reagan’s Eulogy for the Seven Challenger Astronauts

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• President during the explosion of the Challenger on January 28, 1986
• Eulogy delivered January 31 at memorial service in Houston
• Main purpose is to individually recognize all of the victims and their loved ones

Ronald Reagan’s Eulogy for the Seven Challenger Astronauts

… We will always remember them, these skilled professionals, scientists and adventurers, these artists and teachers and family men and women, and we will cherish each of their stories - stories of triumph and bravery, stories of true American heroes. Sadness and Pride.

On the day of the disaster, our nation held a vigil by our television sets. In one cruel moment, our exhilaration turned to horror; we waited and watched and tried to make sense of what we had seen. That night, I listened to a call-in program on the radio. People of every age spoke of their sadness and the pride they felt in ''our astronauts.'' Across America, we are reaching out, holding hands and finding comfort in one another.

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Ronald Reagan’s Eulogy for the Seven Challenger Astronauts: Effect

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• The use of and in the first paragraph allows Reagan to pay tribute to individual demographics and designate more time to each, rather than blowing through everyone at once
• The use of and in the second employs polysyndeton traditionally in allowing for more time to be spent on the clauses the conjunction connects
• Reagan uses and to elongate the memory of waiting and watching and trying
• This brings the audience back to the moment
• Audience remembers the feeling of that torturous moment never ending

Analogy: Definition and Mnemonic

• When an object or idea is compared to another object or idea in order to demonstrate the similarities between these things
• Rhetorical devices that qualify as analogies: metaphor, simile, allegory, parable, exemplification

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Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” Background

• Led the Civil Rights Movement in the mid-1950’s
• Member of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference
• Delivered in Washington, D.C. on August 28, 1963 during the march on Washington for freedom and jobs
• Purpose: MLK wishes to inspire the end of racism and to gain freedom in all aspects of life for African Americans

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MLK’s “I Have A Dream”

In a sense we’ve come to our nation’s capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence (Yeah), they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men (My Lord), would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. (My Lord) Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked insufficient funds. [enthusiastic applause] (My Lord, Lead on, Speech, speech)

But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. (My Lord) [laughter] (No, no) We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. (Sure enough) And so we’ve come to cash this check (Yes), a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom (Yes) and the security of justice. (Yes Lord) [enthusiastic applause]

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MLK’s “I Have A Dream”: Effect

• Compares the current American values and laws to that of cashing a check
• MLK states that the U.S. made a promise to African Americans in writing the Constitution and Declaration of Independence
• Rights of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness
• African Americans are marching in D.C. to ensure that the government gives them these rights of being treated equal as whites
• Inspires immediate change in the hearts of African Americans

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Aphorism: Definition and Mnemonic

• A short phrase that states an accepted truth and can be humorous in nature
• Common forms of aphorisms are proverbs and adages

John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address

• 35th President of the U.S. and a Civil Rights Activist
• Youngest man elected to be president: Age 43
• Delivered on January 20, 1961 at the U.S. Capitol
• Given during the peak of the Cold War
• Purpose: To motivate his audience of both American and world citizens of the younger generation and to lay out the challenges the Cold War would bring but to state his goal for peace in the nuclear world

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JFK’s Inaugural Address

And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country.

My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.

Finally, whether you are citizens of America or citizens of the world, ask of us here the same high standards of strength and sacrifice which we ask of you. With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God's work must truly be our own.

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JFK’s Inaugural Address: Effect

• JFK sought to challenge the younger generations in America
• Inspires every American to accept the role of sacrifice for their nation
• JFK wanted to make it feel like he was talking directly to each person in his audience
• Further challenges his international audience to assume the role of service to achieve a world of peace

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Complex Sentence: Definition and Mnemonic

Definition: Is a sentence with one independent clause and at least one dependent clause

Mnemonic:

• CS (complex sentence)= ID (independent clause, dependent clause)

Jonathan Swift “A Modest Proposal”

• Jonathan Swift born in 1667 in Ireland to English parents.
• For years he addressed the political problems of this by publishing pamphlets on contemporary social issues
• One of the world’s premier satirists
• At the time Ireland was in extreme poverty, overpopulation, and unfair balance of trade with Great Britain.
• He proposed that the Irish should sell their children as food to reduce poverty and overpopulation

Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal”

“I profess, in the sincerity of my heart, that I have not the least personal interest in endeavoring to promote this necessary work, having no other motive than the public good of my country, by advancing our trade, providing for infants, relieving the poor, and giving some pleasure to the rich. I have no children by which I can propose to get a single penny; the youngest being nine years old, and my wife past child-bearing”.

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Blue = independent clauses

Purple = dependent clauses

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Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal”: Effect

• The final sentence of the last paragraph of the essay (“I have no children..”) serves to further his serious (but ambiguous) component of tone in this piece
• My providing personal information in regard to his own family shows that his proposal is good idea and that he is not offering the idea solely to get rich from it (increases his ethos)
• Swift provides logical reasons for his failure of income from his proposal which strengthens the argument from the first independent clause of the sentence
• Final sentence sounds to the reader like a “train of thought” proving Swift has considered counterarguments to his plan

Complex-Compound Sentence: Definition and Mnemonic

Definition: Is a sentence with at least two independent clauses and at least one dependent clause

Mnemonic:

• CCS (Compound Complex Sentence) = IID (independent clause, independent clause, dependent clause)

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Martin Luther King Jr. “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”

• Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the most influential leaders of the civil rights movement of the 1950s-1960s
• In 1963, while King was in Birmingham, Alabama, eight clergyman published a letter in the Post-Herald criticizing his presence and his strategies
• From his jail cell, King responded by writing what has become known as the “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”

Martin Luther King Jr. “Letter from Birmingham Jail”

“I hope this letter finds you strong in the faith. I also hope that circumstances will soon make it possible for me to meet each of you, not as an integrationist or a civil-rights leader but as a fellow clergyman and a Christian brother. Let us all hope that the dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away and the deep fog of misunderstanding will be lifted from our fear drenched communities, and in some not too distant tomorrow the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation with all their scintillating beauty.”

Blue= independent clause

Purple =dependent clause

Martin Luther King Jr. “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”: Effect

• Is the final paragraph from MLK’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail”
• Notice the pronoun shift in the paragraph from “I” to “us” to create a unifying tone
• Creates a connection of independent ideas to express the current state of African American community and the hope for the future in a poetic tone
• The connection betweens clauses is MLK’s call for action towards “Peace and Brotherhood” which he believes will make America beautiful
• Connecting the clauses makes the act of America changing more fluid to the audience and something that will happen as the present will soon become the future
• Imagery from “dark”, “deep”, “fear” to “love”, “shine” , “beauty” all connected in one sentence

Parody

• Parody is an imitation of a particular writer, artist, or genre, exaggerating it deliberately to produce a comic effect.
• “Parrot Tree”
• Parrots Mimic

Carl Hiaasen’s “What Trump Really Wanted to Say”

• Published June 22, 2016
• A response to Trump’s long acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention
• Purpose= To poke fun at Trump’s large ego and to criticize his long and self centered speech.

Carl Hiaasen’s “What Trump Really Wanted to Say”

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“You’ve probably noticed that tonight I’m reading from a grown-up teleprompter instead of winging it, making up stuff as I go along, the way I usually do. But I don’t worry, folks — I haven’t changed, and I won’t change.

As your president, if I’ve got something especially offensive to say, I can read it off of a stupid machine just as easily as I can ad-lib. You wait and see!

(Pause for relieved cheers.)

I’m here tonight to talk about making America great again, but first I have a few words about my Democratic opponent. Hillary Clinton was the worst first lady in history, the worst U.S. senator in history and the worst secretary of state in history.

I should have never invited her and her horndog husband to my wedding to Melania.

But you know what, folks? If I ever get married again, Hillary definitely won’t be on my guest list. In fact, if I get my way, she’ll be in jail!”

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Carl Hiaasen’s “What Trump Really Wanted to Say”:Effect

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• Puts out the perceived flaws in Trump’s character by first mentioning that he usually just makes up his speeches as he goes
• Pokes fun at his habit to occasionally say some really offensive things
• And also touches on his apparent obsession with always mentioning Hillary Clinton
• This comical outlook will make the reader laugh while at the same time it will make them realize that many of these things that Hiaasen is poking fun at tend to happen quite often

Paradox

• It is a statement that appears to be self-contradictory or silly, but which may include a latent truth. It is also used to illustrate an opinion or statement contrary to accepted traditional ideas

Plato’s Apology of Socrates

• An account of the speech Socrates makes at the trial in which he is charged with not recognizing the gods recognized by the state, inventing new deities, and corrupting the youth of Athens.
• "I know that I know nothing", also called the Socratic Paradox
• The saying, though widely attributed to Plato's Socrates in both ancient and modern times, actually occurs nowhere in Plato's works in this form. Two prominent Plato scholars have recently argued that the claim should not be attributed to Plato's Socrates

Plato’s Apology of Socrates

For my part, as I went away, I reasoned with regard to myself: “I am wiser than this human being. For probably neither of us knows anything noble and good, but he supposes he knows something when he does not know, while I, just as I do not know, do not even suppose that I do. I am likely to be a little bit wiser than he in this very thing: that whatever I do not know, I do not even suppose I know.”

Plato’s Apology of Socrates

• Socrates' speech, however, is by no means an "apology" in our modern understanding of the word.
• Socrates concluded that he must be wiser than other men only in that he knows that he knows nothing.
• In order to spread this peculiar wisdom, Socrates explains that he considered it his duty to question supposed "wise" men and to expose their false wisdom as ignorance.
• The paradox is used by Socrates to get the jury to see his perspective and possibly make them decide that he is innocent

Simile

Olivia Caruso

Definition

A figure of speech in which one thing is compared with another thing of a different kind using like or as

Background

• Archbishop George Carey in his eulogy for Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother
• Queen Elizabeth died at age 101
• The English people loved her
• At Westminster Abbey
• 2002

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Illustrative Example- Archbishop George Carey in his eulogy for Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother

There was about her, in George Eliot's lovely phrase, "the sweet presence of a good diffused". Like the sun, she bathed us in her warm glow. Now that the sun has set and the cool of the evening has come, some of the warmth we absorbed is flowing back towards her.

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Analysis

• Shows Queen Elizabeth was a warm, affectionate person
• Her kindness was widespread throughout England
• Make her seem like a powerful being
• Show the motherly, warm side of the Queen

Simile looks like smile; A smile as big as the moon

Metaphor

Olivia Caruso

Definition

A figure of speech where one thing is compared with another thing of a different kind

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Background

• MLK- civil rights activist
• 250,000 person crowd
• Uses universal themes to be related to the struggle of African Americans
• March on Washington
• Washington DC 1963

Illustrative Example

Martin Luther King- “I Have a Dream”

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

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Analysis

• All races, genders, and religions will be able to coexist together in peace
• Mississippi is the state where the worst offenses against blacks took place
• Compares the heat of the weather of Mississippi with injustice and oppression
• Oasis of hope awaits these places
• Magnifies his message of hope

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Euphemism: Definition and Mnemonic

• Euphemism: a mild or indirect expression used in the place of words or phrases that might otherwise be considered too blunt due to their possible embarrassing or offensive nature/connotation.

Euphemism - Euphoria

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Euphoria - feeling intense happiness

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Euphemism - overall pleasantness, avoiding anything that isn’t

Lou Gehrig, “Farewell to Baseball Address”

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• Famous baseball player for the NY Yankees
• Delivered in Yankee Stadium July 4th, 1939
• Given after his disease was public information
• At a “service” dedicated to him so he could talk to Americans himself

Lou Gehrig, “Farewell to Baseball Address”

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When you have a wonderful mother-in-law who takes sides with you in squabbles against her own daughter, that’s something. When you have a father and mother who work all their lives so that you can have an education and build your body, it’s a blessing! When you have a wife who has been a tower of strength and shown more courage than you dreamed existed, that’s the finest I know.

So I close in saying that I might have had a tough break – but I have an awful lot to live for!

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Lou Gehrig, “Farewell to Baseball Address”

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• Passage mostly describes what he’s grateful for
• Overall tone is positive/optimistic
• “I might have had a tough break” used instead of “I have a crippling disease” - tone remains light
• Euphemism used in order to convey positive message

Double-Entendre

• Double-Entendre: a word or phrase which is open to two different interpretations; one of the interpretations is usually “indecent” or culturally “inappropriate”.

Jonathon Swift, “A Modest Proposal”

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• Author born in Ireland to English parents
• Addressed political problems in Ireland in pamphlets
• Satirizes the Irish government as well as the community of the time
• Overall a satirical piece that deals with severe issue: inadequate resources in Ireland in relation to its population

Jonathon Swift, “A Modest Proposal”

A child will make two dishes at an entertainment for friends, and when the family dines alone, the fore or hind quarter will make a reasonable dish, and seasoned with a little pepper or salt, will be very good boiled on the fourth day, especially in winter. I have reckoned upon a medium, that a child just born will weigh 12 pounds, and 75 in a solar year, if tolerably nursed, increases to 28 pounds. I grant this food will be somewhat dear, and therefore very proper for landlords, who, as they have already devoured most of the parents, seem to have the best title to the children.

Jonathon Swift, “A Modest Proposal”

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• The piece has a light and funny tone while talking about serious topic matter
• “This food will be somewhat dear”
• Dear - crucial, important, in demand
• Dear - emotionally cared for
• “they have already devoured most of the parents”
• Literally eating
• Taken everything from the parents

Pathos: Definition and Mnemonic

• The rhetorical appeal to the audience’s emotion to persuade the audience to take the speaker’s side of the argument
• Pathos begins with a P, so does Puppy
• Puppies are cute and trigger emotional responses
• “Puppy eyes” are a form of pathos

Richard Nixon’s “The Checkers Speech” Background

• Vice-Presidential Candidate running with Eisenhower
• Was California senator
• Delivered on September 23, 1952
• Given amidst controversy around Nixon misusing campaign funds
• Place on ticket was in doubt
• Purpose: To defend himself and his actions and regain public support leading into the election

Richard Nixon’s “The Checkers Speech”

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One other thing I probably should tell you, because if I don't they will probably be saying this about me, too. We did get something, a gift, after the election.

A man down in Texas heard Pat on the radio mention the fact that our two youngsters would like to have a dog, and, believe it or not, the day before we left on this campaign trip we got a message from Union Station in Baltimore, saying they had a package for us. We went down to get it. You know what it was?

It was a little cocker spaniel dog, in a crate that he had sent all the way from Texas, black and white, spotted, and our little girl Tricia, the six year old, named it Checkers.

And you know, the kids, like all kids, loved the dog, and I just want to say this, right now, that regardless of what they say about it, we are going to keep it.

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Richard Nixon’s “The Checkers Speech”: Effect

• Uses anecdote about Checkers the dog to make audience sympathetic toward him
• Creates feeling that Nixon did not act illegally and whole issue was blown out of proportion
• Example of getting a puppy connects to many Americans
• Instills feelings of sympathy and innocence allowing Nixon to regain public support

Epistrophe: Definition and Mnemonic

• Using a particular word at the end of consecutive clauses or sentences
• Epistrophe begins with an E
• End of clause or sentence is where the repetition occurs

Malcolm X’s: “The Ballot or the Bullet”

• Given on April 12, 1964 at King Solomon Baptist Church in Detroit
• X left the Nation of Islam one month prior
• During height of Civil Rights Movement
• Ballot referred to the upcoming 1964 Presidential Election
• Purpose: To incite anger and desire for change in the upcoming election among the African-American community, warn about potential violence if change does not occur
• Also works to introduce idea of Black Nationalism

Malcolm X’s “The Ballot or the Bullet”

I'm not a politician, not even a student of politics; in fact, I'm not a student of much of anything. I'm not a Democrat. I'm not a Republican, and I don't even consider myself an American. If you and I were Americans, there'd be no problem. Those Honkies that just got off the boat, they're already Americans; Polacks are already Americans; the Italian refugees are already Americans. Everything that came out of Europe, every blue-eyed thing, is already an American. And as long as you and I have been over here, we aren't Americans yet.

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Malcolm X’s “The Ballot or the Bullet”: Effect

• “Already Americans” is repeated at the end of consecutive clauses
• Desired effect of growing a sense of frustration amongst African-American community about unfair treatment
• Creates feeling of anger and unfairness among audience
• Epistrophe reinforces how many other ethnic groups are treated fairly and equal while African-Americans are not
• Instills sense that change is necessary and urgent

Ethos

Definition

Aristotle created the rhetorical appeals: logos, pathos, and ethos. He theorized that these three appeals created the backbone for argument.

One of the three rhetorical appeals intended to further one’s argument. It appeals to the sense of authority and promotes the writer’s credibility and qualifications to discuss the topic.

An author or speaker can also borrow ethos from someone else to support their argument. They do this by quoting, paraphrasing, or referencing the knowledge of a different person

Example: “Letter from Birmingham Jail” - Martin Luther King Jr.

• Written in response to a letter criticizing MLK’s actions by a group of clergymen
• Both the original letter and MLK’s response were published in the Post-Herald
• MLK wrote his letter from the Birmingham jail in which he was imprisoned in for protest

Example: “Letter from Birmingham Jail” - Martin Luther King Jr.

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… I think I should give the reason for my being in Birmingham, since you have been influenced by the argument of "outsiders coming in." I have the honor of serving as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization operating in every Southern state, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. We have some eighty-five affiliate organizations all across the South, one being the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights. Whenever necessary and possible, we share staff, educational and financial resources with our affiliates. Several months ago our local affiliate here in Birmingham invited us to be on call to engage in a nonviolent direct-action program if such were deemed necessary. We readily consented, and when the hour came we lived up to our promises. So I am here, along with several members of my staff, because we were invited here. I am here because I have basic organizational ties here.

Beyond this, I am in Birmingham because injustice is here. Just as the eighth-century prophets left their little villages and carried their "thus saith the Lord" far beyond the boundaries of their hometowns; and just as the Apostle Paul left his little village of Tarsus and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to practically every hamlet and city of the Greco-Roman world, I too am compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my particular hometown. Like Paul, I must constantly respond to the Macedonian call for aid.

Moreover, I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states. I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial "outside agitator" idea. Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider…

Example: “Letter from Birmingham Jail” - Martin Luther King Jr.

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Martin Luther King Jr. carefully builds his ethos in his letter. He begins with professing his qualifications on the matter. By saying that he has been elected the president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (a large and influential organization) and that he has been drawn to Birmingham by one of the member organizations, MLK adds legitimacy to his protests and gives credibility to his demonstration. The second paragraph adds to his ethos in two ways. Primarily, by quoting biblical and historical events, he makes himself equal in knowledge and biblical understanding to the clergymen. Secondly, he backs himself in the public’s eye with images of powerful, well respected spreaders of good, giving him borrowed ethos. Finally, in the third paragraph, MLK paints himself as a concerned American citizen, who’s right it is to stand up for his and others’ inalienable rights.

Memory Device

ETHOS looks like ECHOS ⇒ There is a Greek myth in which a nymph, Echo, was cursed to only be able to repeat what was said ⇒ Aristotle came up with the idea of ethos and he was Greek

OR

ETHOS is similar to ETHICS ⇒ A credible speaker has a code of ETHICS to keep them credible ⇒ Ethos is an author’s credibility

Apostrophe

Definition

Apostrophe is used to address an idea, person, place, or thing that is not present. It is often seen as “ O’ ”, but does not always begin this way. Apostrophe is a device that is often used in poetry.

Example: “O’ Captain! My Captain!” - Walt Whitman

• Written after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln
• Walt Whitman was a journalist and nurse during the Civil War
• He was a pacifist, but supported the Union efforts
• His poem embodied the respect and feelings of loss the American people had at Lincoln’s death

Example: “O’ Captain! My Captain!” - Walt Whitman

O CAPTAIN! my Captain! our fearful trip is done;

The ship has weather’d every rack, the prize we sought is won;

The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,

While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring:

But O heart! heart! heart!

O the bleeding drops of red,

Where on the deck my Captain lies,

Fallen cold and dead.

O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells;

Rise up—for you the flag is flung—for you the bugle trills;

For you bouquets and ribbon’d wreaths—for you the shores a-crowding;

For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning;

Here Captain! dear father!

This arm beneath your head;

It is some dream that on the deck,

You’ve fallen cold and dead.

My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still;

My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will;

The ship is anchor’d safe and sound, its voyage closed and done;

From fearful trip, the victor ship, comes in with object won;

Exult, O shores, and ring, O bells!

But I, with mournful tread,

Walk the deck my Captain lies,

Fallen cold and dead.

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Example: “O’ Captain! My Captain!” - Walt Whitman

Apostrophe in “O’ Captain! My Captain!” is used to allude to the death of Abraham Lincoln (the captain). The apostrophe shows that the captain is dead without actually telling the reader so. It also allows Whitman to transition from a celebratory referral to the captain to one of shock and mourning. Not only is apostrophe used to in relation to the captain, but it is also used with “O shores” and “O bells”. This gives the reader the impressing of the detached numbness the speaker feels towards their surroundings after the death of their captain, despite the loud triumphant noises around them, symbolizing the feelings of uncertainty and loss the American public had after Lincoln’s death.

Memory device

Apostrophe = A literary device that references a thing that is not present or dead

→ An apostrophe (the grammatical kind) is used to replace letters that are absent in contractions. Apostrophe is also often set off by “O”, the letter that is most often replaced by apostrophes.

• Don’t → Replaces the “o”

Cumulative Sentence: Definition and Mnemonic

• A sentence beginning with an independent clause that is followed by subordinate clauses or elements. The main point of the sentence is made right away and other details follow.

John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address

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• Delivered on January 20, 1961
• Nearly one million brave the subfreezing temperatures at the footsteps of the Capitol
• Fear of the Communist threat, a nuclear arms race, economic distress and racial unrest plagued JFK’s
• Purpose = to instill confidence in the American people and reunify a divided nation/globe in light of the current geopolitical climate

John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address

Finally, to those nations who would make themselves our adversary, we offer not a pledge but a request: that both sides begin anew the quest for peace, before the dark powers of destruction unleashed by science engulf all humanity in planned or accidental self-destruction.

We dare not tempt them with weakness. For only when our arms are sufficient beyond doubt can we be certain beyond doubt that they will never be employed.

But neither can two great and powerful groups of nations take comfort from our present course--both sides overburdened by the cost of modern weapons, both rightly alarmed by the steady spread of the deadly atom, yet both racing to alter that uncertain balance of terror that stays the hand of mankind's final war.

So let us begin anew…

John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address: Effect

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• In this passage, JFK emphasizes solidarity over discord among all nations embattled by the Cold War
• There needs to be a unanimity for peace, and the threat of Communist takeover must be placated -> so that both sides can once again be successful
• JFK uses this moment in his inaugural to take on the persona of a greater power or entity
• Calls the audience to action to play a vital role in safeguarding this move for international peace

Periodic Sentence: Definition and Mnemonic

• A sentence containing the main clause at the end and subordinate phrases in the beginning in order to build an element of suspense. This sentence is commonly associated with the term ‘suspended syntax’, whereby the sentence is not complete until the final clause.

Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail”

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• Composed on April 16, 1963
• One of the most visible activists and leaders of the civil rights movement from 1954 to his death in 1968
• Written to clergymen in light of current climate in Birmingham and to the national public in an effort to bring national attention to civil rights legislation
• Employed civil disobedience as a vehicle for freedom
• Purpose = to advocate nonviolent resistance against the systemic discrimination of the African American community

Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail”

Perhaps it is easy for those who have never felt the stinging darts of segregation to say, "Wait." But when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have seen hate filled policemen curse, kick and even kill your black brothers and sisters; when you see the vast majority of your twenty million Negro brothers smothering in an airtight cage of poverty in the midst of an affluent society; when you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six year old daughter why she can't go to the public amusement park that has just been advertised on television, and see tears welling up in her eyes when she is told that Funtown is closed to colored children, and see ominous clouds of inferiority beginning to form in her little mental sky, and see her beginning to distort her personality by developing an unconscious bitterness toward white people… --then you will understand why we find it difficult to wait.

Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail”: Effect

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• MLK catalogues these initial elements so that the reader must “wait” in suspense just as the African American community “waited” for justice
• Captures the deep-rooted resentment of the African American population
• These initial clauses also add to how pervasive racial discrimination and segregation have become not only in Birmingham society, but in all societies nationwide
• MLK, after being charged of “unwise and untimely demonstrations” by the clergymen, calls for direct action programs and an end to the city’s white power structures; negotiation and other alternative means have taken up too much time/been ineffective

Anaphora and Parallelism

Luke Distefano

Anaphora

Anaphora is the repetition of the beginning of a sentence within a series of succeeding sentences and or clauses.

Robert F. Kennedy on the assassination of Martin Luther King

• Senator of New York
• Campaigning for Democratic Party’s Nomination
• Speaking colleges in Indiana when MLK was killed
• Made a speech in a few hours
• Delivered in Indianapolis
• Audience - had not heard the news
• Purpose - To console the American people and reinforce/continue MLK’s effort

Example

“What we need in the United States is not division; what we need in the United States is not hatred; what we need in the United States is not violence or lawlessness; but love and wisdom, and compassion toward one another, and a feeling of justice toward those who still suffer within our country, whether they be white or they be black.”

Robert F. Kennedy on the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr, April 4, 1968

RFK Speech Effect

• “What we need in the United States” repeated at start of each clause
• Reinforces the message that MLK was trying to convey
• Soothes a shocked, emotional crowd
• Solidifies the direction the country should move toward
• Leaves no room for rioting and violence

Parallelism

Parallelism is using parts of a sentence in the same grammatical structure, construction, meter, sound, or meaning.

Parallelism - Parallelogram

• Clauses start and end the same
• Repeated on both ends of a sentence

John F. Kennedy Inaugural Address

• Narrowly beat Richard Nixon to win 1960 election
• Youngest president elected
• First Catholic president
• During a time of economic prosperity, social changes, and diplomatic challenges
• Height of Cold War
• Challenged to maintain peaceful diplomatic relations

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Example

“Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, to assure the survival and the success of liberty.”

John F. Kennedy Inaugural Address, January 20, 1961

JFK Inaugural Address effect

• Parallelism in grammatical structure
• Verb “any” noun
• Drawn out promise to uphold global liberty
• Makes the audience feel more confident in the new president - willing to do anything
• Makes the audience feel reassured during the Cold War tensions
• Helps deliver a message to foreign countries of US’s involvement in liberty

Ad Hominem

By: Emily Worobel

Ad Hominem

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• A personal attack on an individual’s appearance or personality trait to make clear that their stated argument is invalid.
• Attacks can also include opposing opinions on a certain topic.

Malcolm X’s “The Ballot or the Bullet”

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• (1925- 1965)
• African American Civil Rights activist in the mid 1960’s.
• He became a Muslim and fought for equal rights in his 30’s.
• Wanted African Americans to be more aggressive and forceful in their tactics to end segregation.
• “Ballot or Bullet” was a way of saying how black people should be allowed to exercise their right to vote.
• Led violent and destructive marches to get his point across
• Tried to encourage people to rally behind him and his dangerous tactics
• Claimed they were more effective then peaceful protests
• Assassinated by members of Nation of Islam

“The Ballot of Bullet Excerpt”

“Because Texas is a lynch state. It is in the same breath as Mississippi, no different; only they lynch you in Texas with a Texas accent and lynch you in Mississippi with a Mississippi accent. And these Negro leaders have the audacity to go and have some coffee in the White House with a Texan, a Southern cracker -- that's all he is -- and then come out and tell you and me that he's going to be better for us because, since he's from the South, he knows how to deal with the Southerners. What kind of logic is that? Let Eastland be president, he's from the South too. He should be better able to deal with them than Johnson.”

Malcolm X “The Ballot or the Bullet” April 3, 1964

“The Ballot or Bullet” Ad Hominem Effect

• Discounted of Presidential Candidate
• James Eastland - Democratic Senator from the South
• Ensured that African American voices would be heard
• Showed level of passion
• Influx of followers and believers
• Extreme tactics were admirable
• Trusted by many African Americans

Alliteration

By: Emily Worobel

Alliteration

• The repetition of a vowel or consonant sounds on the beginning of consecutive words for literary effect.
• These words can be joined by conjunctions or be interrupted by words with little relevance to the overall effect.

Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream”

• (1929- 1968)
• Civil Rights activist in the 1960’s
• Son of a Preacher
• Baptist Minister
• Led peaceful protests in Southern states
• Birmingham, Alabama & March on Washington
• Arrested during marches he led
• Held this speech in Washington D.C in front of thousands
• Took a more peaceful stance on fighting for equality
• Assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee by James Earl Ray

Alliteration Example in “I Have a Dream”

“So we’ve come here today to dramatize a shameful condition. In a sense we’ve come to our nation’s capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was the promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

Martin Luther King “I Have a Dream” August 28, 1963

Alliteration Effect

• Convey that is it time for justice
• Allowed people to feel like an equal American
• “Life, Liberty, and Happiness”
• Encouraged peaceful protest
• Along with sense of urgency
• “It is time”
• Address the issue on a national scale
• Gain trust and faith of the African American community
• Evoked sense of equality
• “everyone”

Independent Clauses

Complete sentences that expresses a complete thought and can stand alone because it contains and subject and a verb. Also called a simple sentence.

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Dependent Clauses

Mimics a sentence by containing a subject and verb, but it does not form a complete thought. It can often be spotted by seeing a dependant marker word. These includes: after, although, as, as if, because, before, even if, even though, if, in order to, since, though, unless, until, whatever, when, whenever, whether, and while.

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FDR’s “A Day in Infamy” Speech

• President of the U.S. from 1933-1945
• Born in Hyde Park, NY
• Paralyzed from the waist down
• This speech was delivered to a Joint Session of Congress a day after Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor and the Japanese declaration of war on the U.S. and Britain.
• December 8th, 1941
• Purpose= to ask for a declaration of war from Congress

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FDR’s “A Day in Infamy” Excerpt

The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. I regret to tell you that very many American lives have been lost. In addition, American ships have been reported torpedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu.

Yesterday, the Japanese government also launched an attack against Malaya.

Last night, Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong.

Last night, Japanese forces attacked Guam.

Last night, Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands.

Last night, the Japanese attacked Wake Island.

And this morning, the Japanese attacked Midway Island.

Japan has, therefore, undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The facts of yesterday and today speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our nation.

As Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy, I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense. But always will our whole nation remember the character of the onslaught against us. No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory.

I believe that I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost, but will make it very certain that this form of treachery shall never again endanger us.

Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory, and our interests are in grave danger.

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FDR’s “A Day in Infamy” Effect

His use of a string of independent clauses displays:

• The severity of Japanese destruction
• Powerful statements that separate from his usual syntax thus providing emphasis
• Makes clear to the audience these facts (no confusing words or sentence structure)

His use of the dependant clauses displays:

• Concedes that the effects of this attack could last a long time
• But uses this counterargument to bolster his claim that the U.S. will be victorious

Zeugma

Lily Bedell

Mnemonic and Definition

When a word is applied to two or more words but have a different meaning on each one. This device is used for dramatic effect.

Example

Kennedy’s First Inaugural Address:

• January 20th 1961
• Youngest president to be elected to US
• Replacing Eisenhower (R) for the past eight years
• Showed every reason to be hopeful of the future
• 1950’s - tension between US and Soviet Union
• Cold War
• Believed Kennedy would bring peace and progress
• Speech was short, direct and to the point
• Centered on foreign policy

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Example

“Now the trumpet summons us again -- not as a call to bear arms, though arms we need -- not as a call to battle, though embattled we are -- but a call to bear the burden.”

Explanation of Example

• The Zeugma functions in this speech to allow kennedy to seem less demanding
• Mentions three main issues
• Only one gets plainly stated

Appositive

Lily Bedell

Mnemonic and Definition

A term which a noun is described by another noun, in order to provide information to the audience. This is separated by a comma and often eliminates choppy or short sentences.

Example

I Know Why A Caged Bird Cannot Read

• Francine Prose
• She describes why high school students do not enjoy reading by blaming the education system
• Teaching students literature, rather than something of value
• Informs the people that the education system is failing the youth

Example

“One might suppose that teenagers might enjoy the transformative science-fiction aspects of The Metamorphosis, a story about a young man so alienated from his “dysfunctional” family that he turns… into a giant beetle”

Explanation of Example

• Author is giving an example of a read that may be considered enjoyable
• Gives context of the book in an effective way using the appositive
• Allows the author to move onto her argument without having to create another sentence to describe the book

Circular Argument and Jargon

Grace Katich

Circular Argument

• A logical fallacy, where one argues the premise of the question as a conclusion based on assumption; the conclusion of the is apart of the proceeding argument
• ex.) A is true because B is true; B is true because A is true
• Often seen in politics, crimes, mental illness; represents going in circles in an argument

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The Crucible

• 1953 Play by Arthur Miller
• A dramaticized and partially fictional version of Salem witch trials
• Massachusetts Bay Colony 1692-1693
• Explores hidden dark desires through the fictionalization of witches
• Wrote as an allegory for McCarthyism

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Example

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Martha Corey's Voice: I am innocent to a witch. I know not what a witch is.

Hathorne's Voice: How do you know, then, that you are not a witch?

Martha Corey's Voice: If i were, I would know it.

Act 3, page 207

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Effect

• Martha states she does not know what a witch is which is the same as stating she is “innocent” to a witch
• A way of defense; she claims the only reason she cannot be a witch is because she doesn't know what one is
• Using the premise of the question as a conclusion/ evidence
• Causes audience to suspect she is hiding something/ is a witch
• Instills suspense or confuses the audience

Jargon

• Specific words or expressions used by a certain group or profession difficult for others to understand
• ex.) legal jargon, medical jargon, ect.

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Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried”

• A war story
• An unnamed narrator describes the thoughts and actions of war veteran Jimmy Cross
• O’Brien uses great detail to describe what the Jimmy as well as other soldiers would carry at war, including physical and mental matters
• The physical material carried as well the mental effect and experiences that are carried
• Purpose= the expose the truths and misconceptions of war

The Things They Carried

The things they carried were largely determined by necessity. Among

the necessities or near-necessities were P-38 can openers, pocket knives,heat tabs, wristwatches, dog tags, mosquito repellent, chewing gum, candy, cigarettes, salt tablets, packets of Kool-Aid, lighters, matches, sewing kits, Military Payment Certificates, C rations, and two or three canteens of water. Together, these items weighed between 15 and 20 pounds, depending upon a man’s habits or rate of metabolism. Henry Dobbins, who was a big man, carried extra rations; he was especially fond of canned peaches in heavy syrup over pound cake. Dave Jensen, who practiced field hygiene, carried a toothbrush, dental floss, and several hotel-sized bars of soap he’d stolen on R&R in Sydney, Australia. Ted Lavender, who was scared, carried tranquilizers until he was shot in the head outside the village of Than Khe in mid-April. By necessity, and because it was SOP, they all carried steel helmets that weighed 5 pounds including the liner and camouflage cover. They carried the standard fatigue jackets and trousers. Very few carried underwear. On their feet they carried jungle boots—2.1 pounds—and Dave Jensen carried three pairs of socks and a can of Dr. Scholl’s foot powder as a precaution against trench foot.

The Things They Carried- Effect

• Switches from items the reader can identify to war jargon
• Makes war seem foreign and relatable to the reader
• The objects foreshadow the personalities of the people
• Depicts the difficulty for outsiders to understand the concept of war
• Aids creation of a believable plot

Imagery and Logos

Stephen Sager

Imagery

Definition: Writers language that serves to visually enhance the description of something.

Think of Imagery as an Author painting a landscape image!

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Context“The Santa Ana Winds”

• The author, Joan Didion describes what living through the Santa Ana Winds, a very destructive weather condition, in Southern California is like.
• The winds are both hot and cold but can wreak havoc on the entire southern portion of the state
• The winds also tend to promote the spreading of fire, giving the winds the nickname, “devil winds”

The Santa Ana Winds - Imagery

Joan Didion, “The Santa Ana Winds” (chapter 2 in textbook)

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“I recall being told, when I first moved to Los Angeles and was living on an isolated beach, that the Indians would throw themselves into the sea when the bad wind blew. I could see why. The Pacific turned ominously glossy during a Santa Ana period, and one woke in the night troubled not only by the peacocks screaming in the olive trees but by the eerie absence of surf. The heat was surreal. The sky had a yellow cast, the kind of light sometimes called ‘earthquake weather.’ My only neighbor would not come out of her house for days, and there were no lights at night, and her husband roamed the place with a machete. One day he would tell me that he had heard a trespasser, the next a rattlesnake.”

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Effect

• Imagery can really help the reader better understand what an author is more precisely thinking or feeling!
• Didion uses imagery in this way and helps the reader really be able to feel the way she felt during those very moments.
• Didion also uses words like glossy, ominous, and eerie to really characterize the winds
• Can elevate the style and creativity of your writing
• Providing vivid descriptions can also help elevate and advance characters and storyline

Logos

Definition: One of the three modes of persuasion, appealing to logical knowledge, defined by Aristotle, that modern writers use to connect to a reader. In many instances this can be seen through the use of facts and statistics.

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It’s logical for a business to have a logo!?!

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Context“If the Japanese Can’t Build a Safe Reactor, Who Can?”

• Given Japan’s positioning it has a high frequency to face natural disasters more frequently than other nations; however, Japan is also a very developed country that feels the pressure to keep up with Nuclear development.
• The author, Anne Applebaum addresses the difficulties the nation faces as it goes into the future.

If the Japanese Can’t Build a Safe Reactor, Who Can? - Logos

Anne Applebaum, “If the Japanese Can’t Build a Safe Reactor, Who Can?” (chapter 1 in textbook)

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“It can — and will — be argued that the Japanese situation is extraordinary. Few countries are as vulnerable to natural catastrophe as Japan, and the scale of this earthquake is unprecedented. But there are other kinds of extraordinary situations and unprecedented circumstances. In an attempt to counter the latest worst-possible scenarios, a Franco-German company began constructing a super-safe, “next-generation” nuclear reactor in Finland several years ago. The plant was designed to withstand the impact of an airplane — a post-Sept. 11 concern — and includes a chamber allegedly able to contain a core meltdown. But it was also meant to cost $4 billion and to be completed in 2009. Instead, after numerous setbacks, it is still unfinished — and may now cost $6 billion or more.

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Ironically, the Finnish plant was meant to launch the renaissance of the nuclear power industry in Europe — an industry that has, of late, enjoyed a renaissance around the world, thanks almost entirely to fears of climate change. Nuclear plants emit no carbon. As a result, nuclear plants, after a long, post-Chernobyl lull, have became fashionable again. Some 62 nuclear reactors are under construction at the moment, according to the World Nuclear Association; a further 158 are being planned and 324 others have been proposed.”

Effect

• Can easily persuade a reader to agree with an author’s argument if used correctly
• Elevate evidence through the use of more concrete and factual evidence instead of hypothetical or theoretical evidence
• Applebaum did this by using numerical example such as the presence 62 nuclear reactors, while 158 are being planned and 324 others have been proposed
• Applebaum also did this through prices: 4 billion and an additional 8 billion
• Logos can also lead to both ethos and pathos
• If logical facts can be used to prove a staggering argument, the author can create pathos.

Hyperbole

• An exaggeration to make a point, not meant to be taken literally; an overstatement
• Mnemonic Device: They exaggerated or HYPED HER ABILITY

JFK’s Inaugural Address

• January 20th 1961 at the Capitol
• First inaugural address to be televised in color
• Kennedy is a young president
• During peak of the Cold War
• American people worried about nuclear arms race and fear of communism
• Purpose to build confidence in American people

JFK’s Inaugural Address

“We dare not forget today that we are the heirs of that first revolution. Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans--born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage--and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this nation has always been committed, and to which we are committed today at home and around the world.

Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.

This much we pledge--and more.

To those old allies whose cultural and spiritual origins we share, we pledge the loyalty of faithful friends. United there is little we cannot do in a host of cooperative ventures. Divided there is little we can do--for we dare not meet a powerful challenge at odds and split asunder.”

JFK Inaugural Address Effect

• Uses hyperbole to exaggerate America’s strength
• Tries to convey that America has the strength to get through any obstacle
• Instead of just saying America is strong he says America can “pay any price” or “bear any burden”
• Reader knows in actuality that isn’t true but helps portray strength

Understatement

• Deliberately making a situation seem less important usually for a comic effect, not fully expressing the extent of something
• Mnemonic device: UNDERstatement is a form of UNDERestimating for an effect

Lou Gehrig “Luckiest Man” speech

• July 4th 1939 at Yankee Stadium
• In front of 62,000 fans
• Farewell speech after being diagnosed with ALS
• Explains how although he has been put in a bad situation he is the “luckiest man in the world”
• Purpose: to show how strong an individual can be when faced with adversity

Lou Gehrig “Luckiest Man” speech

"Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about the bad break I got. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth. I have been in ballparks for seventeen years and have never received anything but kindness and encouragement from you fans.

"Look at these grand men. Which of you wouldn't consider it the highlight of his career just to associate with them for even one day? Sure, I'm lucky. Who wouldn't consider it an honor to have known Jacob Ruppert? Also, the builder of baseball's greatest empire, Ed Barrow? To have spent six years with that wonderful little fellow, Miller Huggins? Then to have spent the next nine years with that outstanding leader, that smart student of psychology, the best manager in baseball today, Joe McCarthy? Sure, I'm lucky.”

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Lou Gehrig “Luckiest Man” speech

• Lou Gehrig uses understatement to describe his diagnosis by saying he “got a bad break”
• In reality he had less than two years to live
• The use of understatement in the first sentence of his speech lightens up the tough topic he is introducing
• He deliberately makes it seem less important and changes the focus to how lucky he is to have been given the opportunity to play with his amazing teammates

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Antithesis: Definition and Mnemonic

The careful use of opposite words or ideas in order to create certain stylistic emphasis

Richard Nixon’s First Inaugural Address

• 37th U.S. President, following LBJ
• Delivered January 20, 1969 to United States and to the world
• Typical Inaugural Address: rally and inspire the nation

Richard Nixon’s First Inaugural Address

Standing in this same place a third of a century ago, Franklin Delano Roosevelt addressed a nation ravaged by depression and gripped in fear. He could say in surveying the Nation's troubles: "They concern, thank God, only material things." Our crisis today is in reverse.

We find ourselves rich in goods, but ragged in spirit; reaching with magnificent precision for the moon, but failing into raucous discord on earth.

We are caught in war, wanting peace. We are torn by division, wanting unity. We see around us empty lives, wanting fulfillment. We see tasks that need doing, waiting for hands to do them.

To a crisis of the spirit, we need an answer of the spirit.

And to find that answer, we need only look within ourselves.

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Richard Nixon’s First Inaugural Address: Effect

“We find ourselves rich in goods, but ragged in spirit…”

• Emphasises the dilemma(s) the country faces
• Acts as a concession and contrasts what the nation has with what it does not
• The desired effect is to inspire citizens to rearrange their priorities towards helping the nation

Juxtaposition: Definition and Mnemonic

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The placement of two or more things together in order to compare or contrast

MLK’s “I Have a Dream” Speech

• Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the most well known leaders in the American civil rights movement
• He was a Baptist Minister who led through peaceful protest
• This speech is from the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom
• The purpose was to inspire America to come together to create racial equality

MLK’s “I Have a Dream” Speech

I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

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MLK’s “I Have a Dream” Speech: Effect

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It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

• Catches the attention of the audience
• Metaphorically contrast the ‘dark’ days seen before and the ‘light’ ahead
• Shows how that ‘light’ has begun to dim and how he hopes to inspire an even greater light to be lit

Antithesis vs. Juxtaposition

• Antithesis is a more narrow form of juxtaposition
• It uses opposites
• It has parallel structure

“We find ourselves rich in goods, but ragged in spirit…”

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Simple Sentence

Definition:

noun

a sentence with a single

independent clause

“I Have A Dream” (1963) – Martin Luther King Jr.

• King – a prominent African American activist and leader of the SCLC
• Organized many peaceful demonstrations during the 1950-60’s during segregation in the U.S.
• Delivered “I Have A Dream” at the National Mall in Washington D.C., during the March on Washington for Jobs + Freedom — more than 250,000 people
• Purpose: called for end to racism; equal economic opportunity; to demonstrate the power African American activists had

“I Have A Dream” (1963) – Martin Luther King Jr.

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“I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

This is our hope.”

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Simple Sentence in

“I Have A Dream”

• “I have a dream today.” repeated multiple times throughout text for effect
• The simplicity of the sentence is for effect, as if meant to show that what MLK is asking for is simple
• Evokes a feeling of a world where equality and no discrimination exists

Compound Sentence

Definition:

noun

A sentence with two, independent

clauses

Donald Trump’s Victory Speech (November 2016)

• Donald Trump – 45th President of the U.S.; real estate developer and chairman of the Trump Organization; reality TV personality; author
• Won highly contested & controversial 2016 election despite projections
• Delivered speech around 1am after receiving a concession call from Hillary Clinton
• Trump – not very good at sticking to what supposed to say
• Purpose: to rally support, thank voters for turning out, and what to look forward to

Compound Sentence in Trump’s Victory Speech

No dream is too big, and no challenge is too great. Nothing we want for our future is beyond our reach.

America will no longer settle for anything less than the best. We must reclaim our country's destiny, and we must dream big and bold and daring. We have to do that. We're going to dream of things for our country, and beautiful things and successful things once again.

We will always put America's interests first, but we will deal fairly with everyone. All people and all other nations.

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• Trump frequently uses compound sentences, as he speaks often in very simple terms and makes very general statements
• As shown by the mnemonic (FANBOYS), he separates two independent clauses by conjunctions such as and or but
• Makes it easier to understand as he breaks up the sentences by speaking like this